Land Conservation - Lancaster Farmland Trust

Love our waterways?

Protect our farms.

Lancaster County has more than 1,400 miles of rivers, streams, creeks, and cricks.

Unfortunately, 50% of those waterways are impaired. And the problem doesn’t end there—because every drop of water that flows through our county eventually drains into the Chesapeake Bay, affecting the plants and wildlife there. Pollutants like nutrient runoff, sediments, and road salts have massive adverse effects on water quality and aquatic life.

That’s why we’re doing our utmost to deploy effective conservation solutions. In fact, we’ve been working with farmers for years to help them implement conservation practices on their farms that keep these pollutants out of our waterways.

And when we do this work on preserved farmland, we know these conservation practices will be in place forever.

National leaders in local conservation.

There’s a reason why farmland preservation organizations around the country have taken note of what’s being accomplished right here in Lancaster County. With your support, we’ve successfully completed several thousand BMP assessment visits, helped develop several hundred conservation plans, and completed implementation projects on over 50 farms, and counting.

The Process

How We Conserve Land

It starts with farmland preservation. When a farm is paved over, water and nutrients can no longer soak into the soil. Instead, they run off into our streams and creeks. Preserving farmland and implementing best management practices keeps sediment and nutrients on the farm—and out of the water.
Farmers are our most important partners. Our first priority in our work is the farmer. Most farmers are excited to implement projects that will improve water quality (and help their own operations). The missing link is often the time and money to do this important work. And that’s where we come in.
We connect farmers to resources. Once a farmer is interested in implementing best management practices, the real work begins. Lancaster Farmland Trust walks alongside the farmer, serving as both a guide and a resource in navigating the construction and funding of best management practices.

Protecting the water that flows to the Chesapeake.

Stream Crossing

Stream crossings are stone or concrete pathways built where livestock can cross a stream. This decreases soil erosion by limiting livestock access to one area rather than the entire stream.

Streambank Fencing

Streambank fencing keeps livestock out of waterways, preventing them from trampling banks, polluting waterways, and damaging sensitive ecosystems.

Riparian Buffers

Riparian buffers are vegetated areas that surround streambanks to intercept and filter sediment and other pollutant runoff before it enters the water.