Farm Operations in Transition Farmland Protection Initiative - Round 17-B

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (the “Department”) invites proposals for financial assistance to implement certain farmland protection implementation activities described in or otherwise consistent with agricultural and farmland protection plans that have been adopted by counties or municipalities.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide State financial assistance to enable local initiatives that are intended to maintain the economic viability of the State’s agricultural industry and its supporting land base and to protect the environmental and landscape preservation values associated with agriculture.

This grant opportunity will enable the acquisition of perpetual conservation easements on viable agricultural land that is associated with certain types of farm operations believed to be particularly vulnerable to one or more of the following negative influences:

• trade disputes;
• increasing debt;
• changing consumer preferences; and
• climate change.

Each of the aforementioned negative influences is disproportionately contributing to the ongoing financial concerns of certain New York Farm Operations. If the trends continue, the conversion of agricultural land to non-farm uses is expected to accelerate. Some Farm Operations in New York may be impacted by more than one of these negative influences.

Proceeds from the sale of a conservation easement (known as Purchase of Development Rights, or PDR) on viable agricultural land will offer these landowners an opportunity to either reinvest those monies to enable greater diversification of the farm operation or the transfer of ownership to a new owner of the same or different type of farm operation. Moreover, the viable agricultural land permanently protected as the result of each awarded Conservation Easement Project will remain in continuing agricultural use.

The Department has made available $15.0 million for awards (including up to $0.75 million for potential subsequent contingency awards as authorized (see “Contingency Awards” of Section VIII, “Application Review and Awarding of Successful Applications”) under this RFA through an open application and awards process with $2.85 million available within each of five (5) regions across the state.

After November 30, 2020, the Commissioner may award available funds to eligible projects without regard to regional boundaries provided that all projects awarded thereafter are made in the order of the date on which the Department determined that each such project was eligible for an award.

The following general limitations apply to all applications:

• No award shall exceed $2.0 million.

• State contribution toward easement stewardship shall be $10,000 per easement, subject to the maximum award amounts noted immediately above.

The RFP, Grants Gateway Proposal Submission Instructions, and associated documents are available for printing from the Department’s website at www.agriculture.ny.gov under “Funding Opportunities.”