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The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is busy preparing for the Agricultural Easement Purchase Program. An agricultural easement is an agreement between the landowner and the state or local government to keep a piece of property in agricultural production forever. While the landowner may sell the property or pass it on as a gift at any time, the agricultural easement stays with the property forever. The Ohio Department of Agriculture will be awarding 25 million dollars worth of easements during the next four years. The funding dollars for this program were generated from the passage of Issue I in November 2000. A special meeting to exp1ain the State Ohio’s easement program will be held at the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio on January 22, 2002 from 7:00-9:00 PM. For more information about this program or any of the local farmland preservation efforts, Please contact Kevin O’ Reilly at the Ohio State University Extension Portage County at (330) 296-6432
The Farmland Preservation Question Our county is growing at a rapid rate. Houses, subdivisions, manufacturing complexes, office buildings and I shopping centers are displacing I much of our farmland. The Farmland Preservation Committee has been at work over the last several years to come up with a plan to help balance this unprecedented growth. One part of the plan is the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR). The Ohio legislature is working on the details of how to spend the dollars allocated for farm- land preservation. Because we have a good plan in place, because we are in the front lines of development pressure, and because we still have large farmland areas remaining, the committee feels we have an excellent chance for part of the state PDR money. If you are interested in selling or donating your development rights so that your farm will always be a farm it is urgent that you contact the committee liaison, Corey Jones (330-296-6432), for an application by Richard Wetzel, Conservation News Fall 2001.
HOUSE SET TO VOTE THIS WEEK AS SENATE COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK As the House moves toward expected consideration of the massive ten-year
reauthorization of the nation's farm commodity, rural development and agriculture
land conservation programs this week, planners and smart growth
Conservation
The Kind-Boehlert-Gilchrest amendment would triple federal agricultural conservation and environmental spending to $6 billion a year. In particular, the Kind-Gilchrest-Boehlert amendment (H.R. 2375) will promote smart growth by preserving farmland by providing $500 million per year, which can be matched by states, for local and private conservation easements amounting to $1 billion per year. The measure also provides $2 billion in annual funding for agricultural non-point source pollution abatement and preserves 250,000 acres per year of wetlands through the Wetlands Reserve Progam. The measure will increase federal agricultural spending in most congressional districts, and funding will be more equitably distributed among states and localities than under the House Committee bill, which channels the majority of federal assistance to a handful of states. The amendment does not add new funding to the bill but redirects resources from selected commodity programs into conservation activities. If the Kind-Gilchrest-Boehlert amendment fails, larger subsidies will go to large, corporate farms, while small and medium-sized farms and rural open space will continue to disappear. Planning
APA applauded the inclusion of a planning assistance program in the legislation but is pressing for numerous improvements to the House Committee approved language. APA plans to support an anticipated amendment on the House floor from Rep. Eva Clayton (D-NC) to give the Section 613 program additional funding and expanded eligibility to create a national competitive grant program. The Clayton amendment would increase planning funding to $42.75 million per year. Additionally, APA is working with Senate staff on improving the House language to further support regional comprehensive planning. The Senate Agriculture Committee begins consideration of its version of the Farm Bill this month. Rep. Clayton has noted that funding for planning activities is critical to ensuring that the maximum return is realized on other investments in rural development an conservation programs. The funding for capacity building, plan development and implementation, and technical assistance is essential to integrating complex programs and helping rural regions - as well as their suburban neighbors - achieve their own vision of smart growth. With the Farm bill's provisions for land conversation and regional planning, the measure is an important opportunity not just for rural America but also suburban areas concerned about sprawl. Traditional Farm Bill politics have focused on creating and expanding giant crop subsidy programs that disproportionately benefit giant agri-business. The efforts underway to refocus the legislation provide the opportunity for an historic reorientation of federal rural policy. APA has endorsed the Kind/Gilchrest/Boehlert and Clayton amendments in the House and will be urging the Senate to adopt a bill that promotes regional comprehensive planning and expands needed land conservation programs. The online legislative action center will provide continuous updates on House activity and allow users to contact their Representative and Senators regarding the legislation. The action center can be accessed at http://cw2k.capweb.net/planning or http://cw2k.capweb.net/planning Jill K. B. Clark
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are availableon a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate
Vice President for Ad. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension
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