Georgia Ag Land Trust urges Madison County to join federal conservation easement program to protect farmland

Denise Perry, executive director of Georgia Ag Land Trust, told the Madison County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 4 that Madison County could apply to the federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program to keep farmland in agricultural use permanently. "Why do we need to start protecting our ag land?" Perry asked, saying that American Farmland Trust found 11 million acres of U.S. farmland were converted to nonag use during the 20112016 period and that Georgia ranked fourth in the nation for farmland loss in a recent state-level analysis.

Perry said the federal program is a competitive matching program administered through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the state office; a conservation easement appraisal compares development value to conserved value, and the difference funds the easement purchase. Using Carroll County as an example, Perry said the county contributed about $2,000,000 in local funds and the federal share exceeded $4,000,000; Carroll County has protected 12 farms and more than 2,000 acres and closed its 13th farm this year.

The trust supplied county commissioners with a packet of local modeling: Perry said Madison Countyfaces projected farmland loss by 2040 of about 8,200 acres under a business-as-usual scenario, 11,200 acres under a runaway-sprawl scenario, and about 4,700 acres under a "better built" planning scenario. She said that applications require an initial appraisal and then, if selected, a full appraisal and baseline documentation; the process often takes multiple years to complete.

Perry described flexible design choices for participating counties: counties determine their local matching contribution and can set conditions such as building-envelope rules (she said Carroll County allows one 1-acre building envelope per 50 acres in a submitted parcel). She also highlighted program benefits to farmers, including a cash payment that can help succession or purchase of equipment and said the easement keeps land in agriculture "forever and ever," while owners retain surface rights including leasing and agritourism.

Perry invited commissioners to visit Carroll County to see conservation easements and provided contact information for follow-up. No formal action or vote followed the presentation; commissioners did not take up an application or resolution at the meeting.

Why it matters: County leaders face projected farmland loss over coming decades and have options to secure federal matching funds to protect agricultural land and support farm succession and affordability.