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July -Aug. 2002
<br />farmland preservation report
<br />Page 7
<br />his last round of Rural Legacy
<br />PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATION
<br />grants.
<br />The MALPF task force,
<br />Farms of 25 acres could
<br />although not officially reappointed
<br />by the governor, has already
<br />ann f y for easements
<br />gotten to work in a first meeting
<br />July18. "We'll get a consensus on
<br />a plan, then break up into
<br />HARRISBURG, PA - A bill pending in the Pennsylvania legislature would
<br />groups," said Joe Tassone of the
<br />reduce the number of acres required for easement sale from 50 to 25, a
<br />Maryland Department of Plan-
<br />move some say will dilute the program's focus on production agriculture.
<br />ning.
<br />In Michigan ... Gubernatorial
<br />Some veteran administrators claim HB 2588 would waste state funds
<br />candidate Attorney General
<br />on small, isolated parcels that will likely become nonproductive estates or
<br />Jennifer M. Granholm said her
<br />expensive open spaces in urbanizing counties.
<br />environmental plan includes
<br />They claim, also, that reducing acres needed will allow urban coun-
<br />expansion of farmland and open
<br />ties, where large parcels are rare, to get a larger share of state dollars.
<br />space preservation programs.
<br />We will create comprehensive
<br />But the bill's primary. sponsor, Rep. Raymond Bunt of Montgomery
<br />water protection laws, and we will
<br />County, said the bill is not the threat these administrators fear it to be.
<br />implement innovative land use
<br />"It doesn't hurt any county's participation or the amount of money
<br />strategies that preserve wood-
<br />they will get," Bunt said. County boards will have "the same ability to
<br />lands and farmlands for future
<br />generations to enjoy," Granholm
<br />deny farms of less than 50 acres."
<br />said in a press release.
<br />According to Bunt, the operative word is "may." County boards would
<br />In North Carolina... Orange
<br />be allowed, not required, to accept farms as small as 25 acres.
<br />County has $1.5 million to spend
<br />Bunt, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee and sits on the
<br />on conservation easements in the
<br />state farmland protection board, said agriculture in southeastern Pennsyl-
<br />current year and has applied for
<br />FPP funds to assist in preserving
<br />vania is taking place on increasingly smaller parcels, and the state pro -
<br />550 acres on four farms.
<br />gram needs to respond to changes in metropolitan -area agriculture.
<br />In Rhode Island :..'A new
<br />"We do'have a great deal of niche farming. Right now we have farms
<br />allocation of $1 million effective
<br />making money on blueberries, strawberries ... I don't agree that every farm
<br />July 1 puts several projects under
<br />negotiation, said program director
<br />less than 50 acres can't be a farm. It may not be a farm to Perry County,
<br />Ken Ayers. A "phenomenal
<br />but it's still a farm to us down here."
<br />increase in local efforts" is
<br />Program veterans see a transition taking place, with HB 2588 follow -
<br />helping state goals, he said.
<br />ing the lifting of a $10,000 per -acre cap last year, also promoted by
<br />In Kentucky ... Lexington- Fayette
<br />Co, which downzoned large areas
<br />Montgomery County, along with a proposal to add horse boarding to the
<br />from 1:10 to 1:40 a few years
<br />definition of agriculture.
<br />ago, has nearly completed its first
<br />"It's important we maintain the focus on farmland preservation," said
<br />round of PDR applications, 12
<br />Lancaster County program director June Mengel. "When you remove a
<br />farms so far completed, compris-
<br />cap, add horse boarding, and lower the acreage, that package could have
<br />ing 2300 acres and averaging
<br />$2800 per acre, according to
<br />an impact on the long -term goals of the program."
<br />administrator Doug Greene. The
<br />Elizabeth Emlen, administrator for Montgomery, said her board didn't
<br />program has $13 million on hand
<br />ask for the bill, but did present the program's challenge to Rep. Bunts. She
<br />for a second round of 105
<br />said the county "still has a lot of farms greater than 50 acres," but also has
<br />applicants comprising 11,000
<br />`many farms smaller that should qualify."
<br />acres. About 30 to 40 of those
<br />will be selected, Greene said. The
<br />Russell Redding, assistant secretary of agriculture, said his depart-
<br />county has had one lawsuit filed
<br />ment would not take a position on the bill, and although the acreage
<br />over the downzoning.
<br />requirement could be changed in the regulations, "the department is not
<br />FEDERAL: Tallies of applicants
<br />interested" in doing that, he said.
<br />for the $50 million in the Farm-
<br />land Protection Program were not
<br />"Given the implications, our belief is the department of agriculture
<br />complete at press time. Another
<br />should not preempt the counties, and i7r- " counties feel strongly they should
<br />RFP for the next appropriation of
<br />voice their concerns," he said.
<br />$100 million could be out in Nov.,
<br />The legislature reconvenes Sept. 23. HB 2588 has 57 co- sponsors
<br />according to Douglas Lawrence.
<br />from both rural and urban counties. Contact: Bender, 717 783 -3167;
<br />Mengel, 717 299 -8355; Bunt, 717 787 -6937; Emlen, 610 278 -3722.
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