APB agenda 032101 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

March 2001 Page 7 farmland preservation report Jeff Everett is the new administrator for the Howard County farmland preservation program, beginning March 5. Everett comes from the Valley Conservation Council in Staunton, Va. The Howard program has $15 million in bond funds available. , Donna Mennitto is working as a consultant to Rural Legacy sponsor counties and land trusts. She left her post with the Mid - Atlantic office of the American Farmland Trust in January. In Rhode Island ... A takings case before the U.S. Supreme Court involves a Rhode Island beach property the owner claims has been devalued by environmental restrictions. Owner Anthony Palazzolo is seeking $3.1 million in compensation for the beach houses he wanted to build on 18 acres of wetlands that are 'below mean high water," according to the state. Palazzolo had not applied to build up to two homes on the part of the property that may have been allowed. In Pennsylvania ... HB 705 would place a $200 million bond for farmland preservation on the next ballot; HB 101 would allow counties to'use state funds to purchase easements on entire tracts that cross county lines. . Also, by amendment to HB101_ by Rep. Raymond Bunt Jr. of Montgomery ''County, the state program cap of $10;000 per acre for-use of state dollars would be lifted. On March 14 the Bureau of Farmland Protection and Evergreen Capital Advisors Inc. will host a meeting for landowners on the use of installment purchase agreements at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Gov. Tom Ridge announced his commitment "to remain the nation's uncontested leader in farmland preser- vation," when announcing 23 additional farms approved for preservation at the most recent state board meeting. More than $70 million in county and state funding is proposed for the upcoming year. continued from page 8 important.in their decisions. "A big problem we face is inheritance tax, "said a Marin County landowner. "The land has escalated in value way beyond what we're able to pay. I'm 60 years old and in a position to be both inheriting it and passing it on. I would have to sell the farm and that's the last thing I want to do." The study included a few landowners who said they had pur- chased preserved land and found it affordable. "It was like a gift from God," said a Marin County landowner. "Otherwise we couldn't have afforded it." A few landowners said they were bothered by some aspects of preservation. These included annual monitoring and certain deed restrictions such as limits on additional housing. The report recommends that easement programs clarify and expedite easement negotiations, offer more information to people who buy easement - restricted parcels, conduct parcel monitoring as a cooperative process and involve landowners in a variety of conservation activities. The report was written by Ellen Rilla, director of Marin County UC Cooperative Extension, and Al $.okolow, a public policy special- ist with the UC Cooperative Extension and associate director of the Agricultural Issues Center. The research was supported by the nonprofit Great Valley Center under a grant from the California Department of Conserva- tion, Division of Land Resource Protection. The publication is the first of three Agricultural Issues Center research reports on easement programs. The second will examine the organization and performance of local easement programs throughout California and the third will discuss prospects for the technique in the Central Valley. The publication is available free on the University of California Ag Issues Center website. Contact: Al Sokolow, 916 752 -8916. professional resources ... Job Postings Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, Administrator II, Position in the state Department of Agriculture serving as Maryland Agricultural. Land Preservation'staff to the Rural Legacy Program. Works with administrative office in the review of applications submitted by local jurisdictions for certification of please continue to page 8