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 Interest is strong in first round of PACE applications
Wisconsin’s first-ever request for Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) applications produced strong interest across the state, according to information released by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Thirty-six applicants have requested matching funds to protect 9,400 acres of Wisconsin’s best farmland. PACE is part of the Working Lands Initiative. Under the PACE program, DATCP will provide up to 50 percent matching funds to cooperating entities to purchase permanent easements. The landowner retains ownership and continues to farm but the easement permanently restricts non-agricultural development of the property.
“Agriculture is a $59 billion annual business that means more than one in 10 jobs in the state, so it’s essential that we protect our working lands,” DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen said in a news release. “I am very pleased that farmers across the state are applying for Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements so that our rich soils can be farmed by future generations.”
Bob Wagner, American Farmland Trust senior director of farmland protection programs, applauded the state for moving quickly to implement the program. “Wisconsin’s new Working Lands Initiative is a real success story. It was obvious at workshops and other gatherings across the state that citizen interest in farmland protection is high. The state wasted no time implementing programs like PACE.”
AFT, Gathering Waters Conservancy and other groups helped build support for the new program, which was adopted by the Legislature in 2009.
PACE applications were filed by one city, two towns, four counties and six local land trusts on behalf of 36 different farmers in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Iowa, Jefferson, La Crosse, Marathon, Waukesha, and Waupaca counties.
Michael Strigel, executive director of Gathering Waters, applauded the involvement of land trusts. “We’re happy that land trusts have stepped up to provide assistance and support to local landowners who seek to protect our best farmland,” he said. “These are voluntary programs, and that lines up well with the missions of Gathering Waters and land trusts across the state.”
WHAT'S NEXT?
Applications will be scored and ranked according to a number of evaluation criteria such as soil quality for farming, size of the farm and the percentage of land on the property devoted to cropland, pasture and grassland. Other scoring criteria include consistency with county and local farmland preservation planning and zoning, the level of community support and proximity to other protected land.
On July 15th, the PACE Advisory Council reviewed applications and provided recommendations to DATCP for funding. Selected applications will be announced in August. Following council recommendation and preliminary selection, grant contracts between the state and the cooperating groups will be prepared.
GWC’s Strigel is a member of the council.
Tom Lyon, chair of the 17-member council, said in a DATCP news release that PACE is a means to balance growth while preserving agricultural lands. “Communities can use easements as a voluntary tool to provide long-term stability for areas best suited for agriculture while deciding which locations are better suited for development,” Lyon said. “The PACE council will rank properties higher that are further out and are more likely to support agriculture into the future, while properties that are close to development or future growth will rank lower.”
A second call for applications by DATCP is anticipated in early 2011.
For program status information, ranking criteria and program deatails visit DATCP's site here.
Agricultural landowners interested in permanent land conservation need to find a non-profit or government partner. Use the links below to find introductory information about how PACE easements work, how Wisocnsin's PACE program might fit with your goals for your property, and to help find a non-profit land trust or local PACE program that might help you protect your land for the next generation of farmers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wisconsin's PACE Program
DATCP's PACE Fact Sheet
Fact sheets about working with conservation easements and non-profit land trusts:
Conservation Easements
Working With a Land Trust
Tax Benefits of Working with a Land Trust
A list of local PACE or similar programs in Wisconsin
Visit Gathering Waters Conservancy's land trust directory to find a land trust near you
The Working
Lands Connection electronic newsletter is a source for information
about the Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative including: upcoming
events and opportunities, updates on legislative activity, and
news from around the state. To view the current issue, visit the Working
Lands Initiative web site. To sign up to receive this electronic
newsletter, please contact DATCPWorkingLands [at] wisconsin.gov.
Updated 7-21-2010. Photo courtesy of Bill Berry
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