Editing Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (section)

===Protected areas===
Lancaster County is home to [[Susquehannock State Park]], located on {{convert|224|acre}} overlooking the Susquehanna River in [[Drumore Township, Pennsylvania|Drumore Township]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/susquehannock.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212213427/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/susquehannock.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2004|title=Susquehannock State Park|access-date=September 16, 2006|publisher=[[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]]}}</ref> One of the three tracts comprising [[William Penn State Forest]], the {{convert|10|acre|adj=on}} Cornwall [[fire tower]] site, is located in northern [[Penn Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Penn Township]] near the Lebanon County border. The site, with its 1923 fire tower, was acquired by the state in January 1935.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/valleyforgehistory.aspx|title=History of the Valley Forge State Forest|access-date=September 16, 2006|publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901171017/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/valleyforgehistory.aspx|archive-date=September 1, 2006}}</ref>

There are six [[Pennsylvania State Game Lands]] for [[hunting]], [[Trapping (Animal)|trapping]], and fishing located in Lancaster County. They are numbers (with location and area): 46 (near [[Hopeland, Pennsylvania|Hopeland]], {{convert|5035|acre|ha}}), 52 (near Morgantown, {{convert|1447|acre|ha}}), 136 (near Kirkwood, {{convert|91|acre|ha}}), 156 (near Poplar Grove, {{convert|4537|acre|ha}}), 220 (near Reinholds, {{convert|96|acre|ha}}), and 288 (near Martic Forge, {{convert|89|acre|ha}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huntingpa.com/sgl.html|title=HuntingPA.com Game Lands: Pennsylvania State Game Lands, their general location and acreage|access-date=September 16, 2006|format=Searchable Database|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006163841/http://www.huntingpa.com/sgl.html|archive-date=October 6, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The county's southern portion has some protected [[serpentine barrens]], a rare ecosystem where toxic metals in the soil inhibit plant growth, resulting in the formation of natural [[grassland]] and [[savanna]]. These barrens include the New Texas Serpentine Barrens, privately owned land managed by [[The Nature Conservancy]],<ref>[http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/pennsylvania/preserves/art9593.html The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania – New Texas Serpentine Barrens] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716235344/http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/pennsylvania/preserves/art9593.html |date=July 16, 2010 }}. Nature.org (October 22, 2010; retrieved December 23, 2010.)</ref> and Rock Springs Nature Preserve, a publicly accessible preserve with hiking trails owned and managed by the [[Lancaster County Conservancy]].<ref>[http://lancasterconservancy.org/property_rocksprings.htm "Rock Springs Nature Preserve"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222203402/http://www.lancasterconservancy.org/property_rocksprings.htm |date=February 22, 2009}}, Lancaster County Conservancy Website, Retrieved May 10, 2009.</ref>

Lancaster County leads the nation in farmland preservation. Organizations such as the Lancaster Farmland Trust, the Lancaster County Agricultural Preservation Board, and multiple municipalities work in partnership with landowners to preserve their farms and way of life for future generations by placing a conservation easement on their property. A conservation easement restricts real estate development, commercial and industrial uses, and certain other activities on the land that are mutually agreed upon by the grantees and the property owner. After ceding their development rights, landowners continue to manage and own their properties and may receive significant tax breaks. The conservation easement ensures that the land will remain available for agricultural use forever. Lancaster Farmland Trust is a private, non-profit organization that works closely with the vast Amish and Plain-Sect communities of Lancaster County to ensure their farms will retain their agricultural value. Together with the Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board, the county has preserved more than {{convert|100000|acres|abbr=on}} of preserved farmland in the county—a first in the nation.<ref>[http://www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org/about/history.html Lancaster Farmland Trust] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524050922/http://www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org/about/history.html |date=May 24, 2013 }}. Lancaster Farmland Trust (November 13, 1985; retrieved July 23, 2013.)</ref>