House Approves Measure to Clarify Clean and Green Law, Causer Says

HARRISBURG – The state House unanimously approved legislation this week to ensure the state’s Clean and Green program is working as it was intended, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint), prime sponsor of the measure.

Clean and Green was created in 1974 to give preferential assessment to farm and forest lands to encourage their protection.

“The preferential assessment was designed to save property owners money in exchange for keeping their land in agriculture or forest use,” Causer said. “However, in counties that have not conducted a reassessment recently, some Clean and Green properties are being taxed at a rate higher than a normal assessment, and that is counter to the purpose of the law.”

To address that concern, House Bill 806 would prohibit counties from taxing Clean and Green properties at a rate greater than fair market value.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.