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October 2005 farmland preservation report Page 5 Switching from commodity to green Agricultural Preserve subsidies in farm bill AFT's top priority state briefs Board director Rich Doenges reported in a WASHINGTON, DC - Pushing for reform in U.S. farm In Virginia ... Fauquier correction to FPR, that the number of appraisals policy has become the top priority for the American County's local PDR ordered for the upcoming Farmland Trust, according to administrative director program, while focusing round of offers is 89, not Jimmy Daukas. on a target area consist- ing mostly of dairy 188, as reported in FPR The only farmland protection advocate organization operations in the last issue. We regret the error. York County in the nation's capital, AFT has always taken the lead in Y southern part of the Commissioners voted to promoting sustainable agriculture and farmland protec- county, accepts go forward with the tion in the farm bill, which is reauthorized every seven ere ia- tions from anywhere n the county, said program purchase, through p 9 ears. eminent domain proceed- In 1995, AFT testified on commodity program Pickering in a clarification acres to create a park reform and was successful in getting farmland protec- to FPR. overlooking the tion included the 1996 farm bill, authorized at $35 million Democratic candi- date for governor Susquehanna River. Part « annually for protecting topsoil by limiting nonagricultural Timothy Kaine said last of the farm is enrolled as an agricultural security uses of the land." It was the first time federal funds month he supports area, which will require were made available to state and local farmland pro- creating a permanent additional layers of review grams. fund for land acquisition. and approval. In the next farm-bill in 2002, farmland protection According to campaign spokesperson Hari In Illinois ... Kane became the third highest funded conservation program, Sevugan, Kaine also County has preserved 2,700 acres and has with $985 million authorized, a sum 28 times higher than ` supports the growth of 3,000 more on a waiting in 1995. the purchase of develop- list for the program with a "We've been talking about the need to support ment rights." The PDR program, created in $2 million annual budget. conservation on private lands instead of production of 2000,- remains unfanded. Acres are concentrated in two townships. The certain crops for a while," Daukas said. "That's taken Republican candidate for program is supported by on more momentum because of the pressure of trade governor Jerry Kilgore casino revenues. negotiations. That has led us to the 2007 farm bill. It is a said he favored a tax In Michigan ... The tremendous opportunity to shift the U.S. farm policy incentive approach for land preservation. A tax Michigan Agricultural toward conservation, stewardship and green payments," credit for easement Preservation Fund (MAPF), signed into law in Daukas said. donation is in place in 2000 as Public Act 262, Following series of forums AFT held nationwide g Virginia. has at last had its first Daukas said the group saw three primary areas of In New Jersey q y ' ' build -out analysis of application cycle. Since concern to farmers: Burlington County "s 2000, an extraordinarily complicated and anemic 1) risk management: the need for a safety net; Upper Freehold Town- agriculture recapture tax 2 stewardship: he Conservation Stewardship P� P ship, presented last has been accruing to its Program of 2002 had insufficient funds to establish the month by the township's current $1.3 million. But program as envisioned, according to Daukas; farmers 4 found 37 planner, . percent of the what has also happened « �� say they will lobby fora rewards system; township's 47 square since 2000 is that 15 local government entities, 3) new markets: trade liberalization is a big part. miles is preserved, with consisting of townships According to Daukas, interest among farmers in 6,774 of those acres in and counties and some changing the reasons for farm subsidies has come about farmland preservation. The township can joint efforts of both because of a desire for true market enterprises, dollar expect 3,561 additional levels, have adopted PDR ordinances and generated amounts that are meaningful, and a desire to see more homes to be built under local matches to become efficient use of taxpayer dollars. current zoning. Eighty- eligible for state funding. "We use to justify farm programs based on rural five percent of the The state PDR program development, but that doesn't pan out," Daukas said. township`s remaining buildable land is in the operating in conjunction AFT will be part of a larger coalition of organiza- agricultural zone. with the MAPF, has protected 16,500 acres. tions working for significant changes in farm policy in In Pennsylvania ... the next two years. Lancaster County