AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION RESTRICTION PROGRAM 

 William H. King, Land Use Administrator 



The Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program provides "for the 

 public purchase of agricultural restrictions, often called development 

 rights or easements. Restrictions can either be purchased by the Department 

 or received as a gift. Local government also .has the opportunity to 

 financially contribute to specific projects and thereby share in the purchase 

 with the Department. 



Farmers and other farmland owners voluntarily apply to the program 

 for funding. After the application has been reviewed, and the property 

 field inspected, it is submitted to the Agricultural Lands Preservation 

 Committee for action. If successful, the application will become a program 

 finalist. This is to say that the property will be appraised for both its 

 market value and its farm value. The landowner will be offered the development 

 rights value (market value minus farm value) . If the landowner concurs, a 

 final vote of the Committee is needed before a purchase agreement is drafted. 



The program is one of four state programs now operating in the country. 

 It provides farmland owners with the only alternative to realizing their 

 land's development value without the land itself having to be developed for 

 non-agricultural use. The land is restricted in perpetuity, unless released 

 as specified by statute. A land base for Massachusetts food production is 

 being preserved. 



At the end of the 1980 fiscal year, 143 applications had been submitted 

 to the Department of Food and Agriculture for funding consideration. The 

 applications represented 91 cities and towns in 12 counties across the 

 Commonwealth. A total of 13,227 acres was proposed for restriction with asking 

 prices totaling over $27 million (see accompanying table) . 



Of the 19 finalists approved for appraisal and negotiation in Round I 

 (pilot phase) , 13 have received final funding approval from the Agricultural 

 Lands Preservation Committee. Four others are under negotiation and the 

 other two were not approved for funding. Money remaining from Round I will 

 be added to the st-cond $5 million provided in tV: 1980 Capital Outlay Budget. 



Round II finalists and program participants will be selected during the 

 next year. 



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