Farmland Preservation Program
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Farmland Preservation in Delaware |
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| The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program was formed with the adoption of House Bill 200 in July, 1991. It is the only official program that protects land for agricultural purposes. There are no such programs at the local level. Also, there are very few land use controls at the state or local levels that effectively preserve, or attempt to preserve agricultural land - they attempt to "steer" or slow growth at best. | ||
Participation in the program is voluntary and has two components. First, landowners join the program by creating an Agricultural Preservation District. An Agricultural Preservation District contains at least 200 contiguous acres that are devoted to agricultural and related uses. Any lands less than 200 usable (and contiguous) acres within three miles of an established district can be enrolled into the program as a District Expansion.
Landowners who place their lands into Agricultural
Preservation Districts agree to not develop their
lands for at least 10 years, devoting the land only
to agriculture and related uses. In return, the
owners receive tax benefits, right-to-farm
protection, and an opportunity to sell a
preservation easement to the state that keeps the
land free from development permanently.
There are now 129,163 acres in 519 Agricultural
Preservation Districts and District expansions in
Delaware. Out of the 129,163 acres currently in
agricultural preservation districts, 307 properties
encompassing approximately 64,830 acres have been
permanently protected through the purchase of
preservation easements for $67.4 Million (see
charts for breakdown by county).
High quality soils, significant agricultural infrastructure, historical and environmental significance are all factors that have been considered in the selection of farms for permanent preservation. Many of these farms are contiguous to already protected land and complement the State's open space preservation efforts by creating natural buffers between development and public open space. Thus far, the program has been successful in striking a balance between two important goals:
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preserving a critical mass of crop land, forest land, and open space to sustain Delaware's number one industry and quality of life, and
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providing landowners an opportunity to preserve their land in the face of increasing development pressures and decreasing commodity values.
With landowners volunteering to sell preservation
easements at an average of 51 percent below appraised
value, the Foundation estimates that $50 Million may
purchase easements on all of the farms of landowners
currently seeking permanent preservation of their
land. This is unheard of anywhere in the nation for a
program of this nature. Yet, Delaware is in a
position to accomplish this amazing feat! Continued
funding of the Program increases the desire for
landowners to place their land into agricultural
preservation districts in favor of rezoning or
subdividing for non-agricultural purposes. This
activity, combined with the current permanent
preservation of Delaware's farms at a modest cost of
$1,039 per acre, is a true bargain for the State's
taxpayers of today and a wise investment for the
generations to come.
Delaware Agricultural Preservation Districts (Approved)
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County
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#
Districts
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Total
Acres
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Percentage
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Kent
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252
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67,566
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52%
|
|
New Castle
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62
|
16,105
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13%
|
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Sussex
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205
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45,492
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35%
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Delaware
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519
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129,163
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100%
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Delaware Farms Permanently Permanently Protected
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County
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#
Farms
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Total
Acres
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Total $
Spent
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Kent
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156
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35,841
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$31,406,486
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New Castle
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42
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8,120
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$12,610,299
|
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Sussex
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109
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20,869
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$23,363,309
|
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Delaware
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307
|
64,830
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$67,380,094
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Purchase of Development Rights by Rounds
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PDR
Round
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#
Farms
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Total Acres
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Total $ Spent
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Cost
Per Acre
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1
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31
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8,670
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$11,253,556
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$1,298
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2
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35
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7,44
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$6,669,959
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$896
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3
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31
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7,309
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$7,237,317
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$990
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4
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55
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12,412
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$13,728,452
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$1,106
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5
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85
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17,874
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$16,357,770
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$915
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6
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36
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6,834
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$5,882,616
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$860
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7
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34
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4,287
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$6,250,425
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$1,458
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Total
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307
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64,830
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$67,380,094
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$1,039
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There are currently 107 potential PDR applications for Round 8 totaling 23,972 acres
