§ 138l.4. Benefits of having land within an ASA.
The following are among the benefits and protections resulting from the inclusion of land within an ASA:
(1) Under section 11 of the act (3 P. S. § 911), local government units must encourage the ASA by not enacting laws or ordinances which would restrict farm structures or farm practices, unless the laws or ordinances bear a direct relationship to the public health or safety.
(2) Under section 11 of the act, a local law or ordinance defining or prohibiting a public nuisance must exclude from the definition of the nuisance any agricultural activity or operation conducted using normal farming operations within the ASA if the agricultural activity or operation does not bear a direct relationship to the public health and safety.
(3) Under section 12 of the act (3 P. S. § 912), Commonwealth agencies with programs that might negatively affect farmers must conduct their programs in a manner that will encourage the continuance of viable agriculture in the ASA.
(4) Under section 13 of the act (3 P. S. § 913), entities seeking to acquire land within an ASA by eminent domain (condemnation) must—under certain circumstances delineated in the act—obtain the advance approval of ALCAB before the taking can occur.
(5) Under section 14.1 of the act (3 P. S. § 914.1), the owner of land within an ASA comprised of 500 or more acres may be eligible to apply through the county board to sell an agricultural conservation easement to the Commonwealth, the county, a local government unit or some combination thereof.
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