Farmland Preservation
Aglands Preservation Program - US Dept of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
https://agriculture.delaware.gov/agland-preservation-planning/the-preservation-program/
The Department of Agriculture manages Delaware’s Agricultural Lands (Aglands) Preservation Program. This program, established in 1991, allows landowners to voluntarily preserve their farms through a two-phase process:
Agricultural Preservation District
The first phase, which does not include any payment to the landowner.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
In phase two, the landowner is paid to sell their farm’s development rights with and interest in restoring and protecting wetlands and conserving working farms.
Cape Gazette - https://www.capegazette.com/article/apply-march-5-wetlands-and-farmlands-easements-funding/215191
Wetland Reserve Easement - To restore and enhance wetlands to provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater and more.
Agricultural Land Easement - To protect the long-term viability of the nation's food supply by preventing conversion of productive croplands and grasslands to non-agricultural uses.
For more information, call the USDA Service Center in Sussex County at 302-856-3990, Ext. 3.
Five-year Discount Trend Shows It’s A Great Time To Preserve Delaware Farmland
Department of Agriculture | News | Date Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2021
DOVER, Del. (September 16, 2021) – A steady downward trend over the past five years in the landowner discounts of permanent agricultural conservation easements selected for purchase in Delaware shows it’s a great time for landowners to preserve their farms.
The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation is accepting agricultural preservation district applications through October 31 from landowners who want to preserve their farms. These landowners will have the opportunity to apply for Round 26 in 2022. Before the landowner can submit a bid to sell an easement, the farm must be enrolled in a preservation district.
“For anyone who hesitated to enroll their farm or submit a bid because of high discounts, this is a great time to participate in our program,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The Aglands Preservation program received $10 million for the current fiscal year, and we anticipate receiving significant federal funding from USDA-NRCS. We also plan to continue working with all three counties to preserve farms they are interested in protecting.”
Since the program began in 1996, Delaware has preserved more than 1,100 farms with more than 143,000 acres and has over 180,000 acres of land enrolled in farmland preservation districts.
According to Aglands Program Administrator Jimmy Kroon, “Increased funding for Aglands Preservation in recent years has reduced the competition during our annual selection process for permanent preservation. The average discount has steadily decreased from 74 percent in 2018 to 54 percent in 2021, and over the last three years, 90 percent of bids to sell a permanent easement have been accepted.”
Delaware Aglands Program Ranks Second in the United States for Preserving Farmland
Delaware announces 24th consecutive round of easement selections for Aglands Program
Department of Agriculture | Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2020
Delaware Aglands Foundation votes to extend district enrollment for next round
Department of Agriculture | Wednesday, August 19, 2020
The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation voted to extend district enrollment until December 31, 2020 to any agricultural landowners who want to preserve their farms. These landowners will have the opportunity to apply for Round 25 in 2021. Before the landowner can submit a bid to sell an easement, the farm must be enrolled in a preservation district.
According to the Delaware AgLands Preservation Program, 201 landowners have submitted bids to sell development rights in the last two years. Of the bids submitted, the Foundation accepted 85 percent for easement purchase. The Foundation uses an impartial discount ranking system that maximizes benefits for the taxpayer. Bids are ranked and selected using the funding available for each year.
If a landowner’s bid is selected for easement, the Foundation does not own the land, but rather purchases the landowner’s development rights. Then a permanent agricultural conservation easement is placed on the property.
“Landowners who sell their development rights benefit by pulling value out of their land and receiving a payment now. This money can be reinvested in the farm operation or used to purchase more cropland,” said Jimmy Kroon, Aglands Preservation Program Administrator. “On the other hand, some farmers preserve their farmland before passing it onto the next generation to ensure it will be farmed for the long run.”
Delaware’s statewide program made its first round of easement purchases in 1996 and has since preserved 22 percent of New Castle County farmland, 39 percent of Kent County farmland and 19 percent of Sussex County farmland.
For more information or to obtain applications related to the Delaware AgLands Preservation Program, interested landowners can visit https://agriculture.delaware.gov or call (302) 698-4530.
The Foundation’s Board of Trustees includes representatives from agriculture and state agencies. Trustees are: Mark Collins, chairman; Bill Vanderwende, vice-chairman; L. Allen Messick Jr., treasurer; William H. “Chip” Narvel Jr., secretary; Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse; State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis; Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Shawn Garvin; Peter Martin; Theodore P. Bobola Jr.; Robert Emerson; and Janice Truitt.
New round of farmland preservation is record for program
Sussex County contributes $1 million to assist with eight parcels, 726 acres
Ron MacArthur - July 2, 2019
https://www.capegazette.com/article/new-round-farmland-preservation-record-program/183591
Delaware announces largest round of farmland preservation
July 11, 2019
https://www.capegazette.com/article/delaware-announces-largest-round-farmland-preservation/183862