National News

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

USFS Report: 'Ecosystem Services' at Risk From Suburban Development

Large swaths of private forest, which account for most of the forested acreage in the United States, could be replaced by housing in the coming decades, potentially compromising water quality, carbon sequestration and other "ecosystem services" that those forests provide, according to a new report from the Forest Service... New York Times

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National News

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

Wildlife groups praise USDA for holding general CRP sign up

Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever praised USDA for offering its first general Conservation Reserve Program sign up in four years this month... Agri News

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-21 to 2010-07-21

Conserving a Conservation Fund

In 1964, Congress approved a quiet little environmental program to provide a steady revenue stream to save America’s disappearing open spaces from development. Conceived under Dwight Eisenhower, proposed by John F. Kennedy and signed into law by Lyndon Johnson, the Land and Water Conservation Fund would be underwritten by royalties from offshore oil and gas leases. This gave it a fitting symmetry: dollars raised from depleting one natural resource would protect another... New York Times

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

House Committee Passes Bill Securing Funding for Conservation Recreation Program

The House Natural Resources Committee passed legislation today that will provide dedicated funding for land conservation and outdoor recreation by a vote of 27 to 21 under the leadership of Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV)... The Nature Conservancy

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-14 to 2010-07-14

EQUESTRIAN LAND CONSERVATION GROUP RESPONDS TO AG SECRETARY'S ANNOUNCEMENT

The Equine Land Conservation Resource, with 140 conservation partner member organizations representing over 1.2 million horsemen, applauds Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the USDA’s new program, the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) to access private land for recreation... American Quarter Horse Journal

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

Open fields USDA enacting part of 2008 Farm Bill encouraging private land owners to go public

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Thursday a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest land to voluntarily provide public access to land for the enjoyment of wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing, under programs implemented by state or tribal governments... ESPN

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

What Can You Do?: Strategies to Save Farmland for Sustainable Agriculture

When it comes to sustainable agriculture (or any type of agriculture for that matter,) land is pretty darn important. Access to land, especially affordable land, is one of the biggest obstacles that young and beginning farmers face when trying to start a viable farm... Justmeans

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National News

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

American Horse Council Highlights Recreational Riding

On Tuesday, June 22, the American Horse Council (AHC) held its first Recreation Forum in Washington, D.C., to highlight issues of importance to recreational riders. The forum was attended by representatives from national equestrian organizations and state horse councils from around the country, as well as individual recreational riders... TheHorse.com

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Alabama - Jackson County

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

Acreage added to the Walls of Jericho

The state's Forever Wild program recently acquired hundreds of acres of biologically important forest in Jackson County...

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Alaska

No Events

Arizona

No Events

Arkansas

No Events

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California - San Luis Obispo

Event Date: 2010-11-02 to 2010-11-02

The Equine Center's Expo

The Equine Center is hosting its Annual Equine Expo on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010, from 7-9 p.m. at the Alex Madonna's Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, CA. The purpose of the Expo is to educate horse people with lectures regarding what is new in equine veterinary medicine, present them with cutting edge science and technology, and to offer them a varied selection of equestrian vendors in our trade show area. Event attendance is open to the equestrian public, regardless of veterinary affiliation, and admission is free. For more information, please call (805) 541-6367 or visit www.theequinecenter.com.

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California -

Event Date: 2010-08-12 to 2010-08-12

The farm, ranch and watershed fund

Farmlands are home to abundant wildlife. Far beyond the planted fields or property boundaries, farms and ranches are important land and water resources for many native species. Almost every farmer or rancher has a creek or woodland -- part of the ranch, environment and habitat we so badly need to protect...

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California -

Event Date: 2010-07-21 to 2010-07-21

The farm, ranch and watershed fund

Farmlands are home to abundant wildlife. Far beyond the planted fields or property boundaries, farms and ranches are important land and water resources for many native species. Almost every farmer or rancher has a creek or woodland -- part of the ranch, environment and habitat we so badly need to protect... Times-Standard

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California -

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-06-19

Governor signs Chesbro bill to help open space districts preserve more rural lands

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law a bill authored by First District Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that gives open space and parks districts more tools to preserve and protect rural lands... Lake County News

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California - Santa Cruz County

Event Date: 2010-07-13 to 2010-07-13

Acres of protected farmland dedicated

Nearly 1,000 acres of Pajaro Valley farmland protected through conservation easement agreements with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County were formally dedicated Saturday and shown off to a select group that included visiting government officials. Register Pajaronian

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California -

Event Date: 2010-07-09 to 2010-07-09

Bay Area Ranching Family Receives Conservation Award at California Rangeland Trust's Annual Gala

Tim Koopmann and his family were honored in June at the annual fundraiser for the California Rangeland Trust with the third annual Conservationist of the Year Award for their life-long commitment to ranching, the environment and rangeland conservation... PR Newswire (press release)

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Colorado - Granby

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

2,800 Acres in Grand County Now Protected

If the current crop of Colorado candidates with their slash-and-burn campaign promises had been in place four years ago, nearly 2,800 acres of land owned by Snow Mountain Ranch/YMCA of the Rockies would not be protected in perpetuity, but now it is, thanks to a new conservation easement... Huffington Post (blog)

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Colorado - Larimer County

Event Date: 2010-07-20 to 2010-07-20

Regulations on horse businesses approved for Larimer County

Horse-related businesses in Larimer County will have a new set of rules to follow based on the size of their operations... The Coloradoan

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Colorado -

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Loss of natural connection at risk

Like many Coloradans, I grew up in a place that instilled a deep connection to the land, water and wildlife around us. On our ranch in the San Luis Valley, my seven brothers and sisters and I were in the outdoors every day, working in the fields, tending to the cattle or watching the birds pass overhead in their migrations. We learned that our livelihoods depended on the health of the land and the stewardship values Americans have passed from generation to generation... The Coloradoan

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Colorado - Steamboat Springs

Event Date: 2010-07-07 to 2010-07-07

Routt County OKs conservation parcels

Routt County’s purchase of development rights program is poised to increase its total conserved acreage by 68 percent in the next 11 months after the Routt County Board of Commissioners acted Tuesday to earmark $6.1 million in dedicated conservation tax dollars to conserve 10 rural Routt County land parcels... Steamboat Pilot

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Connecticut - Lehigh Valley

Event Date: 2010-08-09 to 2010-08-09

MONEY DROUGHT: Lehigh Valley farmland preservation efforts threatened by massive cuts in state funding.

Robert Kroboth, a plain-spoken farmer, has a million dollars in his closet. That's not literally so. No one in the Lehigh Valley makes that kind of money farming corn, alfalfa, soybeans and hay... TMCnet

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Delaware - Chesapeake Bay

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

Sussex Conservation District Awarded $450,000

The Sussex Conservation District has been awarded $450,000 by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to increase conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The funding will be used to help Delaware poultry producers to implement the best management practices to also improve air quality, soil conditions, soil erosion and water quality. Interested producers have until Friday to sign up – call 856-3990...

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Florida

No Events

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Georgia - Jackson County

Event Date: 2010-07-04 to 2010-07-04

Acres slated for homes now go agricultural

Jackson County planners once imagined that about 53 percent of the county, 117,039 of its 218,880 acres, would be covered by subdivisions and housing developments by 2020. Online Athens

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Hawaii

No Events

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Idaho -

Event Date: 2010-08-03 to 2010-08-03

USDA to pay top dollar for conservation land

Landowners are expected to take a substantial amount of farmland out of commission this year, say officials with the Idaho Farm Service Agency... Southern Idaho Business

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Idaho -

Event Date: 2010-07-28 to 2010-07-28

Land and Water Conservation Fund deserves full funding

It’s Saturday on a gorgeous summer day in America. At Henry’s Lake in Idaho’s high country, deep in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, anglers cast for Yellowstone cutthroat trout, beauties that have swum the shallow lake since the Ice Age and are prized for their fight and vivid color... Daily Caller

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Idaho -

Event Date: 2010-07-16 to 2010-07-16

Feds Want Farm Bill Wish List from Idaho

Farm Bill 2012 is already on the calendar and already in debate, with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees asking for input from Idahoans and other rural residents about what should be in the next piece of legislation. And payment limitations for the biggest farms are already being discussed, with a suggestion that limitations be lifted in the name of helping the economy...

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Illinois - Country Club Hills

Event Date: 2010-08-04 to 2010-08-04

Country Club Hills bringing rural back

Country Club Hills officials are pressing ahead with a plan to tear down barns and reconstruct them on the Stelter Farm site on 183rd Street between Cicero Avenue and Pulaski Road. The new site would include the reconstructed barns, an equestrian center and museum... Southtown Star

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Indiana - Ripley County

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

Harness racing returning to fairgrounds

Over 50 years ago, harness racing was a popular sport to participate in and watch. On July 14, it will return to Ripley County. Donna Siebert, Batesville, says her parents, Temple “Osgood” and Helen Smock, had horses when she was growing up. “Dad maintained and took care of the Ripley County racetrack ....

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Iowa -

Event Date: 2010-07-26 to 2010-07-26

Age of Iowa farmland owners rising

Chad Fertig is one of the lucky ones. The 21-year-old senior in agricultural studies will graduate from Iowa State University in December, and after that he will return to his hometown of Wall Lake to take up the family business... Ames Tribune

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Kansas - Flint Hills

Event Date: 2010-07-23 to 2010-07-23

Land trust adds 6,800 acres

Kansas cattle rancher Rod Moyer maintains an appetite for the tallgrass prairie landscape of the northern Flint Hills... Topeka Capital Journal

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Kentucky -

Event Date: 2010-08-12 to 2010-08-12

Stables' closing brings sadness

...Friday's celebration marked the end of riding camps at the stables, which will close at the end of the summer. Rudloff is retiring, and the land eventually will be developed as part of Norton Commons, she said...

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Kentucky -

Event Date: 2010-07-20 to 2010-07-20

Spotlight Equine: Community Leadership Development and Land Use

When Lori Garkovich, PhD, professor in the Community Leadership Development Department, joined the faculty in the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, she said she was astounded by the lack of involvement the university had with the local horse industry. Now, some 34 years later, she believes UK has improved in that area, particularly in extension... TheHorse.com

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Louisiana

No Events

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Maine - York

Event Date: 2010-08-04 to 2010-08-04

York ordinance proposal seeks to expand uses on family farms

Farmers need options to keep nothing but homes from growing in York, according to some who support a proposed ordinance amendment that would create a farm enterprise zone in town. The proposed overlay district would allow designated farmers living in residential zones to expand the use of their property... York Weekly

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Maine - Little Chebeague

Event Date: 2010-07-28 to 2010-07-28

Volunteers, students work to restore an island with a long history

Bonebakker's connection to Little Chebeague is through the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), which began maintaining trails and campsites on the island as part of its Maine Island Trail back in the 1990s. MITA's approach, as on other islands, is to provide supervised volunteers who educate the public, clean campsites, cut brush and perform other chores on islands that may be state-owned or private...

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Maryland - Prince George's County

Event Date: 2010-08-19 to 2010-08-19

Planning department angling for more preservation dollars in new master plan

This fall, Prince George's County planning officials are asking south county residents to consider which areas of undeveloped land, especially in the southeastern rural tier, should be targeted for preservation in the future... Business Gazette

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Maryland - Prince George's County

Event Date: 2010-08-17 to 2010-08-17

The 3-minute interview: Dorothy Troutman

Troutman runs the Maryland Equestrian Foundation, a Prince George's County fundraising group that has fought to open access for Maryland horse riders since the 1980s. Among its most recent victories was the formation of the Prince George's County Equine Industry Task Force, which was set up to facilitate the economic development of the county's equine industry. Prince George's is home to 7,500 horses... Washington Examiner

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Massachusetts - Sutton

Event Date: 2010-07-30 to 2010-07-30

APR seeks Sutton farmland preservation

Sutton Town Administrator Jim Smith asked the selectmen at their July 20 meeting to review correspondence from the state of Massachusetts’ Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) concerning a possible Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) on 82 acres at 169 Eight Lots Road... Millbury-Sutton Chronicle

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Michigan - Three Rivers

Event Date: 2010-07-23 to 2010-07-23

Reception to mark couple’s land donation

After being applauded by county commissioners last year for land-conservation efforts, Henry and Martha Miller will be honored Saturday by another agency for a similar act of generosity... Sturgis Journal

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Minnesota - Lewiston

Event Date: 2010-08-10 to 2010-08-10

Minnesota is leader in use of Conservation Stewardship Program

Minnesota’s farmers and conservationists owe themselves a big collective pat on the back. It turns out the Gopher State is a national leader in its utilization of one of the most innovative federal conservation farm initiatives out there: the Conservation Stewardship Program... AG Week

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Minnesota -

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

Minnesota farmland program great success

For generations, the Taylor family has farmed hundreds of acres in Sciota Township along the Cannon River and its tributaries. About five years ago, they made a change: The rows of corn and soybeans don’t reach the riverbanks any more... Farm Forum

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Minnesota -

Event Date: 2010-07-09 to 2010-07-09

Minnesota's huge forest conservation deal closes today

Minnesota’s single largest land conservation deal ever will be signed and sealed today as the state buys conservation easements on 187,277 acres of forest owned by Finnish paper giant UPM... Duluth News Tribune

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Minnesota - Dakota County

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

Dakota County buy easements to protect another 1,325 acres

The county board recently agreed to buy conservation easements on 12 properties for $2.7 million... Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Mississippi -

Event Date: 2010-08-12 to 2010-08-12

Miss. farmland sought for conservation projects

Mississippi farmers are being encouraged to sign up for a Farm Service Agency program aimed at defeating erosion, promoting clean air and reinforcing wildlife habitat... WREG

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Missouri - Springfield

Event Date: 2010-07-13 to 2010-07-13

New equestrian park is a boon for local horse enthusiast

With black barn cats Smith and Wesson patrolling the perimeter, city and county leaders dedicated a new 53-acre public horse-riding park Friday on the northeast edge of Springfield... News-Leader.com

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Montana - Helena

Event Date: 2010-08-11 to 2010-08-11

Former wildlife officials ask for quicker protection of Rocky Mountain Front

A group of former top wildlife management officials in Montana has sent a letter to the congressional delegation to push for more rapid protection for lands along the Rocky Mountain Front... The Missoulian

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Montana - Whitefish

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Whitefish Trail project puts state land to recreational use

The first phase of an ambitious recreation and conservation project to build a 55-mile trail in the Whitefish vicinity will be unveiled Saturday... Great Falls Tribune

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Nebraska

No Events

Nevada

No Events

New Hampshire - Nashua

Event Date: 2010-08-19 to 2010-08-19

Farmland takeover may take 3 months

Although the Board of Aldermen has approved the purchase of a 46.52-acre tract for conservation, it will likely be three or more months before the city owns the land... Nashua Telegraph

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New Hampshire - Concord

Event Date: 2010-08-11 to 2010-08-11

NH's private forests focus of USDA head's visit

Conservationists, timber industry officials and landowners expressed the need Monday to work together to keep private forests healthy for future tourism, jobs and a clean environment... BusinessWeek

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New Hampshire - Dover

Event Date: 2010-07-27 to 2010-07-27

End of a 378-year era

Like generations of Tuttles before him, Will Tuttle has spent his life on the family farm, working its tree-lined acres from seed to harvest. He learned by the side of his father and grandfather and, like them, chose to make his living off the land... Boston Globe

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New Jersey - Warren County

Event Date: 2010-08-17 to 2010-08-17

Warren County turns farmland preservation 'triple play' in Allamuchy, Greenwich, White townships

In what Warren County farmland preservationists are coining as a “triple play,” more than 240 acres of agricultural land has been permanently preserved in Allamuchy, Greenwich and White townships through a partnership between the county, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, State Agriculture Development Committee and the U.S. Department of Agriculture... Warren Reporter

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New Jersey -

Event Date: 2010-08-17 to 2010-08-17

Closter's remaining farms adapt to the times

...One borough, however, is noticeably absent from the lineup: Closter, an affluent and picturesque town, has no need for a weekly produce bazaar, because it already has five farms/farm stands within three miles of one another... NorthJersey.com

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New Jersey -

Event Date: 2010-08-10 to 2010-08-10

Despite pressures to develop, open space is being preserved

IN 2004, THE New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act became law, setting in motion an ambitious effort to protect the primary water supply for 5.4 million residents of northern and central New Jersey and a number of the state’s major industries... NorthJersey.com

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New Jersey -

Event Date: 2010-08-06 to 2010-08-06

Crunch Hits Open-Space Funds

Financial woes hammering state and local governments in New York and New Jersey are forcing them to scale back efforts to buy choice pieces of farmland and open space for preservation...

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New Jersey - Bedminster

Event Date: 2010-08-06 to 2010-08-06

Newly Preserved Farm is ‘Sacred Space’ for Bedminster Couple

Believing that open land is something to be revered and protected, Janet and Ignazio Piedilato named their 67-acre farm "Temenos" - Greek for "sacred space... TheAlternativePress.com

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New Jersey - Franklin Township

Event Date: 2010-07-27 to 2010-07-27

106-acre farm permanently preserved in Franklin Township

Through a combination of local, county and state funds, the 106-acre Santini Trust Farm has been permanently preserved... Warren Reporter

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New Jersey -

Event Date: 2010-07-22 to 2010-07-22

N.J. horse industry feels betrayed by Gov. Christie's support of Atlantic City, but not Meadowlands

The black fences and white pickets lining the fields along Route 526 in Monmouth County signal the changing borders of horse farms with quaint names like White Birch, Fair Wind and Birch Creek... The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

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New Jersey - Granville

Event Date: 2010-07-21 to 2010-07-21

State dollars help preserve area farmland

Since the farmland preservation movement started about 15 years, owners of rural land in and around Granville seeking to permanently protect their farms from development have looked to two Granville-based programs that have either provided funds or arranged tax benefit.. The Newark Advocate

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New Jersey - Mount Holly

Event Date: 2010-07-08 to 2010-07-08

Burlington County to devote half of tax levy to parks

Burlington County expects to receive $20.75 million in dedicated property taxes this year for parks and for farmland, open space and historic preservation... Cherry Hill Courier Post

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New Jersey -

Event Date: 2010-07-08 to 2010-07-08

‘Dual appraisals’ likely to be extended for Highlands properties

The state Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday, June 28, to extend the “dual appraisal method” for properties in the Highlands region for an additional five years, matching a state Assembly bill that unanimously passed last month. The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Christie for his review... Hunterdon Review

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New Mexico

No Events

New York - Canton

Event Date: 2010-08-11 to 2010-08-11

Ag district inclusion irks neighbor

St. Lawrence County lawmakers on Monday voted to include a town of Massena property in an agricultural district over the objections of a neighbor who said that there is no farm there — only a crop field — and that manure-spreading practices on the property are putting the health of his family and neighbors at risk... WatertownDailyTimes.com

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New York -

Event Date: 2010-08-06 to 2010-08-06

Crunch Hits Open-Space Funds

Financial woes hammering state and local governments in New York and New Jersey are forcing them to scale back efforts to buy choice pieces of farmland and open space for preservation... Wall Street Journal

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New York - Dryden

Event Date: 2010-08-02 to 2010-08-02

Dryden zoning overhaul advances

More work is needed on the second iteration of the town's controversial zoning proposal, according to the town planning board, which voted Thursday to send the draft to the town board with a recommendation for more study and a master plan for Varna... Ithaca Journal

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New York -

Event Date: 2010-08-02 to 2010-08-02

Marist to host federal conservation forum

On Friday, conservation groups, land trust advocates and folk legend Pete Seeger will be at the student center at Marist College to tell representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies how they can better assist conservation and outdoors groups in the Hudson Valley... Poughkeepsie Journal

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New York - Cazenovia

Event Date: 2010-07-30 to 2010-07-30

Cazenovia College's Equine Education Center on track to receive $200,000 in federal money

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is following through with his promise to deliver federal money for a think tank at Cazenovia College to spur the growth of the state’s equine industry... The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com

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New York -

Event Date: 2010-07-16 to 2010-07-16

Good news, bad news for farmland preservation

A new state law makes it easier for land trusts to tap into state farmland preservation funding, but at the same time lawmakers have slashed the amount of funding that's available... Rochester City Newspaper

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New York - Millerton

Event Date: 2010-07-08 to 2010-07-08

Farmland protection plan to be addressed at public hearing

The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan on Thursday, July 15, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall Post 178 on Route 44 in Millerton... Lakeville Journal (subscription)

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North Carolina - Alexander

Event Date: 2010-08-19 to 2010-08-19

Landowner donates 100-acre Buncombe County farm to conservation group

A local landowner has donated her 100-acre farm in northwest Buncombe County to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the group announced today... Asheville Citizen-Times

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North Carolina - Caswell County

Event Date: 2010-08-05 to 2010-08-05

'Voluntary farmland preservation districts can benefit you'

Agricultural land and heritage are valuable assets to Caswell County. Agricultural Preservation Districts promote the pride and tradition of agriculture in Caswell County... Caswell Messenger

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North Carolina - Surry County

Event Date: 2010-07-23 to 2010-07-23

Grant awarded for Surry farmland study

A process is under way to protect farmland in Surry County using a $25,000 state grant awarded this month... Mount Airy News

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North Carolina - Asheville

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Western North Carolina's outdoors enthusiasts offer ideas at 'listening session' with federal officials

More than 300 outdoors enthusiasts gave high-ranking federal officials a wish list Thursday that even Santa Claus might find intimidating... Asheville Citizen-Times

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North Carolina -

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

State grant goes to protect Alamance County farm

The Piedmont Land Conservancy received a $300,000 grant from the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to purchase a conservation easement on 114 acres of Iseley Farm, just north of Burlington... Burlington Times News

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North Carolina -

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

Local projects get farmland preservation grants

The N.C.Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has awarded more than $2.3 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced today... Greensboro News & Record

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North Dakota

No Events

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Ohio -

Event Date: 2010-07-30 to 2010-07-30

Long-awaited General Conservation Reserve Program sign-Up announced

The wait is over for farmers and landowners seeking the opportunity to enroll their farmland in the popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The agency is encouraging landowners to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) program; CRP general enrollment will run Monday, August 2 through Friday, August 27... Ada Herald

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Ohio -

Event Date: 2010-07-30 to 2010-07-30

Conservation Reserve Program accepting landowner enrollment

Farmers and landowners can enroll their farmland in the Conservation Reserve Program from Monday to Aug. 27. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources encourages landowners to participate... Fremont News Messenger

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Ohio - Wooster

Event Date: 2010-07-17 to 2010-07-17

Weygandt farmland preserved

Ever since President James Monroe deeded a 640-acre parcel in the Southwest corner of Section No. 9 in Baughman Township, at least a 78-acre portion of it has been used for agriculture... Wooster Daily Record

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Ohio -

Event Date: 2010-07-06 to 2010-07-06

Cleanup fund helps economy

I’m proud to live in a state that has one of the nation’s most innovative programs — the Clean Ohio Fund — to connect communities with new trails, protect critical natural areas and treasured farmland, and restore contaminated sites to new development... Toledo Blade

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Oklahoma

No Events

Oregon - Portland

Event Date: 2010-02-09 to 2010-02-09

Metro and 3 Portland counties approve urban expansion, farm protections

Metro and the three Portland-area counties rolled the dice on a collaborative future Monday, approving a long-range planning map that designates which areas will be developed and which will be reserved for farms and forests for the next 40 to 50 years... OregonLive.com

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Pennsylvania - Johnstown

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

Racino planner eyes city

An economically transformative, $200 million racino ­– a combination harness racing track/casino – could be coming to Greater Johnstown, the chief operating officer of a new gambling outfit said Wednesday... The Tribune-Democrat

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Pennsylvania - Lower Providence

Event Date: 2010-08-06 to 2010-08-06

Watershed protection plan goes forward

Township officials endorsed the inclusion of the Lower Perkiomen Creek Watershed Conservation plan in the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry on Thursday night... The Times Herald

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Pennsylvania - Conoy Township

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Conoy approves rezoning move to protect farms, rural character

A measure to protect Conoy Township's farmland and rural character was approved by supervisors who voted 4-1 July 8 to shift about 1,700 acres from rural to agricultural zoning. Lancaster Newspapers

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Pennsylvania -

Event Date: 2010-07-08 to 2010-07-08

PA budget shows mixed results

Pennsylvania’s recently finalized $28 billion General Fund budget extends cuts made last year to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) while sustaining some conservation programs and calling for the establishment of a natural gas severance tax. River Reporter

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Rhode Island - Portsmouth

Event Date: 2010-08-19 to 2010-08-19

Federal grant to help preserve Portsmouth farmland

A campaign to save nearly 40 acres of historic farmland at Wicks Nursery from future development got a major boost on Tuesday thanks to a $1-million federal grant... Providence Journal

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South Carolina

No Events

South Dakota -

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Farmers Urged To Open Lands Under Open Fields

In wildlife-rich South Dakota, opening up more private land to public recreation — namely hunting and fishing — would seem to be a slam-dunk for attracting new tourism dollars to the state... CattleNetwork.com

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Tennessee -

Event Date: 2010-08-11 to 2010-08-11

Tennessee announces conservation cost-share grants

Governor Phil Bredesen and Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens have announced more than $3 million in cost-share grants to 95 county soil conservation districts to help improve farmland and water quality... Southeast Farm Press

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Tennessee -

Event Date: 2010-07-27 to 2010-07-27

TN land fund restoration praised

Critical funding for land conservation – from wetlands to park lands - in the state budget will allow improvements to local and state parks, a conservation group says... The Tennessean

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Tennessee -

Event Date: 2010-07-26 to 2010-07-26

Signup for Emergency Conservation Program extended

The signup deadline to apply for Emergency Conservation Program benefits has been extended until July 30. Farmers and producers who experienced damage due to the recent flood may apply for cost share assistance to rehabilitate the farmland which received damage... Clarksville Leaf Chronicle

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Tennessee -

Event Date: 2010-07-23 to 2010-07-23

TN land fund restoration praised

Critical funding for land conservation – from wetlands to park lands - in the state budget will allow improvements to local and state parks, a conservation group says... The Tennessean

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Texas -

Event Date: 2010-07-27 to 2010-07-27

Land conservation Feds to extend land use program

The federal government is extending a popular program that is important to the Panhandle's natural resources and bank accounts - the Conservation Reserve Program...

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Utah

No Events

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Vermont

No Events

Virginia -

Event Date: 2010-07-23 to 2010-07-23

Farmland loss is slowing in Virginia but still a concern

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced earlier this month that loss of farmland to development appears to be slowing in the commonwealth... Brookneal Union Star

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Virginia - Harrisonburg

Event Date: 2010-07-14 to 2010-07-14

Valley conservation gets boost from NCRS

Weyers Cave dairy farmer Gerald Garber has been proactive about putting fences on his land to keep livestock out of the streams where they can pollute water... News Virginian

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Virginia -

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

Loss of Farmland Possibly Slowing

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Thursday that loss of farmland to development appears to be slowing in the Commonwealth... WHSV

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Virginia - Franklin

Event Date: 2010-07-12 to 2010-07-12

Saving the farmland Slow economy helping stave off development

Officials say the downturn in the economy is helping prevent agricultural land in Southampton and Isle of Wight counties from being developed, a trend that also seems to be occurring at the state level... Tidewater News

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Washington - Pierce County

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

Longbranch gives Devil’s Head a high-five

It was standing-room only at the Longbranch Improvement Club on Friday as residents, politicians and members of the Cascade Land Conservancy gathered to celebrate a monumental step in preserving the Key Peninsula’s open spaces... Peninsula Gateway

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West Virginia

No Events

Wisconsin -

Event Date: 2010-08-20 to 2010-08-20

MVC hike highlights bluff land resource

...The Mississippi Valley Conservancy and the city of Onalaska have formed a cooperative agreement to hold the land in conservancy in order to preserve natural wildlife such as the death camus instead of leaving it open for development... Courier-Life

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Wisconsin - Dane County

Event Date: 2010-08-12 to 2010-08-12

Dane County farmland included in state ag conservation easement plan

Three Dane County farms are among 16 farms in Wisconsin that will be protected with permanent easements in a new state program designed to save agricultural land... Madison.com

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Wisconsin -

Event Date: 2010-07-30 to 2010-07-30

Group strives to preserve area farmland

Agriculture is responsible for $524 million of economic activity and employs 4,700 people in St. Croix County... AG Week

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Wisconsin - Janesville

Event Date: 2010-07-27 to 2010-07-27

Farmland preservation balances urban, ag needs

They don’t want to take a shotgun approach to farmland preservation. Nor do they want to encourage leapfrog development. But drawing a line in the soil isn’t all that easy... Janesville Gazette

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Wisconsin -

Event Date: 2010-07-26 to 2010-07-26

Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative fights future farmland developmentWisconsin Working Lands Initiative fights future farmland development

Money is powerful. It can change people's minds on almost anything. And for years, developers have had the upper hand when it comes to buying farmland for homes... Green Bay Press Gazette

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Wyoming - Sheridan

Event Date: 2010-07-19 to 2010-07-19

Ranch Near Sheridan Enters Conservation Easement

The Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust has purchased a conservation easement that will protect the Kusel Ranch from development... cbs4denver.com

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Wyoming - Cheyenne

Event Date: 2010-07-09 to 2010-07-09

Daniel Ranch Protected For Conservation

About 1,800 acres in western Wyoming will be preserved for its wildlife habitat and ranching legacy... cbs4denver.com

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