Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board

JEFFERSON COUNTY FARMLAND PROTECTION BOARD

Jefferson County, West Virginia

The mission of the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board is to protect productive farmland for future generations in order to maintain the long-term viability of agriculture in Jefferson County.

We accomplish our work through holding purchased and donated conservation easements, collaborating with like-minded organizations, and providing community outreach and education to raise awareness about farmland protection.

WHO WE ARE:

Jefferson County, the eastern-most county in West Virginia, is experiencing a high rate of conversion of agricultural land to other uses. The county comprises over 212 square miles in the Eastern Panhandle of the state, which places us within the Washington/Baltimore metropolitical statistical area. The area is served by Interstate 81, US Routes 340 and 9, and the Amtrak and MARC rail systems. Our program was established in 2002, and presently we hold 58 easements with 6,846 acres of land.

WHAT WE DO:

Using locally generated funds (a percentage of Real Estate Transfer Tax income) combined with Federal funds (NRCS, ABPP and others) the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Program (JCFPP) purchases permanent easements on qualifying properties. These easements protect the agricultural, environmental and scenic attributes of the property and, most importantly, enable and support the continued agricultural use of the land. To date, several easement clusters have emerged over the years, creating and protecting large agriculturally productive areas in the county. Through our stewardship program, we monitor our protected properties to ensure the continued integrity of the conservation easement.