- Some Eastern States Offering Farmland Preservation Funding
- By Greg Brown
Associate Editor
- The American Farmland Trust (AFT) named the Northern Piedmont region of Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia as the number two most threatened land resource in the country. At least two states in this region are offering preservation programs that are being seriously considered by growers.
In late March, Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Secretary Sam Hayes announced nine farms totaling 1,591 acres had been approved for preservation. Under Gov. Tom Ridge’s commitment to protecting farmland and open space, Pennsylvania now has approved 60 farms for preservation in 2001 totaling 6,982 acres.
“With the support of Gov. Ridge’s ‘Growing Greener’ initiative, and through the hard work of state and county farmland-preservation board members, Pennsylvania continues its commitment to our strong, proud agricultural heritage,” Hayes said in a press release. “Because of the dedication of our partners, Pennsylvania will continue its reach for greatness.”
In February, Pennsylvania was honored by the AFT for preserving more farms than any state in the nation. In 2001, Pennsylvania is committed to continuing its record-setting pace, Hayes said.
New Jersey also continues to offer growers preservation options that rival many states. The program seemed to come just in time based on farm loss figures. Between 1980 and1990, the state lost 150,000 acres of farmland. In recent years, New Jersey has lost approximately 10,000 acres of farmland per year, according to the state’s Farm Development Committee.
In 1996, former Governor Christine Whitman established the Governor’s Council on New Jersey Outdoors to review the state’s open space and recreational needs and to identify stable sources of funding. The council concluded that the state needed to preserve one million acres of open space.
In 1998, the legislature approved placing on the November ballot a constitutional amendment that would dedicate funds to the protection of open spaces and farmland. Voters approved the amendment by a two to one margin.
Hope Gruzlovic, State Ag Development Committee, Farm Development, reports that as of June 30, 2000, the state had permanently preserved 432 farms totaling 64,739 acres. The program is funded by the Garden State Preservation Trust Act, which was by signed into law by Whitman in June 1999.
“The Garden State Preservation Trust is overseeing New Jersey’s efforts to preserve an additional one million acres and open spaces,” said Gruzlovic. “Half of that one million acres will be farmland.” The program is expected to average approximately $60 million in funding per year from a dedicated tax-base for the next 10 years.
“The funding is a dedicated source of funding through the state sales and use tax,” said Gruzlovic. “It is the first time that there has been a stable source of funding for open space and farmland preservation. Prior to this it was funded through a series of bonds.”
Since 1989, Pennsylvania has protected 1,524 farms totaling 186,145 acres - more than any other state in the nation. A reported 67% of the farmland preserved since 1989 was protected during the Ridge Administration.
Last year was a record-breaking year in farmland preservation in Pennsylvania, with more than 33,000 acres and 283 farms preserved - the most farms preserved during any year since the program began in 1989.
To continue Pennsylvania’s nation-leading pace of farmland preservation, more than $70 million in county and state funding has been proposed for the upcoming year, including more than $20 million as part of Gov. Ridge’s “Growing Greener” initiative.
At nearly $650 million over five years, this initiative is Pennsylvania’s largest-ever environmental investment.
The Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program is committed to the preservation of Pennsylvania’s farmland, according to Hayes. Through the purchasing of development rights, referred to as easements, the Farmland Preservation Program preserves farmland for future generations.
