New York - SUFFOLK COUNTY
Countywide program - Formed in 1974 - researched by Teri Ptacek and Al Sokolow
OVERVIEW - Occupying the eastern part of Long Island, Suffolk County is New York State's top agricultural county in value of production and also the fastest growing county. Suffolk created the first agricultural easement program in the nation in the mid 1970s-a path breaking step that was soon followed by numerous other local and state governments. In adopting this innovation, county leaders were reacting to overwhelming residential growth eastward from New York City that had converted virtually all of western Suffolk's farmland by the 1970s. Easement acquisitions since have been concentrated in the eastern part of the county where town governments also have their own purchase programs. Despite a relatively long history of easement activities, however, development continues to rapidly consume farmland. The rate of population increase now is considerably less than in the peak decades after World War II, but larger residential lots take up much more land per person than before. Acquisitions funded mostly by county bond issues have not kept pace with conversions; 70 percent of easement acres was purchased in the first 11 years of the program's existence, with a slowdown since because of limited funds and very high easement prices. An ambitious plan for putting easements on 24,000 acres, most of the unprotected farmland in the county, at a cost of more than $250 million has been floated by some local groups.
EASEMENT ACTIVITY - 7,700 county-purchased acres
in 140 parcels. The top crops produced by the small farms-average of 55 acres-covered
by easements are wine grapes and horticultural products.
Goals: 20,000 acres of farmland.
Other Easement Programs: Acquired by town governments-2,200 acres; land
trusts-several thousand acres including some easements acquired for the county;
town cluster requirements-1,000 acres.
Total Agricultural Easement in County: Approximately 11,000 acres.
FUNDING
Acquisition Spending to Date: $56.5 million for county easements. Prices
are relatively high- between $17,000 to $30,000 an acre in most cases.
Revenues: $41 million from three bond issues (1976, 1979, 1989-1990)
approved by the County Legislature. A fourth bond issue for $20 million was
passed by voters in 1998. Other sources are one-third of the revenues from a
quarter-cent sales tax for open space acquisitions, state funds ($2 million)
and federal funds ($100,000). Towns in the eastern part of Suffolk have spent
$19 million, not included in the county total above, to fund their own easement
programs with real estate transfer taxes and general appropriations, some approved
by voters.
GOVERNANCE - A 19-member Farmland Select Committee, largely appointed by the elected County Executive, oversees the selection of easements. The committee has representatives from each town, eight at-large members and a chair appointed by the County Executive.
STAFF AND OPERATING BUDGET - The program does not have a separate staff or operating budget. Staff responsibilities are shared by three county departments-Planning (selection process), Real Estate (appraisals, cost negotiations, clerical support, easement monitoring) and County Attorney.
ORIGINS - The idea to use PDRs to preserve Suffolk County farmland was first suggested by a local attorney as a follow-up to the 1968 Comprehensive Plan. It was later recommended by an Agricultural Advisory Committee, appointed by the County Executive in 1972, to develop a farmland preservation plan. The impetus was to move quickly to reduce the high rate of conversion-rapid urbanization had sharply reduced the county's agricultural acres from 123,000 in 1950 to less than 60,000 in 1970. The County Legislature in 1974 authorized $55 million for acquisitions, later implemented with bond funds. The first easements were acquired in 1977.
ACQUISITION PROCESS AND STRATEGY - Applications are
ranked by the Farmland Select Committee, the prioritized list is approved by
the County Legislature, and the Division of Real Estate orders appraisals for
as many parcels as funds allow. The committee has discretion in applying the
quantitative scores, particularly in determining the local importance of particular
farm parcels.
Rating of Parcels: Quantitative. Equal weights are assigned to agricultural
quality (soils), contiguity, vistas-including road frontage, cost and urgency.
Bonus is assigned for location in an agricultural district.
Other Criteria: Minimum requirements according to the state definition
of a "farm", including farm use in past two years and at least 10
acres.
CONNECTIONS TO LOCAL PLANNING AND LAND USE POLICIES
- Town governments are responsible for planning and zoning. In recent years
downzoning and health department restrictions have increased minimum residential
lot sizes, increasing the consumption of farmland in relation to persons housed.
Three towns have cluster requirements, but many of the clustered areas are too
small to farm and serve only as open space buffers.
Zoning: Eastern towns where most remaining farmland is located generally
have one unit to two acres or smaller residential densities.
DEMOGRAPHICS
2000 Population: 1,362,616
1990-2000 Population Change: +40,848 residents; +3 percent
AGRICULTURAL LAND
35,858 acres: 82 percent cropland
Conversion to Urban Use: Decrease from 123,000 acres in 1950. (Program
data) Total land developed from 1992-1997 is about 48,300 acres. (National Resources
Inventory)
OTHER AGRICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
1997 Market Value: $168 million Number of Farms: 606
Principal Commodities: Nursery and greenhouse crops, vegetables, sweet
corn and melons, potatoes and peanuts
MAP NARRATIVE - EASEMENT GEOGRAPHY
(PROGRAM MAP)
Although each town contains one or more easements, the great majority
of protected acres are located in eastern Suffolk County where most of the county's
remaining farmland is concentrated. One town, Riverhead, has more than half
of the easement acres. Easement blocks are found here and in the town of Southold.