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January 2002 farmland preservation report Top PDR states facing deficits The mid- Atlantic states are facing major revenue shortfalls as legislatures gear up for new sessions this month. In Maryland, revenue shortfalls were projected well before Sept. 11, and as the 90 -day legislative session began Jan. 9 the figure was set at $500 mil- lion. But state officials were not predict- ing drastic measures or poorhouse spending for non - essential programs. A spokesman for Gov. Parris Glendening said that compared to other states, Maryland would easily weather the downtown and programs would not see significant cuts. Virginia's deficit was logged at more than double Maryland's, at $1.3 billion, and that's just the beginning. Projections show the next two years will be even. worse, each bearing $2 bil- lion deficits. Prospects for funding of newly created programs like the Agri- cultural Vitality Program are dismal, indeed. A solid 43 percent increase in spending over the last five years, along with about 50 tax breaks enacted during the same period, has put Virginia through a boom, and now, a bust. New governor Mark Warner has warned Vir- ginians of pending program cuts and possible layoffs for state workers. In Pennsylvania, legislators have been briefed on a $622 million esti- mated shortfall for fiscal years 2001 — 2002, with pending budgetary freezes. "A few bills seek more funding for the farmland program, but there's no money swinging into the budget sea- son," said Kristen Ebersole, staff to Sen. Mike Waugh, agricultural committee chair. ` Page 5 Carroll sends density to ag zone; state may withhold PDR funds WESTMINSTER MD — The Maryland Secretary of Planning, armed with a mandate from Gov. Parris Glendening to get tough on bad zoning, told Carroll County Commissioners last month that they better reconsider a transfer of develop- ment rights program that will, if not repealed, in- crease the number of building rights in the county's ag zone. At stake: $400,000 in state farmland preservation funds this year alone, and the state's certification of the county's program. The new law, passed by the Commissioners in September, will allow landowners to transfer de- velopment rights out of the county's conservation zones, generally along stream corridors, and into its agricultural zone. State planning officials warned the move would add an extra 4,300 new homes in the county's rural zone, including tar- geted farmland preservation areas. Using the new law, affected landowners effectively increased density from 1 :20 to 1:3. Meeting with the commissioners in Decem- ber, Secretary of Planning Roy Kienitz cancelled a deadline of mid - January for the county to act, indicating that as long as officials moved forward in addressing increased density concerns, he would hold off on a decision regarding the county's expected farmland funds. Under the law, owners of property affected by environmental constraints would be able to trans- fer their development rights, regaining on agricul- tural land what they lost to steep slopes and criti- cal areas in the county's conservation zone, which covers about 54,000 acres. Kienitz warned that no development propos- als were to be approved by the county, or decerti- fication of the county program and loss of funds would occur immediately. State and county plan- ning staff are working on possible compromise solutions, with a report to the county, due Feb. 15. The county's program had preserved 37,190 acres on 309 farms as.of Dec. 15, adding 3,854 acres in 2001, "the best year we ever had, ", said administrator Bill Powel. 3E