Land Stewardship Assistance

Delaware County provides support to landowners for the preservation of private farmland, open space, and natural resource areas.

General Assistance

Delaware County Planning Department staff can assist landowners, municipalities, and others in finding ways to preserve and manage open space. The County’s Open Space, Recreation, and Greenway Plan is a great resource, particularly Volume I, Chapter 6: Implementation Tools. Planning staff can help you find the right tools, resources, and partners to address your particular need, whether it be an open space covenant or advice concerning other land protection strategies.

Delaware County Open Space Covenant Plan (Act 515)

Delaware County’s Open Space Covenant Plan (based on Act 515 of 1966, as amended) provides an incentive for owners of farmland or open space to remain land stewards. The Plan enables a property owner with 10 or more acres of qualifying land to receive a reduction in property tax in return for agreeing to retain his property in its current condition for at least ten years. For more information or to receive a copy of the Plan information packet, contact the Planning Department at 610-891-5200.

A similar program, based on Act 319 of 1974, often called the "Clean and Green Program," also provides a reduced property tax assessment on open space land capable of producing agricultural products, according to soil productivity. The County’s Act 319 program is administered by its Board of Assessments (610-481-4879).