At 86, Mervin Raudabaugh had a decision that could have changed his finances overnight. Data center developers were willing to pay more than $15 million for his two adjoining farms in Silver Spring Township, Pennsylvania. He chose something very different. Raudabaugh accepted $1.9 million through a permanent conservation easement instead, keeping the 261 acres in agricultural use. The decision protects farmland, stream frontage, wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge and the rural view along Interstate 81.
For Raudabaugh, the choice had little to do with how many millions were on the table. It was about what he wanted the land to remain.
