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July - August 2001
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<br />farmland preservation report
<br />National survey, continued from page 2
<br />Trust (MALT) has had its ups and downs in
<br />regards to funding, but is definitely on the up-
<br />swing lately, raising $9 million in a capital cam-
<br />paign over the last two years. The organization
<br />has preserved 30,338 acres with other agricultural
<br />acres protected by the Marin Open Space District.
<br />Baltimore County, Md.
<br />Baltimore County has experienced some ups
<br />and downs participating in the state farmland
<br />preservation program, with last year being its best
<br />and this year its worst, according to program
<br />administrator Wally Lippincott.
<br />The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation
<br />Foundation usually approves a second round of
<br />offers in June, using funds remaining from unused
<br />first round offers. But due to accounting errors
<br />that caused a deficit this year, no second round
<br />was voted when the board -met last month. That
<br />left some counties, including Baltimore County,
<br />w.tLh unmet a pectatloiis for additibna'l ,offers.
<br />Baltimore County prepared paperwork for
<br />eight farms, with three of those, comprising 389
<br />acres, getting approval in this year's first round.
<br />Added to this is 1,697 farmland acres preserved
<br />through the state Rural Legacy Program, for a
<br />one -year progress report of 2,086 acres.
<br />According to program administrator Wally
<br />Lippincott, five farms. comprising 568 acres, were
<br />in good form for Round Two, with discount ratios
<br />of above 50 percent and as high as 72 percent - an
<br />important factor for ranking in Round Two.
<br />But in the Rural Legacy Program, Baltimore
<br />County has fared well, receiving to date $19.6
<br />million. That number includes this year's grant
<br />totals of $7.5 million for three designated Rural
<br />Legacy Areas. The county has five designated
<br />areas, four of which are sponsored by land trusts.
<br />The county has $7.3 million for the upcoming
<br />year, including new Rural Legacy grants.
<br />Harford County, Md.
<br />Installment purchase has been the modus
<br />operandi of the Harford program since 1993 when
<br />a local real estate transfer tax was enacted to pay
<br />Page 3
<br />for.a substantial boost in protected acreage that
<br />led the nation for rate of activity for several years.
<br />The program is currently approving easement
<br />purchases at half the rate it approved them two
<br />years ago, and problems with the state program
<br />has also caused a crunch on activity, with several
<br />farms now threatened with pending development
<br />while waiting for state preservation dollars that
<br />never came, according to Bill Amoss, program
<br />administrator.
<br />This past year has been likely the least produc-
<br />tive of any year in the history of the program, with
<br />just 1,063 acres approved through the county and
<br />state ag programs, and 690 acres protected under
<br />Rural Legacy. Other acres are protected by land
<br />trusts.
<br />Burlington County, NJ
<br />Burlington County, like several others in the
<br />ranking, gets help in preservation efforts from The
<br />Pinelands Transfer of Development Credit (TDC)
<br />Program, which has gained significant acreage in
<br />Burlington since last year, going from 6,243 acres
<br />to 9,622, and more coming quickly, according to
<br />John Ross, executive director.
<br />Susan Craft, director of the Burlington County
<br />Land Use Office, reports 16,926 acres preserved,
<br />up from 14,316 acres last July. Those acres com-
<br />bine 13,236 protected outside the Pinelands, 3,127
<br />protected through county - purchased TDCs, and
<br />563 acres protected through a transfer of develop-
<br />ment rights program begun in Lumberton Town-
<br />ship. Burlington County is using installment
<br />purchases with option for lump sum for proper-
<br />ties purchased after 1990.
<br />The county will also be helped by a new state
<br />effort to protect lands inside the Pinelands, using
<br />the state's first easement valuation formula. Be-
<br />cause of the Pinelands TDC program, land values
<br />there were too low to make the state farmland
<br />program attractive. With the formula, "they had a
<br />flood of applicants," from the Pinelands, Craft
<br />said. "That will greatly expand our acreage."
<br />please continue to page 6
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