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More Funding Needed for Farmland Protection
by Seth McKee
Agriculture in the Hudson Valley and across the state is threatened by global competition, depressed prices and sprawl. Farmers are helping themselves through innovative direct marketing and by creating value-added products, but this is not enough.
To keep farming in New York State, we need private sector programs such as those run by Scenic Hudson, Inc., but we also require dramatically increased state funding.
The Right Approach
In our latest success, The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. purchased conservation easements on four farms totaling 1,700 acres in the Town of Stuyvesant in Columbia County. All these farms remain privately owned while being permanently shielded from development.
The project was made possible by a $1.7 million grant from The Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands and $316,000 provided by the New York State Farmland Protection Program to the Town of Stuyvesant. This combination of public and private support for agriculture could be more effective with greater state funding. In this year's state budget, Gov. George E. Pataki has proposed $12 million for protecting farmland. Grant requests last year exceeded $63 million.
Greater Results Tomorrow
Advocating with Scenic Hudson for increased state assistance are the American Farmland Trust, New York Farm Bureau, Open Space Institute and a consortium called The Hudson Valley Agricultural Partnership. We have suggested $25 million annually for this important program, with additional monies directed to enhancing on-farm environmental stewardship and economic development.
Make Your Voice Heard
Please contact Gov. George E. Pataki and your state legislators to let them know you want more state assistance for farmland protection and programs that strengthen agriculture. Tell them that the Hudson Valley's future and quality of life are at stake.
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