Thanks to a tax on cigarettes, two Bucks County farms will be preserved in perpetuity. James McGinnis wrote about the interesting turn of events for the Bucks County Courier Times.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has announced plans to place conservation easements on 24 properties, including the two local farms. This will protect around 2,046 acres across the state against future development.

The preservation is being financed through a mix of $7.5 million in state, county, and local tax dollars. Most of the funds come from a $25.5 million annual tax on tobacco products, which has been used by Pennsylvania to preserve farms since 1998.

In Bucks County, a mix of state, county, and local tax dollars has so far preserved over 18,000 acres spread across more than 230 properties.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will use $1.39 million to preserve two farms in Bedminster Township that total 93 acres. This includes the Hunsberger farm on Smith School Road and the Heacock farm on Sweetbriar Road.

Conservation easements allow farmers to retain the titles to their land. They can then pass those to the next generation or sell the property, but the land always must remain in agricultural use.

Read more about the preservation in the Bucks County Courier Times.