Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill on Monday that will help Tennesseans protect their farmland and forestland for future generations.
Senate Bill (SB) 0207, also known as the Farmland Preservation Act, creates a permanent conservation fund to help landowners prevent their land from being developed. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) sponsored this bill.
Landowners who enter the conservation fund legal agreement state that their land remains farmland or forestland. Foresters are not included in this.
Conservation fund agreements can be awarded to landowners or nonprofits, ensuring that the land is not used for development. Landowners can build structures for farming and forestry.
Grant money can be awarded to landowners and nonprofits to help protect their land.
If the land is under nonprofit status, the nonprofit can only visit the land with the landowner’s permission.
These nonprofits will be under 501(c)(3) designation and can’t do anything to the land without the landowner’s permission. If a nonprofit closes down and another one takes over the agreement, it must follow the same rules.
Any nonprofit that enters into an agreement with a landowner must help preserve the land.
Regarding the state’s economy, Lee said agriculture is the “top driver” of it.
“As Tennessee experiences unprecedented economic growth and job creation, the Farmland Preservation Act ensures that family farms can preserved well into the future,” he said. “I thank the General Assembly for their partnership in supporting rural communities so that all Tennesseans can thrive.”
Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M., said the state is losing “productive farm and forest land at an alarming rate.”
“Once that land is converted to other uses, it doesn’t change back. This voluntary program provides options to preserve that land for generations to come, ensuring that agriculture and forestry remain important aspects of Tennessee’s economy, landscape, and identity,” he explained.
Last year, NewsChannel 5 reported that Tennessee was on track to lose nearly 2 million acres of farmland to development.
Tennessee Farm Bureau President Eric Mayberry thanked the governor and the Tennessee General Assembly for their “commitment to preserving agriculture and forestland across the state.”
“It’s an extremely heavy lift to combat the rate at which farmland across Tennessee is being lost, but we are confident this program will help ensure Tennessee’s number one and most important industry is protected for generations to come,” Mayberry said.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
