The Agricultural Land Preservation Program assists in achieving some of the same objectives sought in the Open Space Program.  The amount of parkland being purchased in this program has been increasing rapidly, thereby reducing tax revenue.  Therefore, we recommend that the allocation of funds from the Open Space Program to the Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation be increased substantially.  We support legislation that will allow the counties to use part or all of their local share of the Open Space acquisition funds for the Preservation of Agricultural Land Program, thereby preserving open space without removing land from tax rolls. ’05
     We recommend that the larger share of open space funds be used for maintenance of present parkland rather than the acquisition of new land.’06