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3 ti farmland --presery n report Covering the policies, practices and initiatives that save farmland and open space Since 1990 e Deborah Bowers. Editor OFFERS ADJUSTED FOR INCOME Virginia programs exclude "wealthy" farms BERRYVILLE, VA — The Clarke County Board of Supervisors will consider next month a pro- posal for a farmland protection program that would adjust appraised easement values based on the incomes of applicants. The program is mod- eled on one in operation in Albemarle County, Va. The restriction is unique among the nation's local programs. Under the proposal, applicants whose household incomes are under $50,000, would re- ceive 100 percent of appraised easement value. Households earning above that level will have their appraised values discounted, receiving from 94 percent value to as low as four percent of their appraised easement values.. The Clarke County program would be the sixth local purchase of development rights (PDR) program in the state, including a proposed pro- gram in neighboring Fauquier County. With Vir- ginia Beach having the only well - established pro- gram, three counties have created programs in the last year: Albemarle, Loudoun, and James City Counties. According to the Clarke County proposal, submitted by a citizen committee, "the purpose of adjusting the appraised easement value by income is to focus the available funds toward lower and middle - income property owners. Higher income owners who donate easements benefit from a fed- eral charitable tax deduction and a Virginia tax credit." Albemarle County is the only local program known to be assigning easement value based on a scale of income levels. Albemarle, which sur- rounds Charlottesville, approved its first round of five.projects costing $1.2 million on Jan. 9. Each of the projects was subject to the income test. According to Wayne Cilimberg, director of the Albemarle Department of Planning and Com- munity Development, the income -based valuation approach came about "because the committee that made the recommendation to the Board did not want this to become a freebie for wealthy land- owners who could donate. It was targeted to those who would be least likely to be able to provide an easement because they couldn't benefit from a tax credit. Also, it was the best way to get to the working farmer." The Piedmont region of Virginia, home to productive horse farms, has also produced the state's highest number of conservation easement donations. In Albemarle County, 27,948 acres are preserved and in nearby Fauquier County, 39,783 acres are preserved through donation, according to (Continued on page 2) Volume 12, Number 3 January. 2002 Farm bill due back in action this month ...............4 Top PDR states facing budget shortfalls ..............5 Viewpoint: "Tipping Points" are local ................6 NewsBriefs ................ ............................... 6 Job Postings .............................. ...............7 Farmland Preservation Report is published by Bowers Publishing, Inc. 10 times per year. Subscription rate of $205 includes index and hotline services. Editorial and circulation offices: 900 La Grange Rd., Street, Maryland 21154 • (410) 692 -2708 • ISSN: 1050 -6373. © 2002 by Bowers Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in any form, or electronic forwarding of this material without permission from the publisher Is prohibited.