House Bill 2468 was signed into law on Monday by Governor Tom Wolfe after moving through both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The law, amending current eminent domain statutes, states that no authority that has the power of eminent domain may seize land protected by a conservation easement unless it has the approval of the county orphans' court. As the easement holder of Stoneleigh and many other properties in Lower Merion, Haverford and Radnor, the Lower Merion Conservancy supports the aim of this law to protect conservation easements from condemnation.

The Conservancy would like to thank Representatives Warren Kampf, Kate Harper, Marcy Toepel, and Senator Bob Mensch for bringing HB 2468 forward, and local Representatives Tim Briggs, Mary Jo Daley and Greg Vitali for co-sponsoring the bill. We appreciate this bi-partisan support and the resolve of the State Legislature to champion the inviability of conservation easements.

Read more about the bill here.