All Wyoming County Farmland
Owners Invited
to attend Farmland Protection Workshop
The Wyoming County
Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, in partnership with the Genesee
Valley Conservancy and the Western New York Land Conservancy, will be accepting
pre-applications from landowners interested in being considered for NYS
Farmland Protection Implementation Grants. This program pays farmers to protect the
state’s most productive farmland with permanent conservation easements. The
program is completely voluntary, and the land remains in the owners’ hands and
can continue to be farmed. However, the land will have permanent restrictions
on commercial, residential, and industrial uses.
Interested
farmers are invited to attend a Farmland Protection Workshop on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024 from
6:00 to 7:30pm at Wyoming County Agriculture and Business Center, Room LC1
at 36 Center Street in Warsaw. All interested
landowners MUST ATTEND this workshop prior to submitting an application. Registration is required: https://wyoming-co-farmland-protection.eventbrite.com.
This
program, which is funded by the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, reimburses
farmers up to 87.5% of the value of the development rights on their land. Two land
trusts serve Wyoming County and can submit applications for this grant funding.
All farmers wishing to apply to the program must complete a pre-application
with their respective land trust. Pre-applications
will be evaluated by the land trust and will consider the amount of development
pressure, quality of soils to be protected, and farm viability. The highest
scoring pre-applications will be invited to have full applications submitted to
the program. These pre-applications may also be used to help eligible farms access
other farmland protection programs.
For more
information on the New York State Farmland Protection program, visit: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AP/agservices/farmprotect.html
Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, non-profit
land trust that has protected 7,500 acres of land with significant conservation
value in our region. We envision a future in which forests, farms, meadows, and
waterways are connected, cherished, and protected in Western New York. We are
accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. To learn more about our
mission and vision, and to read our land acknowledgement, visit wnylc.org.
Genesee Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited non-profit
conservation organization working to protect the habitat, open space and
farmland in the Genesee River watershed.
Over 32,500 acres of natural habitat and productive farm and forest land
have been conserved by Genesee Valley Conservancy with private landowners. The organization also owns nature preserves
open to the public year-round for recreation and education. For more information visit www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org
