Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Agriculture Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Agricultural Trust reports recent acquisitions, says multipurpose deals will be evaluated case by case
Summary
The Agricultural Trust detailed fiscal‑year acquisitions, explained enabling‑legislation limits and said it will evaluate multipurpose acquisitions and improve transparency with scheduled reports and published scoring criteria.
Don McNaughton, chair of the Little Compton Agricultural Trust, told the Town Council March 6 the trust has completed multiple acquisitions in fiscal 2024 and will publish more information about its scoring criteria and management plans going forward.
McNaughton summarized acquisitions the trust listed in its FY24 annual report: 164 John Dyer Road (about 20.6 acres, purchased in fee for $550,000) to be managed for recreation; a donated 33 acres from Roger and Gail Green to be appended to the Simmonsville management area; 140 West Main Road (about 9 acres, purchased in fee from Charles Almi for $600,000) currently managed for agriculture; and a conservation easement on 2 acres at 356 Pearl Harbor Road, valued at about $150,000. He said the Ag Trust has protected about 2,287 acres since 1986, roughly two‑thirds by conservation easement and about 772 acres owned in fee.
Nut graf: The chair said the trust will continue to prioritize conserving agricultural land but — in response to a town motion to explore "multi‑purpose acquisitions" — the trust sought legal advice and will consider multipurpose transactions only where those transactions align with the trust's statutory charge to conserve farmland.
McNaughton said the trust engaged outside counsel to review whether it may participate in acquisitions that combine conservation with other uses. Counsel reviewed the Superior Court decision in the Talbot matter and concluded the trust may take part in transactions so long as the trust's actions remain within its enabling legislation and advance conservation objectives; McNaughton cautioned the Superior Court ruling applied to that specific case and said future transactions would require case‑by‑case legal review.
The council and members of the public pressed the trust on housing for farmers and on increasing transparency. McNaughton said the trust will publish semiannual reports, an annual strategic plan and its scoring criteria, and that trustees plan to work on stewardship, communication and farmer housing solutions in consultation with the planning board. A council member asked the trust to return in a few months for an update; McNaughton said he would be "delighted" to do quarterly updates.
Ending: The trust released its FY24 annual report and committed to post the report online; trustees said they will continue prioritizing agricultural conservation, pursue options to include farmer housing when feasible, and evaluate multipurpose acquisition proposals with counsel's guidance.
