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protect york’s resources.

York County is located in a beautiful region that attracts people for its lush, rolling hills, proximity to undisrupted nature, strong agricultural heritage, welcoming community and quality of life.

So much of what makes York County attractive needs to be protected for the future generations. Open spaces are an important part of keeping the County beautiful and economically viable, and plays a key role in keeping its residents healthy.

York County Open Space and Land Preservation Program Annual Report

Please click the button below to view the York County Open Space and Land Preservation Program Annual Reports. The Annual reports provides some background about the program, annual accomplishments, and partner highlights.

2022 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

York County Open Space and Land Preservation Grant Program

The 2023 York County Open Space and Land Preservation Grant Program opens on July 1st and the application period will remain open through September 30th. We will be evaluating applications and announcing grant awards in December.

Municipalities and charitable non-profit organizations with 501 (c) status may apply for funds to acquire land for natural resource protection or parkland. Funding is also available to York County municipalities to conduct planning studies and to develop portions of comprehensive plans and ordinances to address the County Comprehensive Plan’s open space, land protection, sensitive natural features, and agricultural protection related goals and objectives.

Since 2022, Marcellus Shale Legacy funding will be distributed through the York County Open Space and Land Preservation Grant Program. This funding can be used for planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, natural areas, community conservation and beautification projects, community and heritage parks and water resource management. Funds may be used to acquire lands for recreational or conservation purposes and land damaged or prone to drainage by storms or flooding.

Check out the links below to get more information and apply for a grant.

Grant Program Guidelines

Apply for Grant (Open July 1 – Sept 30)

Grant FAQs

Email for more Info

The York County Open Space and Land Preservation Program is dedicated to helping communities and non-profit organizations around the County to preserve and protect open space that can be enjoyed by both current and future generations.

York County Open Space and Land Preservation Virtual Grants Workshop was held on August 16, 2023

If you would like to view a recording of the workshop, please click 2023 Open Space Grants Workshop. You may also be interested in checking out the York County Open Space Grant Presentation or the PA DCNR Grant Presentation.

In the spring of 2019, the York County Land Protection Committee commissioned the Arthur J. Glatfelter Institute for Public Policy to better understand the perspectives of York County residents towards protecting open space, as well as residents’ desire to establish a dedicated, sustainable source of funding for open space protection. The following links provide an overview and full report of the survey results.

Survey Results – Overview

Survey Results – Full Report

Survey Results – Presentation

What are open spaces and why should they be protected?

Open space is publicly or privately-owned land and water that is:

Providing areas for passive or active public recreation (parks and trails)
Privately owned agricultural land managed for food and fiber production
Predominately in a natural state

Protecting natural or historic resources (water, air, soil, minerals, forests, wildlife)
Preserving scenic quality and maintaining community character

Open Spaces Video

Today, only 12% of York County is protected open space.

Did you know that open spaces also contribute to the overall wellbeing of our environment?

For every acre of land protected, you…

Protect drinking water supplies
Recharge groundwater and aquifers
Provide recreational and aesthetic values

Provide habitat for wildlife
Absorb air pollution
Cool urban communities in the summer

Help water quality through natural filtration
Ensure generations of farmers

York County has a goal to protect 2,500 acres annually. Since 2009, we’ve been missing the mark on protecting our open lands to keep up with quality of life.

See how York County is currently protected with our interactive map.

Interactive Map

How This
Affects You

Communities that prioritize protecting open spaces and agricultural lands:

Boost small businesses
Attract retirees and families
Have a more robust tourism industry

Have access to fresh, local foods
Strengthen the natural environment
Benefit from additional tax revenue with decreased cost of public services

Land is a finite resource and efforts to protect open space are essential to maintaining and improving the quality of life, health and economic opportunities for the citizens of York County, now and for future generations.

Taking Better Care of York County

The York County Open Space and Land Preservation Program create long term predictable funding stream to protect and preserve land through purchases or permanent easements.

The funding source is being used to create a coordinated and connected landscape by preserving our agricultural economy, providing land for recreation, preserving natural habitats and protecting our waterways.