Sussex County updates farmland preservation plan; state review expected June 25

The Sussex County Board of County Commissioners on June 24 reported an updated county farmland preservation plan has been submitted to the State Agricultural Development Committee for final review and expected adoption on June 25.

"The Sussex County Agricultural Development Board and the Sussex County Planning Board recently adopted the updated 2026 Sussex County Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan," Commissioner Carney said. He told the board the program has preserved "a total of 19,633 acres across 205 farms, representing an investment of about $75 million" since 1989 and described the plan as a 10-year guide for local agricultural stewardship.

The county's Division of Planning has completed fiscal-year monitoring for 188 preserved farms, covering roughly 18,500 acres, Carney said, and staff are working to resolve identified concerns and easement violations. He said monitoring reports have been submitted to the state ahead of the SADC filing deadline.

The plan's next step is state review by the Agricultural Development Committee; the county indicated it expects the committee to act at its June 25 meeting. Commissioners framed the update as part of decades-long efforts to conserve farmland and to maintain eligibility for state farmland preservation funding.

If adopted by the State Agricultural Development Committee, the updated plan will guide easement purchases, monitoring priorities and outreach to farmers for the next decade. The board did not take any separate, immediate policy vote on the plan at the June 24 meeting; the county will report back after the state committee's action.