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Page b farmland preservation report Under Secretary Lyons: New .Jersey is "ground zero" in urban ag debate continued from page 5 ment's contribution has not been so substantial." Hank Stebbins of Scenic Hudson #Inc. explained to the panel that purchase of development rights should be seen by the federal govern- ment as the only realistic land protection method in urban regions. "There is no other alternative in suburbanizing areas," because of allowed densities and availability of land, he said. Under Secretary Jim Lyons, a native of Bergen County, told the 100 or so participants that the Morristown forum was "one of the best forums we've held —[New Jersey] is clearly ground zero in the debate of agriculture and forestry," surviving in an urbanizing region, he said. "In my mind there's something wrong when we're spending $32 billion [in commodity supports] to keep farmers farming, and not to keep farming for the long run," Lyons said. In an interview after the forum, Under Secretary Lyons said a whole host of issues that affect farmland loss were addressed in the forums, including how federal laws such as the mortgage tax deduc- tion affect the housing market and generate sprawl. A report about the forums may be made available. Contact Lloyd Wright or Joan Conanor at 202 720 -8767. Book Review Landownership somewhere between apltaOlsm and socialism A review of Property and Values: Alternatives to Public and Private Ownership. Charles Geisler and Gail Daneker, eds., Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2000, $35., 300 pages. BY TOM DANIELS Contributing Editor It is easy to think of land as either private property or property held in the public realm by some level of government. But as several authors in Property and Values persuasively demonstrate, there is a third type of property ownership with publicly -held interests in private land or privately -held interests in public land. Moreover, this third type of please continue to next page U September 2000 legislative and program briefs ... In Connecticut ... The Working Lands Alliance, successful last spring in getting a reluctant bond commission to release $7 million in farmland protection funds over 18 months, has succeeded in getting Gov. John Rowland to support the program. Last winter, Mark Winne, director of the Alliance, said Gov. Rowland didn't care about farmland, and was holding up funds that were allo- cated to it. That has changed, Winne says. "The governor has actually expressed personal interest in public," Winne said. "We're sensing there will be some kind of initiative over the next several months." Meanwhile, the first funds from the $7 million will be seen in October. In New York... New York localities have requested $63 million in state grants for a total of $84.5 million in preservation projects. But the program will have only $5.5 to $15.5 million to spend, with only $5.5 committed to date. Issues looming large for New York are funding and administration of the program. The state Clean Air/ Clean Water Bond Act runs out this year, making future funding levels uncertain, and there is still no dedicated staff for the program, which has spent $28 million since 1996. In Maryland ... Reorganization at DNR has put the Rural Legacy Program on a par with Program Open Space, with both programs on their own turf, ad- ministratively and budget -wise, "with no impact on the existing level of funds," said DNR Assistant Secretary Mike Nelson. Nelson, who was serving as a regional director for DNR, now oversees Rural Legacy, POS and two other grants -based programs. Chip Price has succeeded Grant Dehart as director of POS. Dehart has become Director of