Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> AMERICAN FARMLAND 1413586933 05/16 '05 13:42 No.516 02 <br /> 1~ <br /> as a+r <br /> American Farmland Trust <br /> SAVING THE LAND THAT SU$TAIN$ LT$ <br /> May l F. 2MS <br /> Stacy Higa, Chairman American fiarmlan Trust <br /> Hawaiti County Council 1 Short Street <br /> 25 Auputti Street Northampton, MA 1060 <br /> Hilo, HI 96720 µww.(~ttnlggd.ara <br /> RE: Hill 76 <br /> Dear Chairman Higa, <br /> Amerioan Farmland Ttvst (AFT), a national nonprofit conservation organization dedicated t the <br /> protection and conservation of our Nation's important agricultural lands, has been made aw of Bill 78 <br /> now before the county council to set aside 2"/0 of real property tax revenues for a Land Cona anon <br /> Fund. AFT wholeheartedly supports the puryose and intent of this legislation. <br /> While working with the Hawaii Agricultural Working Group in 2003 and 2004, AF'T' staff g fined a great <br /> apprceiation for not only the value of Hawaii's important agricultural lands, but also the chap nges facing <br /> farmland protection and conservation in the state. Having a local source of funding for, amo g other land <br /> conservation projects, the protection of valuable farmland will be of great benefit to farmlatt protection <br /> initiatives in Hawaii County. <br /> The Farm and Ranchlande Protection Program administered by USDA's Natwal Resotuces C nservation <br /> Service provides matching funds to facilitate the voluntary protection of valuable farm and ra ch <br /> properties through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. 'T'his program end si filar such <br /> programs sdministered at the state and local levels across the United States have protected ov r 1.5 <br /> million acres of agricultural lands for future generations. <br /> Being a matching grants program, FRfP will only provide funding for up to 50% of the cost a land <br /> protection project with the balance typically provided Gom a combination of state, local and vats <br /> sources. Having locally available funds will now provide the opportunity For the county to ca cure some <br /> of these federal funds and participate in the protection of its important agricultural lands. <br /> We respectfully urge adoption of this legislation. Thank yvu. <br /> Sin/~~ <br /> Hob Wagncrl~~ <br /> Director ofJJtate Policy <br /> and Field Programs <br /> <br />