Protecting Farm, Ranch, and Forest Land

As the competition for land in America intensifies, planners and planning commissioners are searching for answers to questions about the balance between development and conservation. To respond to this need, American Farmland Trust (AFT) educates planners, planning commissioners, elected officials, and others about why and how to protect working farm, ranch, and forest land. AFT is a national, nonprofit organization working to stop the loss of the nation’s productive farmland. With 20 years of direct land protection experience and a thorough understanding of the most timely and complete information, AFT will help you make wise land use decisions and create effective land protection programs.

Presenters

Speakers usually include AFT staff, people who have protected their land, and land protection program administrators. They are either from the region where the event is occurring or a region that is experiencing similar challenges.

The Program

Topics include:

• Why Save Working Land: Learn about the environmental, economic, aesthetic, and other benefits of working land. Find out what resources are available or can be created to illustrate the importance of working land in your community—data about land use, demographics, and the agricultural industry; public opinion surveys; and computer-generated maps that identify strategic land.

• Public Opportunities for Saving Working Land: Find out how local, state, and federal agencies can create a variety of incentive-based and regulatory programs and policies (e.g. agricultural conservation zoning and purchase of development rights programs) for protecting working land. The information can be as specific or general as you want it to be, with topics ranging from determining easement values to the basic elements of an effective land protection program.

• Private Options for Saving Working Land: Owners of private land can play a significant role in protecting land in your community. Learn the latest information about estate planning, easement donations, special use valuation, using life insurance as an estate planning tool, and more.

• Leadership Development: Become a land protection leader. Learn what role you can play in leading the charge to create or enhance your land protection program.

• Land Stewardship: AFT shares first-hand information about good agricultural practices. Grass-based dairying and integrated pest management are two of the conservation-oriented practices in which we specialize.

Format

• Train-the-Trainer Workshops: AFT conducts professional development workshops for people who work directly with farmers, ranchers and foresters. Typical audiences include land use planners, planning commissioners, and Cooperative Extension Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service field employees. Participants leave the workshops prepared to answer land protection-related questions they hear on the job. Working in partnership with a local advisory committee, AFT develops the curriculum, creates a customized handbook for workshop participants, and delivers the training. Typically, these are one-day workshops, but they can be customized to be longer or shorter.

• Conferences and Meetings: AFT creates individual and customized presentations, panel discussions, and workshops for conferences and meetings (e.g., planning staff meetings and APA state conferences). Presentations typically range from 20 minutes to three hours.

Fee: Travel and lodging expenses; honorarium is negotiable