Farm & Ranch Land Protection Program Helps Entity Reach Milestone

Updated 03/06/2008

The USDA Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) has helped the Lexington Fayette Urban County  Government Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program reach an important milestone this year. With a recent conservation easement acquisition, PDR has acquired conservation easements on more than 20,000 acres in Fayette County.

FRPP, a program administered by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farmland in agricultural uses. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with state, tribal, or local governments, and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the appraised fair market easement value of the conservation easement.

“NRCS is proud to partner with the Fayette County PDR program,” Mike Hubbs, Kentucky NRCS State Conservationist said. “Protecting working farm lands is vital to sustaining the agricultural base of this county.”

Since PDR became an FRPP partner seven years ago, NRCS has provided over $11 million in FRPP funding to the Fayette County PDR. These funds have helped purchase 72 conservation easements and will help secure 13 more in the near future. In total, these federally-partnered conservation easements will cover more than 10,000 acres, of which almost 9,000 are considered prime and/or statewide important soils. Additionally, several farms have also been of historical or archaeological importance.

In addition to the FRPP funds, the city has invested $21.6 million and has received $26.9 million in local, state and federal funds (including the FRPP.) To date, the PDR program has secured permanent easements on 20,000 acres of farmland on 174 farms in the county.

Billy Van Pelt, Director of the PDR program recently stated, “Preserving the landscape for future farmers and citizens will be an investment that will return to Lexington-Fayette County for generations. Our community will have a critical mass of preserved farmland as the basis for sustainable industries in the future.”

To learn more about USDA NRCS FRPP, visit: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp

Fayette County Residents can visit LFUCG Division of Purchase of Development Rights website at http://www.lfucg.com/pdr/

Residents Outside Fayette County should visit Kentucky Purchase of Agricultural Easement (PACE) Corporation website at http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/farmland/index.htm

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