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We support the concept of
agricultural land preservation and urge all landowners to acquaint themselves
with the programs available and the benefits derived thereof. Furthermore, we
urge the state and county governments to continue to support the voluntary
preservation of agricultural land with substantial increases in funding. We
encourage them to work with all interested stakeholders to develop innovative
voluntary programs that maximize farmland preservation while protecting
landowner equity and private property rights and not negatively impacting any
other rights running with the land. 06
We encourage neighboring counties to work cooperatively
to achieve these goals provided county sovereignty is respected and all planning
and zoning decisions are made at the county level. '04
We support the Maryland Ag Land Preservation Foundation
and county preservation boards in their efforts to preserve agricultural land
throughout the state. Furthermore, we urge that these boards maintain the right
to select land eligible for easement sale with priority toward creating large
contiguous blocks of preserved land. '08
Ag Preservation Funding
We urge additional funding by the state and counties
for agland preservation programs, including but not limited to MALPF, Rural
Legacy and Critical Farms Program. Payments for these programs should reflect
current market values for farmland. 05
We support an Installment Purchase Program option. '02
We support the issuance of bonds to fund agland
preservation programs. '04
We oppose transfer and/or use of funds set aside for
agricultural land preservation for anything other than the preservation of
farmland. 07
We support a line on state income tax returns to allow
taxpayers to donate funds to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation
Foundation to preserve farmland. 07
We recommend the creation of a new Maryland lottery
scratch with the proceeds going towards Agland Preservation. 05
We urge the Maryland State Legislature to fully fund
the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program. 07
Furthermore, we recommend that additional county
and state incentives for participation should be provided, such as property tax
credits for agricultural district properties committed to a term of five years
or property tax credits on land where easements have been purchased, and the
enactment of a Maryland agricultural land property tax credit program. 07
Appraisals
We urge the state to use local appraisers who should
base their appraisals on the recent sale or transfer of property in the
immediate vicinity. We also believe that the appraisers should be required to
successfully complete a course of study specifically on agricultural land
appraisal approved by the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.
Furthermore, appraisers should be required to take into consideration the value
of standing timber, the subdivision value of any property, as well as the
uniqueness of the metropolitan areas when making their appraisals. 05
Mapping
We oppose the identification and inclusion of state and
county ag land preservation easement properties in land use and public
facilities maps. Where so included and identified, such areas should be
prominently labeled as private property. 06
Maryland Agland Preservation Foundation
In order for the Maryland Agricultural Land
Preservation Foundation (MALPF) to operate more efficiently we believe that the
Maryland General Assembly should develop a permanent annual allotment for the
Agricultural Land Preservation Program. We also believe the following changes
should be made:
(1) The "Right to Farm" provisions provided in the sale
of Maryland agricultural land
easements should be
extended to anyone who is enrolled in an agricultural district.07
(2) We direct MALPF to allow other forms of income when
it does not interfere with the
present agriculture
operation or change the agricultural capabilities of the land including
expanded permitted
uses such as ag tourism and value added operations. '02
(3) We support the right of value-added agricultural
businesses on MALPF land to sell
products not
produced or grown on the farm as a secondary attraction (.e.g.
sandwiches,
t-shirts, small gifts). 07
(4) We support the voluntary sale of water recharge
easements on MALPF land in the
Piedmont region
providing it does not interfere with any current or future potential
agricultural
production. 05
(5) We recommend a revision of the agricultural value
formula that is being used by the
Maryland Ag Land
Preservation Foundation because the current formula discriminates
against farms in
the program with superior soils.05
(6) We recommend that farms be allowed into the MALPF
program without regard to
mineral rights
issues. '01
(7) We support the proposal to alter childrens lots to
allow the right to pass residual lots to
a new owner. '02
(8) We strongly urge MALPF to permit the onsite
extraction of gas from farmland under
MALPF easement. 08
Other Methods to Preserve Agland
As another step toward preservation of agricultural
land, we propose legislation to create an Agricultural Land Condemnation Board,
chaired by the State's Secretary of Agriculture. Before anyone can condemn any
productive agricultural lands for any purpose, the involved body must appeal to
the board. The board must determine that there is no reasonable or prudent
alternative. 05
We support the establishment of a state level green
payments program similar to the federal Conservation Security Program. 06
Soil Surveys
We urge the Natural Resource Conservation Service to
complete the updating of the county soil surveys for Maryland to include
numerical productivity indexes. 06
Transfer Development Rights
We oppose the conveyance of Transferable Development
Rights across county lines.06
Zoning
We recommend that every county review their
agricultural zoning and its impact on the equity of landowners. 06
We support the preservation of agricultural land and
equity through the process of donating, purchasing and transferring development
rights. However, state mandated down-zoning is totally unacceptable. We support
local zoning authority only. 08
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