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Court hears update on farmland easement program, notes $500,000 county allocation to leverage USDA match
Summary
Scott County received an update from the Rural Land Management Board on the USDA-backed Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The court has allocated up to $500,000 to be matched by USDA; two top applicants were selected and applications were delivered to USDA for appraisal and review.
The Scott County Fiscal Court received an update from the Scott County Rural Land Management Board on the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), the local successor to the county's purchase-of-development-rights work.
Mr. Lacey told the court the county has budgeted up to $500,000 that would be matched by USDA National Resources Conservation Service on a roughly 50/50 basis under the ACEP framework. He said board members had reviewed the waiting list, contacted applicants and selected two highest-ranked applications; both applicants signed a pledge of intent and the materials were hand-delivered to USDA staff in Lexington for processing.
Lacey described the process as lengthy and multi-step: after initial eligibility and federal approval the USDA will complete a two-part appraisal—one at agricultural value and one at development value—and the difference determines the easement payment. The board emphasized that the program is voluntary and that property identities and detailed terms are generally confidential until final approvals.
Court members asked about the acreage and whether county funds would remain. Lacey responded that the appraisal and final USDA determination were still pending; the transcript records a spoken figure that is unclear in the record (transcribed as "202 hundred 20"). The court did not take an approval vote at this meeting; the presentation was informational and the board will return with formal award recommendations after USDA completes its reviews.
Why it matters: ACEP-style easements use federal matching funds to help preserve prime farmland by purchasing development rights. The county allocation is the local funding commitment that enables USDA matching and easement closings.
Next steps: USDA review, appraisal and confirmation of matching funds; when USDA notifies the county that an award is forthcoming, the Rural Land Management Board will return with final details for court action.
