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House panel advances bill to let landowners donate agricultural conservation easements
Summary
The House Agriculture Committee voted to advance House Bill 1234, which would create a voluntary program allowing farmland owners to donate or bequeath conservation easements and permit the Indiana State Department of Agriculture or local land trusts to hold those easements; the bill requests no state appropriation.
Representative Culp introduced House Bill 1234 to the House Agriculture Committee, outlining a voluntary program to allow farmland owners to donate or bequeath conservation easements that would keep land in agricultural production for future generations.
The bill would authorize the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) to accept and hold conservation easements, allow counties to establish their own farmland-protection programs, and make participating landowners eligible to apply for federal matching dollars. Representative Culp said the proposal requests no state funding to purchase easements and would instead create a framework to enable donations.
Chris Reynolds, Midwest regional director for American Farmland Trust, told the committee he strongly supports the measure. "House Bill 1234 lays the vital groundwork to give farmers and landowners the option…
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