Farmland Protection Events in Indiana

1
Farmland Protection Events in Indiana

• 1997 Hoosier Farmland Preservation Task Force
• 1996 Purdue Land Use Team organized with
  Agricultural Land Protection Module (one of ten)
• 1999 Indiana Land Resources Council established
• 2000 Planning With POWER Project (initiated) with
  2005 Open Space Planning publication for
  agriculture land protection

2
Farmland as a Resource in Indiana

• Forty-six states are participating in the Federal
  Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)
  (Indiana is not participating)
• Our neighboring states of Illinois, Kentucky,
  Michigan, and Ohio participate in FRPP
• Indiana is seventh in the nation in the loss of
  prime farmland (AFT 1992-97)

3
Farmland as a Resource in Indiana, cont

• Indiana ranks near the top nationally in many
  agricultural categories
• Farmland is the most valuable input in
  agricultural production
• Farmland provides other valuable functions, such
  as water aquifer recharge, wildlife habitat, open
  space/ scenic value/greenway amenity, mitigation
  of air emissions from sprawled growth

4
Planning Tools to Protect Agriculture

• Updating and incorporating agriculture, farmland,
  and natural resources protection in comprehensive
  land use planning
• Use of agricultural protection zoning
• Purchase of development rights (voluntary
  program)
• Special agricultural districts
• Others