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r- r May 2002
<br />Z"
<br />million to the APR's sister
<br />program, the Farm Viability
<br />Program.
<br />In Washington ... Clallam
<br />County has established a PDR
<br />program, with a start-up allocation
<br />this year of $250,000. "If
<br />successful, the thought is that this
<br />will lead to political will to go for a
<br />more permanent program funded
<br />by a property tax increment," said
<br />planning director Andy Meyer.
<br />Three other counties, Thurston,
<br />King and Skagit, have, or have
<br />had, farmland preservation
<br />programs.
<br />In New York ... Still no budget,
<br />and no way to determine how
<br />much of the governor's proposed
<br />$6 million will find its way to the
<br />Farmland Protection Program,
<br />which provides grants to counties
<br />and municipalities. "Hopefully next
<br />month we'll have some news,"
<br />said program manager Ken
<br />Grudens. The program has
<br />protected about 17,000 acres
<br />since 1997.
<br />In Delaware ... Still no news of
<br />new funding for the farmland
<br />preservation program. !t has
<br />expended all of its funds.
<br />In Kentucky ... The program
<br />has appraisals back on about 30
<br />properties — about six have
<br />accepted offers, according to
<br />farmland program administrator
<br />Bill Burnette. Like New York, the
<br />state has not yet passed a budget.
<br />A special session called by the
<br />governor had no result. If no
<br />budget is agreed upon by July 1,
<br />the governor will have to declare
<br />emergency funding. "The hangup
<br />is over public financing of the
<br />governor's race, in place for 10
<br />years. The Republican Senate
<br />wants to do away with it, and is
<br />holding the budget hostage,"
<br />Burnette said.
<br />In Maryland ... MALPF staff and
<br />DNR have initiated discussions
<br />about how the agencies will
<br />assess and report acreage totals
<br />for the state's various land
<br />preservation programs. Planning
<br />is underway for designing a
<br />database that will standardize
<br />acreage reporting. Elizabeth
<br />Weaver succeeded Carol Council
<br />as administrative specialist.
<br />farmland preservation report Page 7
<br />is just 22,521 acres, a discrepancy the District could not account for,
<br />said program assistant Maria Cipriani.
<br />The District's most recent total, as of the end of April, was
<br />30,063 acres, all of which represent lands protected under
<br />agricultural conservation easements, according to Cipriani, a total
<br />that excluded even parts of parcels that were delineated for open
<br />space or habitat purposes. She said the'District had recently acquired
<br />new database software.
<br />The Farmland Preservation Report ranking includes
<br />agricultural acres that may be preserved for multiple purposes, as
<br />long as agriculture is the primary protected use.
<br />The University of California acre numbers were collected as
<br />part of a study of California's experience to date with agricultural
<br />easements, funded by the California Department of Conservation
<br />through the Great Valley Center and initiated in 1999. The intent of
<br />the study, according to Sokolow, was to examine the easement
<br />technique as applied to farmland in California, including landowner
<br />.motivations and experiences; the origins and organization of local
<br />programs; funding; achievements; acquisition strategies; impacts; and
<br />prospects for the technique in the Central Valley. The study's
<br />complete findings have not yet been released.
<br />Profe."s- si©ii�1 resources
<br />■■■
<br />� JJ
<br />Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, Executive
<br />Director. Salary: $51,697 - $66,346. The position provides advice and
<br />counsel on agricultural land preservation issues and policies to the
<br />Foundation's Board of Trustees and the Secretary of Agriculture,
<br />administers the operations of the Foundation, coordinates statutory,
<br />regulatory, administrative and legislative affairs with other Maryland
<br />state, local, and federal governmental agencies, as well as private
<br />agricultural land preservation programs and is responsible for managing
<br />an annual program budget of $25,000,000. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
<br />Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university related to
<br />agriculture. Four years of technical work experience in land
<br />preservation, one year must include administrative or supervisory work
<br />experience. AND SELECTIVE CRITERIA: Three years demonstrated
<br />knowledge and professional experience in working with Maryland
<br />agriculture and /or agribusiness and specific work experience with land
<br />preservation easement programs. Demonstrated work experience
<br />communicating with senior government, administrative, and elected
<br />officials. Demonstrated work experience with a state, local, or federal
<br />legislative process, and demonstrated work experience under or with a
<br />Board of Directors OR similar administrative structure. The preferred
<br />candidate will have geographic information systems skills, basic computer
<br />and word processing skills, and spreadsheet and database management
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