Gauging Support for Innovative Farmland
Date
2005-10
Authors
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Publisher
Department of Food and Resource Economics
Abstract
This report describes the results of interviews and focus groups,
gauging support for innovative farmland preservation techniques.
Four techniques were selected for assessment from approximately 30 novel techniques identified in previous research: (1) Term conservation easements; (2) Land preservation tontines; (3) Rights of first refusal; and (4) Agricultural conservation pension with purchase of agricultural conservation easements. Data were collected from three types of stakeholder groups, including land preservation program administrators in Delaware and Maryland, Delaware legislators, and Delaware landowners.
The results show that these stakeholders believed rights of first
refusal was the most promising concept, and the groups identified
some specific challenges to effective implementation. Targeting
areas to implement the technique and having a dedicated, regular
funding source were perceived to be essential. Agricultural
conservation pensions were also viewed favorably, although some
were skeptical that it could be implemented in practice. Tontines
were perceived to be an interesting concept, but confusing,
difficult to implement, and needing more work to flesh out details.
Term easements were, for the most part, not viewed favorably.
Most saw term easements having the fatal shortcoming of
impermanent preservation.
A fiscal analysis was preformed to demonstrate how additional
funding for innovative techniques might complement continued
purchase of agricultural conservation easements (PACE) activities.
The results show that the conservation pension might preserve
more acres than PACE, while rights of first refusal will preserve
less, but more threatened, acres. Term easements should preserve many more acres than PACE, albeit temporarily. The land preservation tontine will likely act to increase the value of land maintained in agricultural land use, but will not preserve land in the same manner as the other three techniques. Hence, land
preservation tontines might best be viewed as a complement to the other preservation techniques.
Description
Keywords
Rights of first refusal, Agricultural conservation, Pension, Term easement, Land preservation tontine