Farm Bureau Publishes Guide To Conservation Easements
PARK RIDGE, 111. The
American Farm Bureau Federa
tion has teamed up with two re
spected land management
specialists to produce an author
itative guide for landowners
considering the sale of conserva
tion easements on their land.
“The Landowner’s Guide To
Conservation Easements,” au
thored by Dr. Steven Bick and
Dr. Harry L. Haney, covers all
the issues related to the sale of
conservation easements so land
owners can be fully informed
before making a final decision.
According to AFBF President
Bob Stallman, a Texas cattle
and rice producer, the book is “a
must read” for landowners con
sidering conservation easements
as part of their land manage
ment plan.
“This book is unique from all
other material published on the
topic of conservation easements
because it takes an objective
look at this complicated issue
from the perspective of a land
owner,” Stallman said. “Other
material about conservation
easements usually contains a
bias either espousing or der
iding the virtues ot this rela
tively new land management
tool. This guide draws on re
search conducted with landown
ers regarding their actual
experiences in granting conser
vation easements.”
An easement is a less-than
full ownership interest in a
parcel of land. It is generally a
voluntary but binding legal con
tract that directs land manage
ment.
Landowners who grant ease
ments give up some of their
ownership rights, according to
Don Parrish, senior environ
mental policy specialist for
AFBF
“Many landowners are con
sidering or have willingly sold or
donated conservation easements
for a wide range of benefits and
incentives,” Parrish explained.
“The agreements behind conser
vation easements are formally
recorded in a deed, which can
prohibit some activities entirely,
modify existing uses, and/or in
troduce new ones. Understand
ing that easements divide
ownership interest in property is
the first step in determining if a
conservation easement is right
for you and your land.”
According to Parrish, the use
of conservation easements is be
coming more common across
the nation, as landowners “dis
cover their land holds intrinsic
values that American society
has only lately grown to trea
sure.” Whether landowners
accept payment for the preser
vation of open space, or a
number of other conservation
functions, there are a number of
points that must be considered
before any agreement is signed.
One of the authors, Bick, is
the principal consultant with
Northeast Forests, LLC, of
Thendara, N.Y. He serves as ad
junct assistant professor of for
estry at the State University of
New York’s College of Environ
mental Science and Forestry,
Syracuse, N.Y. The other
author, Haney, serves as a pro
fessor of forestry and is an ex
tension specialist in forest
management-economics at Vir
ginia Tech University.
Topics covered in the book in
clude:
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 16, 2000-A23
• An in-depth explanation of
conservation easements and
whether they are appropriate for
an owner’s land
• Income, estate, and prop
erty tax aspects
• Designing easement deeds
and reserving rights
• Results of easement ar
rangements
MMB Announces
November Class I Price
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Milk Marketing
Board (MMB) announced the
prices to be paid to Pennsylva
nia dairy farmers for November
Class I milk (beverage) as an av
erage of $15.67 in the western
areas of the Commonwealth,
and an average of $16.16 in the
central and eastern areas of the
Commonwealth.
However, the price received
by an individual dairy farmer
will vary as the component com
position of a farm’s milk differs
from the established bench
marks of 3.5 percent butterfat,
2.99 percent protein, and 5.69
percent other solids.
• A process for informed de
cision-making.
For more information about
the topic of conservation ease
ments, contact AFBF’s Parrish
at (847) 685-8742. Credit card
orders for the book ($24.95) may
be placed by calling Ken
dall/Hunt Publishing Company
at (800) 228-0810.
These prices do include the
current over-order premium of
$1.20 per one hundred pounds
of milk, and the fuel adjustment
premium of $.25 per one hun
dred pounds of milk.
Since 1988, the MMB has
mandated over-order premiums
on Class I milk due to adverse
conditions affecting the Penn
sylvania dairy farmer.
Chairwoman Beverly R.
Minor announced that since the
inception of the MMB’s over
order premium in 1988, Penn
sylvania dairy farmers have
received an additional
$217,792,000 in income.
Jersey Shore
Livestock Market, Inc.
Jersey Shore. Pa.
Report Supplied By Auction
Thursday, December 17,2000
RETURN TO FARM CALF 100 00-
300.00
GOOD VEAL 50 00-99.00
COMMON VEAL 20 00-49 00
CHOICE STEERS 72 00-75 00.
SELECT STEERS 67 00-71 00.
COMMON STEERS; 63 00-66 00
COMMERCIAL COWS 37 00-41 50
CANNERS-CUTTERS 33 00-40 00
SHELLS- 23 00-32.00
CHOICE HEIFERS 70 00-75 00.
SELECT HEIFERS 65 00-69 00.
COMMON HEIFERS 42 00-64 00
GOOD FEEDERS- 70 00-86 50
COMMON FEEDERS 40 00-69 00
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