ISSUE

Land Use

PLACE IN FOOD CYCLE

Natural/Human Resources

POLICY

Vermont Housing and Conservation Board Farmland Preservation Program

POLICY TOOL

Permanent Agricultural Easements - purchases development rights on working farmland.

SCALE

State

ACTORS

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Addison County Land Trust, Upper Valley Land Trust, Farmers

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Conversion of prime agricultural properties - Voluntary program that enables farmers to keep their farms in agricultural use. A participating landowner agrees not to subdivide or develop the farm, and executes a permanent Grant of Development Rights and Conservation Restrictions.

POLICY GOALS IMPLICATED

Equity - redistributes resources to farmers who intend to keep their land in agriculture. Security - provides farmers an additional income source and ensures land kept in agricultural use.

TOOL CHARACTERISTICS

Indirect - relies on private landowners to conserve land; Non-coercive - voluntary program, no punishment for not participating; High Visibility - financial allocations easily accessible; Moderate Automaticity - utilizes existing state institutions but requires conservation plans, application review and monitoring.

EXTENT POLICY SUPPORTS/HINDERS

Supports - Since 1987, VHCB has committed more than $41 million to projects that have resulted in the conservation of more than 120,000 acres of agricultural land on 405 farms. VHCB receives most of the federal Farm Bill FRPP funding for the state which are used to match state funds. "The purchase of development rights has contributed to renewed vitality in agriculture. It enables young farmers to purchase farms at an affordable price and helps established farmers reduce their long-term debt, invest in new infrastructure, and make their operations more profitable and efficient. Enables communities to support a healthy range of businesses that serve and rely on neighboring farms. However, even with the tremendous public and private funding that Vermont commits to farmland conservation, demand for the purchase of development rights on farmland continues to far exceed the program’s resources." (Vermont Farmland Protection Program Plan, FY 2004) Hinders - Farmers must pay for half of easement appraisal and capital gains on the sale of development rights. Not able to sell at high market value when want to retire.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Vermont Housing and Conservation Board's Farmland Protection Program: http://www.vhcb.org/Conspage.html
Success stories in Vermont:
www.lta.org/publicpolicy/vlt_farmerbooklet2003.pdf