• Land trusts in New York State help preserve farmland.Small Rural Farms image by Stephen Gibson from Fotolia.com
  
  "Land - they aren't making it anymore." While the quote has been attributed to both Mark Twain and Will Rogers, it's an accurate statement no matter who said it. In New York State, various land trusts and government agencies are working on public/private partnerships to preserve land for farming, environmental protection, parkland and open space, and general quality of life.
  
  

New York State Conservation Partnership Program

• This state program works the national Land Trust Alliance to help land preservation organizations across the state. Started in 2001, the partnership program works to increase land conservation and preservation state-wide, with land trusts eligible to receive funding in four areas. These are the Conservation Capacity and Excellence Grants, Conservation Transaction Grants, Conservation Catalyst Grants and professional development funding. Applications are selected by a committee from the Land Trust Alliance and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
  
  New York State Conservation Partnership Program
  
  c/o Land Trust Alliance
  
  112 Spring St.
  
  Suite 205
  
  Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
  
  518- 587-0774
  
  landtrustalliance.org
  
  

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

• The state department of agriculture works with many land trusts to provide grants for conservation easements, purchase of development rights (PDR) and county farmland protection planning. Under the county program, the state may pay up to half of the costs to develop such agricultural planning. It pays up to 75 percent of the costs to protect viable farms under the PDR program. By law, conservation easements, for protection of land for historic, agricultural, scenic, open space and other conditions, must be permanently protected under the auspices of a public entity such as a municipality.
  
  New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
  
  10B Airline Drive
  
  Albany, NY 12235
  
  800-554-4501
  
  agmkt.state.ny.us
  
  

New York Agricultural Land Trust

• This central New York State land trust aids farmers in placing conservation easements or selling development rights to their lands in this part of the state. The New York Agricultural Land Trust works with farmers and towns in the counties of Montgomery, Cayhuga, Seneca and Onondaga. The trust provides funding in cooperation with the New York State Department of Agriculture. It also provides estate planning and other programs to assist farmers in protecting agricultural properties from development.
  
  New York Agricultural Land Trust
  
  P.O. Box 121
  
  Preble, NY 13141
  
  607- 591-4411
  
  nyalt.org