Farmland Preservation Program

The seeds Carroll officials planted three years ago to revitalize the county's then-barren farmland preservation program are beginning to bear fruit.The number of rural landowners willing to put their property into agricultural land preservation districts had dropped from 50 a year to zero earlier this decade.But last year -- for the first time since 1991 -- the number of people willing to enter the program became more than a trickle. Seventeen property owners put 2,000 acres into preservation districts last year, and another 20 are putting 2,200 acres into districts this year.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- Stung by criticism that he has failed to protect dwindling farmland from development, Suffolk County Executive Robert Gaffney says that he planned to revitalize a farmland preservation program that was started in the 1970s.In his annual state of the county address here to the Suffolk legislature, Gaffney said he would propose "a significant increase" in spending to buy development rights to farms on the East End, where nearly all of Suffolk's remaining 33,000 farm acres are located.

Mary Zepp knows the pressures that western Howard County farmers face. Real estate agents started calling her 10 years ago right after her husband died."

Saving Harford's Field of DreamsYour recent editorial ("Harford's Field of Dreams," July 27), praising Harford County's farmland preservation program, is certainly appreciated, but there is more to come.The recent approval by the County Council to spend additional funds to purchase development rights is just part of a program developed by both the county executive, Eileen M. Rehrmann, and the County Council. The purpose of the program is to support our agriculture community, maintain open space and manage continued residential growth.

Two bills designed to channel more money into the Maryland farmland preservation program completed their journeys through the General Assembly yesterday and are awaiting the governor's approval.The first bill, sponsored by Sen. Larry E. Haines, would raise the percentage of real estate transfer taxes diverted into the preservation program.The second bill, submitted by Del. Joseph M. Getty, would return the Agricultural Land Preservation program to an annual application cycle, rather than state officials accepting them twice a year.

For four decades, Malvin White could count on his farm. It was his insurance policy against hard times. It was his family after his children left home.And as long as he lived, Howard County officials had hoped to preserve the rural charm of Mr. White's 110 acres in Woodbine.After saving from development more than 1,000 acres nearly encircling his land, officials were eager to buy his property's development rights through the county's much publicized farmland preservation program.But Mr. White died in 1992.

Maryland's farmland preservation program is facing a financial crisis, and legislators should act now to keep it from folding, county officials and farmers told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Friday."

,TC The County Council will be asked tonight to approve spending 60 percent of the county's remaining farmland preservation program money to buy easements on 10 properties.If the council agrees with County Executive Charles I. Ecker's $11.2 million request -- the first in two years -- another 1,861 rural acres would be added to the county's farmland preservation program.Discussion of the 10 properties and the revised criteria under which their owners applied for admission to the highly successful program account for 11 of the 23 items on the agenda at a public hearing at 8 p.m. today.

Howard County's farmland preservation program, which was shut down for nearly two years to give officials time to react to its eye-popping success, is back in business with most of its old luster intact.County officials have made it harder for participating land owners to receive top dollar for surrendering their development rights to the county, but the new criteria have slowed applications only a little."More information is required at the application stage," said Donna Mennitto, the program administrator, "but that should facilitate getting to settlement."

Baltimore County Executive Roger B. Hayden says he will introduce legislation to the County Council to create a farmland preservation program.The program would bring the county into conformance with new state regulations, although officials say they doubt it would be used much unless state agricultural preservation funds dry up.Since 1980, the county has participated in a state farmland preservation program that buys development rights to agricultural land....