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Farmland Management
Conservation easement is one approach used to manage protected farms. There are different government programs that invest in conservation easement of farmlands, one program is run by the U.S Department of Agriculture. It is known by the abbreviation ACEP, which stands for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. The goal of this program is to maintain current farms by preserving existing land for only agriculture uses. Which protects grazing interests of livestock and the health of the land for the growing of agriculture. Groups can then be supplied funds to purchase Agriculture Land Easements. ACEP can provide funds to different groups who want to preserve land such as non-profit organizations, local governments and Indian tribes.

A transferable development rights program offers landowners financial incentives or bonuses for the conservation and maintenance of agricultural land. Land developers can purchase the development rights of certain properties within a designated "sending district" and transfer the rights to another "receiving district" to increase the density of their new development. It provides more land for growing crops because it zones off plots of land to be growth zones. This allows for farmlands to not be sold for development and be preserved for agricultural.

In addition, to different government programs there has also been several bills passed to preserve farmland. The Farmland Protection Policy Act or FPPA was a policy based to make sure federal funded programs do not develop land designated for crop growing or other agriculture purposes. The FPPA protects farmland from federal funded construction and other government projects that require the acquisition of property.

In addition to farmland management there are also government programs to help the land. The Farm Service Agency or the FSA trades a year rental payment to remove certain parts of the land in order for the soil to improve. This program helps farmers take care of their land by getting support to help improve water and soil quality. It manages the health of the farmland.

See also

Agriculture

Department of Agriculture (United States)