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Maryland has a long history of commitment to farmland preservation. The cornerstone of its efforts is the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF). MALPF was created in 1977 to "provide sources of agricultural products within the state for the citizens of the state; control the urban expansion which is consuming the agricultural land and woodland of the state; curb the spread of urban blight and deterioration; and protect agricultural land and woodland as open-space land."

American Farmland Trust (AFT) conducted an evaluation of MALPF because—at 26 years—it is one of the oldest and most respected farmland protection programs in the country. AFT wanted to find out if MALPF has met the goals outlined by the General Assembly and to provide recommendations to help it become more effective in meeting these goals in the future.

Overall, AFT found that MALPF has met its goals, but the economics of farming have changed. In particular:

• MALPF has been, and continues to be, essential to the future of agriculture in Maryland;
• MALPF plays an important role in balancing growth in Maryland;
• Maryland needs additional policies and programs outside the scope of MALPF to sustain the viability of the state's agriculture.

Recommendations:

MALPF needs a significant increase in state funding.
The 2004 General Assembly should resume its traditional allocation of a minimum of 17.05 percent of Program Open Space funds from the state real estate transfer tax to fund MALPF and allocate the additional $26 million that MALPF estimated will be needed per year to meet the state farmland protection goal set for 2022.

MALPF needs additional staffing.
MALPF needs at least two more senior-level staff to administer the state program effectively. These additional staff would allow MALPF to process the expected increase in easement applications and provide better monitoring of MALPF easements and the increased technical assistance and outreach that county administrators expressed were needed.

Maryland needs to plan for agriculture.
The Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) should directly support agriculture as an important state economic engine. The governor should commission a task force that represents key leaders from farm and forest groups, environmental groups and others, and task them with developing a statewide vision for the future of agriculture.

Maryland needs to reach a middle ground on environmental issues.
Focus groups should be held with agricultural leaders in the state to identify those environmental regulations that are of most concern to agriculture and to provide alternative suggestions for ways to meet the legislative intent. Statewide meetings should then be held with both agricultural and environmental groups to discuss these draft recommendations and work toward achieving consensus on these environmental goals.

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