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Committee advances voluntary farmland preservation program; departments outline 200‑point scoring and $25M fund
Summary
The committee gave a positive recommendation to Department of Agriculture rules that create a voluntary farmland preservation easement program, describing a 200-point scoring system (130 minimum) and an anticipated $25 million program to preserve agricultural and forest land.
The joint Government Operations Committee on July 15 approved a rules package from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that would create a voluntary farmland preservation program using permanent conservation easements and consolidate existing dairy and administrative rules.
Logan Hess, assistant commissioner, said the program is designed to preserve working farms and forestland and will support expenses related to easement acquisition, including appraisals, surveys and title work. Hess said the department is using a 200-point scoring scale and applicants will need a minimum of 130 points to be considered. "Some of the things that will be considered will be development pressure, population growth, parcel size, soil quality, proximity to protected land, production suitability, and owner experience," Hess told the committee.
Commissioner Andy Holt told members the program is voluntary and aimed at preserving the highest number of acres possible with limited funding. "$25,000,000 is a lot of money," Holt said, while cautioning that in comparison to statewide farmland loss it is limited and intended as a supplement to existing tools.
Representative Renaud and other members raised concerns that the scoring could favor larger farms and asked how smaller producers would remain competitive. The department said there is no minimum or maximum acreage requirement in the rules; green-belt enrollment typically implies at least 15 acres on a single track, but smaller tracts can achieve competitive scores through other criteria. Hess said the department expects the application period to begin Sept. 1, assuming rule approval and timely public release of scoring details.
The department listed stakeholders consulted during rule development, including the governor's office, Farm Bureau, ECD, county mayors associations, Ag Extension, conservation organizations and forestry associations. The department said it will continue post‑round stakeholder review and make minor adjustments to point allocations if needed.
The committee voted to give the rule package a positive recommendation. A senate roll call recorded ayes; the House voice vote returned "Ayes have it." The department said it will provide additional outreach and alternatives for applicants who are unsuccessful and will publish the full scorecard at least 30 days before the application window opens.
