Saratoga Springs, New York—According tonew statistics released by American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center, New York had a significant slow down in its efforts to permanently protect farmland in 2008. The survey of Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) programs in twenty-three states found that states spent more than $336 million to protect 121,373 acres of farm and ranch land in 2008. Although states spent 14 percent more than they did in 2007, they protected 28 percent fewer acres. New York’s Farmland Protection Program spent $6.3 million to protect 13 farms encompassing 1,950 acres in 2008—a 74 percent reduction in the acres protected by the program in 2007. 

New York’s Farmland Protection Program was created in 1996 to provide grants for eligible towns and counties to purchase development rights on farmland. This voluntary farmland protection technique pays farmland owners to permanently conserve their land for agriculture and, in turn, provides economic, environmental and other benefits to the community. Purchase of development rights places a deed restriction—known as a conservation easement—on enrolled property. 

“Such a significant drop off in farmland protection will affect our farmers and rural communities,” said David Haight, New York State Director for American Farmland Trust. “These conservation funds act as an economic stimulus for farms and rural businesses. Farmers use these dollars to buy new farm equipment from local dealerships, hire contractors to construct new farm buildings and strengthen the future for their farms.”

Since 1996, New York’s Farmland Protection Program has awarded more than $173.3 million for farmland protection projects, assisting local governments and their project partners in 29 counties to help protect 72,668 acres on 303 farms.

However, according to AFT’s State PACE survey, New York has actually spent only $77 million to complete 154 of these projects to protect 30,088 acres. By comparison, neighboring New Jersey has protected 173,346 acres with an investment of $757 million and Pennsylvania has spent $675.9 million to protect 407,647 acres.  This backlog of uncompleted projects has been caused by understaffing at the Department of Agriculture and Markets, the state agency that administers the program, limited capacity of local partners involved in projects and a cumbersome project review and approval process.  

Next year’s news may be worse. Although land values have dropped, the economic downturn and state budget shortfalls have affected funding for farmland protection. Annual funding for New York’s Farmland Protection Program was reduced to $23 million for FY 2009-10. 

In addition, New York’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), the sole funding source for the Farmland Protection Program, is suffering from a cash crunch. Previous state budgets have “swept” funds from the EPF to the state’s general fund to pay for other parts of the state budget. As a result of limited EPF cash available, projects that have been approved and ready to be completed are being painfully delayed.

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