Farmland preservation activated in Maryland
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. -
Maryland’s efforts to save
farmland have
begun the
Agricultural Land
Preservation program.
Five-member Advisory
Boards have been appointed
and are active m all 23
counties, program
regulations were adopted in
January .1979 and the
necessary forms for lan
downer participation have
been distributed to each
county, according to the
Maryland Department of
Agriculture.
The program is ad
ministered on the state level
by the Maryland Agriculture
Land Preservation Foun
dation of the Maryland
Department of Agriculture.
The Foundation is a 11-
member body whose
members are by
the Governor.
The program is com
pletely voluntary on the part
of owners of eligible far
mland and involves the
establishment fit
Agricultural Preservation
Districts in which the lan
downer agrees not to develop
bis land for at least a period
of five years. In exchange,
the owner becomes eligible
to offer to sell a development
rights easement To the
Agricultural Land
Preservation Foundation,
Hi.
Office & Warehouse (Pickup)
1907-A Olde Homestead Lane
Lancaster, Pa. 17601*
717-299-0828 or 717-397-5850
normal agricultural ac
tivities (i.e. noise, odor,
night operations, machinery
operation, etc.) become
protected activities in the
District and, in Districts
involving more than one
property, landowners can
assure self-protection from
the encroachment of other
land uses.
The basic minimum
eligibility criteria for land
are: 100 acres minimum
District size, high productive
capability and generally,
located outside planned 10-
year water and sewerage
service areas.
In this first step, District
establishment, there is a
great deal of interest
developing among lan
downers...the benefits are
attractive and if the farmer
is committed to farming for
at least the five-year period
there aren’t any detriments.
Once a District has been
established Hat owner is
immediately eligible to
offer to sell a development
rights easement to the
Foundation. To sell an
easement is to sell only one
of the many rights the
property owner enjoys...the
right to commercially
develop the land. When an
easement is sold, the owner
continues to own the farm or
FFA forestry contest winners named
ELVERSON - Four Twin
Valley FFA members
participated in the Berks
County FFA Forestry
Contest on May 8, at Conrad
Weiser High School. With
Pennsylvania Game
Commission Forester Paul
Weikel officiating, students
idcntified-20 different trees,
then used cruising sticks to
measure their diameter,
estimated the number of logs
from each and calculated the
number of board feet of
lumber in each tree. Each
contestant then recom
mended whether to cut a tree
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 19,1979—109
can sell it, it is private, and
the owner and his heirs can
be assured that the farm will
remain in agricultural use,'
in most cases permanently.
The sale of an easement
results in changing a portion
of equity in land into cash
equity and easement sale or
easement sale eligibility can
be used effectively in estate
planning, through providing
a means or equitably
dividing an estate while
saving the family farm.
For many landowners, a
long-term District and thus,
continued easement sale
eligibility is an attractive
option.
The maximum the
Foundation can pay for an
easementis the landowner’s
asking price or the dif
ference between the
agricultural use value and
fair market value of the
land, as appraised,
whichever is lower.
Voluntary applications for
easement sale will be con
sidered every year in each
county on the basis of
competitive bids; a process
in which easements to be
acquired will be selected in
accord with local priorities
and a State formula.
The sale of an easement
results in compensation for
the loss of development
and why and told what use
would be made of each tree
cut.
David Kramer of Conrad Noyes and Henry Ramsey
Weiser won this contest with ■ finished sixth and seventh
John Bastian also of Conrad respectively with Mike
Weiser second; Martin Jones of Kutztown eighth,
Miller of Twin Valley and Brett Strough of Twin
finished third, Kerry Valley ninth.
m
The small metal hoop on a lamp that supports the shade
is called a harp.
rights; an attractive option
for many Maryland far
mland owners.
Funds for easement
acquisition are now
'available. To be eligible to
sell an easement in Fiscal
Year 1980 (beginning July 1,
1979) landowners must have
an Agricultural Preser
vation District established
by July and an Application to
Sell an Easement submitted
no later than July 31,1979.
Funds available include $2
million plus revenues and
appropriations resulting
from actions of the General
Assembly this year. At this
writing it is estimated that
the major bill passed will
contribute an additional $3-
$4 million to the Agricultural
Land" Preservation Fund,
substantially from existing
tax revenue sources.
In addition, a number of
counties have made sub
stantial commitments for
local matching funds for
easement acquisitions.
Further information can
be obtained from the specific
County Agriculture
Preservation Advisory
Boards or the Maryland
Agricultural Land
Preservation, Maryland
Department of Agriculture,
Parole Plaza Office
Building, Annapolis, M<L,
21401.
Reinhart of Conrad Weiser
was fourth, with Eric
Eckenroth of Conrad Weiser
fifth. Twin Vallians Kim