As part of the Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program, the state of Ohio will assist farmers if the agree to place their land in conservation easement, meaning it cannot be sold to developers. The Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District is working directly with farmers to help them see if their lands qualify for support through the statewide program and act as sponsors.
To be eligible, farmland must meet certain criteria, including;
- development pressure (a moderate amount is desirable)
- the quality of the soil
- the proximity of other farms protected by farm preservation agreements
- the utilization of soil conservation and other “best management” practices
Most of these criteria can be evaluated using a GIS (geographic information system) to quickly identify whether a piece of land meets the criteria. Further, a statewide program could help the state or local working lands organizations identify potential candidates for the program. A progressive minded developer could also use the criteria to identify areas where development would be of limited detriment to working lands and open space within the community to ensure they are being thoughtful in where to build.
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