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The West Virginia Agricultural Land Protection Authority is seeking applications for farmland protection easements in counties that do not have a local farmland protection board.
The state farmland protection program pays farm owners the difference between the agricultural value and the commercial value of their land. In return, the landowners agree to a deed restriction that prevents commercial development of the property and preserves it as open space for agricultural use.
“Many West Virginia farmers – particularly those in areas where development pressure is heavy – see their acreage as a retirement fund,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “This program provides them with a financial option that allows them to remain on the land they love, while preserving it for the future for food production, wildlife habitat and green space.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics indicate that West Virginia lost an incredible 17,732 farms, 1,823,060 acres of farmland and 21,676 acres of orchard land between 1964 and 1997. Much of those losses occurred in the state’s easternmost three counties, where East Coast sprawl has turned traditionally rural areas into “bedroom communities” for urban commuters.
“We’re trading the resources we need to produce fresh, local food so that developers can buy land at rock-bottom prices and resell it at great profit,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Once that land is paved over, it will never be returned to agricultural production.”
The Land Protection Authority’s Executive Director, Lavonne Paden, said that landowners may ask for a particular price on a set number of acres. She noted, however, that the program selects properties for the program based on competitive rankings and available funding. Additionally, easement payments may not exceed the appraisal value of the property.
She also pointed out that other rights in the property are retained. The owner may live on the land, sell it or leave it to heirs. However, any future owners are bound by the easement on the deed.
“The technicalities of the program should not stop farm owners from looking into the program,” Paden said. “Landowners are not committed until the very end of the process when the easement is closed, payment made, and the documents recorded in the deed books.”
West Virginia’s farmland protection program was established by the Legislature in 2000. Through April 2009, county farmland protection programs in the 16 participating counties have closed conservation easements on over 6,000 acres and have paid out almost $18 million to participating landowners.
For more information about farmland protection in West Virginia, or to download an application form, visit www.wvfarmlandprotection.org, or telephone Lavonne Paden at 304-754-6955.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
“The Basis of All Wealth is Agriculture.”
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