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Farmland-preservation plans would save 1,500 acres
Harford County -
About 1,500 acres in Harford would be preserved as farmland under a proposed $19 million expansion of the county’s farmland-preservation program. Under legislation before the County Council, 17 properties would be added to the program, and the county tab for paying farmers not to develop land would be spread over the next 30 years, said Bill Amoss, the agricultural preservation supervisor. “I’ve been here all my life, and I want things to remain the same here when I’m gone,” said Robert Richardson, whose 95 acres of pastures and crops in Street are among the properties. Most of Richardson’s neighbors already have entered preservation programs, turning down more lucrative offers to subdivide and develop their farms. “The most important thing for a farmer is his land, and we want it to stay that way,” Richardson said. While selling to developers may be more profitable, Richardson said farmers like him are willing to settle for less money to retain the county’s rural character. Many of the farms that would be saved lie in Harford’s more rural northern areas such as Street and Churchville, but others are closer to Bel Air and Forest Hill. The preservation program, paid for with a half-percent transfer tax on sales of homes, purchases the development rights from farmers but allows them to maintain ownership and keep working the land. County officials chose the 19 properties from among 55 applicants for the preservation program, Amoss said. The farms were ranked based on criteria such as soil quality, environmental health, the viability of the farm and the money available to purchase the development rights, he said. About 41,000 acres of farmland around the county are already in the preservation program, Amoss said. PUBLIC HEARING The county will hold a public hearing on the land-preservation measures at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the County Council building in Bel Air. msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com |