What Is The Farmland Protection Act And How Does It Work?

The Farmland Protection Policy Act was set up in 1981 in order to minimize the loss of farmland that occurs when this land is converted to non-agricultural uses.

Here are some key examples of farmland protection:

• Agricultural buffers between farmland and encroaching development
• Ag zoning that ensures farmland will be permanent open space
• Right-to-farm ordinances
• Farmland mitigation requirements
• Conservation development regulations

Conservation easements permanently limit the development of an area of land.

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Right To Farm Laws

Right-to-farm laws in the US deny so-called “nuisance” lawsuits that neighbors near working farms have been known to pursue.

The law states that if the farm is operating within accepted standards, they can keep farming regardless of whether they bother adjacent property owners or the general public.

Agricultural buffers are areas or strips of land where permanent vegetation is planted around rows of crops so that development can’t move in.

The buffers also protect sediment and soil nutrition and reduce erosion. In addition, the buffer zones create a habitat for birds, wildlife and beneficial insects.

What Does The Farmland Protection Act Do?

The Farmland Protection Act was set in place by federal agencies that coordinate with state and local governments, who are monitored to make sure they are following the law.

These laws work to ensure enough fertile land is available for farming so that Americans don’t begin to rely on other nations to feed our high-speed population growth. Right now, a full 20% of the food Americans eat comes from other countries.

Since its inception, the Act has protected forever more than 6.8 million acres of farm and ranch-land using conservation laws.