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The Agricultural Land Preservation Program seeks to
provide a) an incentive for Southern Maryland tobacco
farmers to place land in agricultural preservation, b) to
enhance participation in existing Southern Maryland agricultural
land preservation programs, and c) to assist in the
acquisition of land or general support for farmers’ markets.
As of June 2004, 1,454 acres have been directly preserved by the
program in five counties of Southern Maryland in FY 2004,
resulting in 5,763 acres cumulative over the three years of the
program.
- Leveraging: These program funds enabled the five counties to
make additional offers for agricultural land preservation and
has leveraged the counties to place over 15,000 acres placed
under agricultural land preservation cumulatively.
- Two counties have used this incentive to renovate and improve
two farmer’s markets (see Farmers’ Markets below).
Program details:
Provide incentives for landowners to put land under state and/or
local agricultural land preservation programs, to support the
counties’ agricultural land preservation programs, and to assist
in the acquisition of land or general support for local farmers’
markets.
Funds will be made available to provide incentives for
landowners in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s,
and St Mary’s Counties to put land under state and/or local
agricultural land preservation programs and to support the
counties’ agricultural land preservation programs in the
following order of priority (1. 10% Bonus, 2. Matching).
10% Bonus
- Provide a 10% Bonus incentive to Buyout Landowners to put land
under agricultural preservation.
Program Description
As specified in the Tobacco Buyout Contract, funds will be made
available to growers to place land under agricultural
preservation by receiving an additional 10% of the easement
price once they have signed a Tobacco Buyout Contract, pending
availability of funds.
Before allocating agricultural land preservation funds to any
County, funds shall be reserved for the actual need for the “10%
Incentive Bonus” as specified in the Tobacco Buyout Contracts.
Actual need represents funds needed for farmers who have taken
the Buyout, received their first payment, and are already in the
settlement process. Estimates are to be provided by the County
Representatives for Agriculture Land Preservation. Payments are
issued directly to the farmer upon receipt of request from the
County representative and copies of settlement papers.
Matching Agricultural Land Preservation Easements
- Provide funds to match local and state agricultural land
preservation efforts.
Program Description
Match funds will be provided to support State / County Easements
for agricultural land easement on a one-to-one basis. First
priority will be given to landowners who have committed to the
Tobacco Buyout and received their first payment. Remaining funds
may be used for agricultural land easements of other
agricultural landowners.
All remaining funds from the 10% Bonus shall be distributed
among the five Southern Maryland tobacco counties based on acres
of tobacco raised in 1997 (last agricultural census) to support
matching easements as specified above, unless requested as per
objective 3.2. If this is followed, for each $1 million
allocated to land preservation, Anne Arundel will receive
approximately $96,108, Calvert-$208,872, Charles-$195,239,
Prince George's-$99,635, and St. Mary’s-$398,917.
In the event a County is not able to encumber the allocated
funds by the end of the third fiscal quarter, funds may be
redistributed at the discretion of the Commission/Council.
Support for County Farmer’s Markets on a one-to-one match from
the County
- Provide funds upon request for acquisition of land or general
support for a Farmers’ Market.
Program Description
Up to 10% of the annual matching funds allocated for a given
county may be available for the support of County Farmers’
markets. This may include either the purchase of land or a
long-term lease agreement, or general support for the market. In
all cases, agreement from the local County Commissioners through
an MOU will be necessary. Markets should be encouraged to
purchase and sell goods from the five counties of Southern
Maryland as much as possible before seeking goods from outside
the region.
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