Gauging Support for Innovative Farmland Preservation Techniques

This report describes the results of interviews and focus groups, gauging support for innovative farmland preservation techniques. Four techniques were selected for assessment from approximately 30 novel techniques identified in previous research: (1) Term conservation easements; (2) Land preservation tontines; (3) Rights of first refusal; and (4) Agricultural conservation pension with purchase of agricultural conservation easements. Data were collected from three types of stakeholder groups, including land preservation program administrators in Delaware and Maryland, Delaware legislators, and Delaware landowners. The results show that these stakeholders believed rights of first refusal was the most promising concept, and the groups identified some specific challenges to effective implementation. Targeting areas to implement the technique and having a dedicated, regular funding source were perceived to be essential. Agricultural conservation pensions were also viewed favorably, although some were skeptical that it could be implemented in practice. Tontines were perceived to be an interesting concept, but confusing, difficult to implement, and needing more work to flesh out details. Term easements were, for the most part, not viewed favorably. Most saw term easements having the fatal shortcoming of impermanent preservation. A fiscal analysis was preformed to demonstrate how additional funding for innovative techniques might complement continued purchase of agricultural conservation easements (PACE) activities. The results show that the conservation pension might preserve more acres than PACE, while rights of first refusal will preserve less, but more threatened, acres. Term easements should preserve many more acres than PACE, albeit temporarily. The land preservation tontine will likely act to increase the value of land maintained in agricultural land use, but will not preserve land in the same manner as the other three techniques. Hence, land preservation tontines might best be viewed as a complement to the other preservation techniques.