2018: The Year of Ag Land Preservation

Published in the March 24, 2018, edition of Lancaster Farming

By Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

2018 is turning out to be the year for Agricultural Land Preservation in Maryland!

Only a few weeks remain in this year’s legislative session and it is turning out to be a good year for our agriculture community. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) program is undergoing substantial changes with a focus on keeping working farms in production while accommodating for changes in the industry and the increased need for diversification. The Foundation has easements on more than 2,200 properties, covering over 304,000 acres statewide at a public investment of nearly $700 million.

Let’s start with the really good news for MALPF this session: For the first time since 2007, Governor Larry Hogan has included full funding for MALPF ($45 million) in this year’s state budget. The budget also includes historic funding for the department’s cost-share program, which is critically important to our progress in protecting the Chesapeake Bay. This year’s budget is just another example of the governor’s ongoing support for our agricultural and rural communities.

The MALPF program will also be eligible to apply for federal matching funds with the passage of Senate Bill 885- Condemnation of Land Under Easement. This bill will bring MALPF in line with the industry standard of compensation for condemned properties, and expands the potential to receive additional funding for preservation easement acquisitions.

Three more bills are making their way through the legislative process that will have a positive impact for the MALPF program:

• SB 571/HB 1229 –Use of Land – Signs and Outdoor Advertising Displays– Would allow easement holders to place certain signs on their property, including no trespassing signs.

• SB 1140-Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation- Lot Release– Would allow MALPF to include stepchildren as eligible recipients of child lots. This is a sensible update to the program which would view stepchildren as children of the landowner who originally sold the easement.

·         HB 1351- Agriculture – Easements – Special Occasion Events- Would allow landowners to use up to two acres of land on their property for special occasion events for commercial purposes. The MALPF board of directors must approve the event and the easement has to be enrolled in the MALPF program for more than 10 years.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture worked closely on all of these bills with a number of agricultural stakeholders and elected officials. It is important we continue to push for agricultural land preservation and state cost-share programs that provide our farmers with the resources they need to maintain viable farm operations.

Celebrating Maryland Agriculture

As we wrap up Maryland Agriculture Week (March 18-24), I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our farm families for their continued commitment to our industry and our rural communities. As generations of Marylanders become further removed from the farm, it is critical for all of us to spread the word about the great things our Maryland farmers are doing to provide food and fiber while helping protect our natural resources.

When I travel across the country and meet folks from other states, I have found that Maryland is often looked to as a blueprint for sustainable farming practices. Our state has led the way in on-farm conservation efforts and it is starting to pay off. Bay health is steadily improving, and that is due in part to the efforts of our farmers who plant cover crops during the winter and employ a variety of best management practices on their farms year-round.

Agriculture is a huge part of our everyday lives that is sometimes taken for granted. I want you to know, on behalf of the Hogan-Rutherford administration, we appreciate all that you do to provide fresh, safe and affordable food to people throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond!