AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION RESTRICTION PROGRAM 

 William H. King, Land Use Administrator 



At the close of the 1978-79 fiscal year, 95 applications 

 had been submitted to the Department of Food and Agriculture 

 for pilot phase funding consideration. The applications 

 represented 72 cities and towns in 12 counties across the 

 Commonwealth. A total of 8,875 acres was proposed for 

 restriction with an asking price of approximately $21 million. 



The pilot phase will be fimded by a $5 million bond issue 

 which received legislative approval in December, 1977. 

 Nineteen applications have been selected as finalists by 

 the Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee. After 

 appraisals and landowner negotiations have been conducted, 

 the Committee will then approve final purchase agreements. 



An additional $5 million for remaining and forthcoming 

 applications has been requested in the 1980 Capital Outlay 

 Budget . 



A task force will also be set up for further study of 

 the preservation of agricultural land in the Commonwealth. 



This Farmland Preservation Act provides for the public 

 purchase of Agricultural Preservation Restrictions, often 

 called "development rights." 



It is a voluntary program imder which farmers (and 

 other farmland owners; can apply to sell the rights to 

 develop their land for non-agricultural uses. If the 

 application is approved, the state will pay the farmer 

 the difference between the agricultural value of the 

 land and its appraised commercial market value. The 

 farmer sells the "development rights" but keeps the land. 



This means the farmer can realize the land's development 

 value without having the land itself converted to other 

 uses. 



The farmer is in effect accepting an "agricultural 

 preservation restriction" on the deed wherein it is 

 agreed that the land be restricted in perpetuity to 

 farming purposes. The farmer will retain all other 

 rights of ownership^ privacy, and the right to sell 

 or pass on the land to heirs. 



A land base for local food production is being 

 preserved. 



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