Georgia Farmland Conservation Program

The Georgia Farmland Conservation Program is administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, or GDA, and the Georgia Farmland Advisory Council, or GFAC. The Program is designed to ensure the permanent conservation of farmland in Georgia through agricultural conservation easements held by eligible nonprofit organizations and government entities. Its stated purposes include protecting Georgia's agricultural economy, preserving the ecological benefits associated with agricultural lands and activities, maintaining community character enhanced by agricultural landscapes, and supporting food production within the state. The Program provides matching grants for two related purposes. Funding may help qualified easement holders purchase agricultural conservation easements on qualified farmland and may also support direct acquisition costs associated with purchasing agricultural conservation easements approved through the Program. Qualified farmland is agricultural land in undeveloped areas or land developed only to an extent consistent with agricultural production, including row crops, livestock, nurseries, orchards, and pastures. Applicants may seek support for the easement purchase, direct acquisition costs, or both. Examples of acquisition costs identified in the application include appraisals, title commitments and searches, and closing fees. GDA and GFAC cannot fund more than 50 percent of the Total Project Cost through the Program. Eligible easement holders are limited to state agencies, federal agencies, counties, municipalities, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Applicants must provide general organizational information, legal name and address, a point of contact, applicable tax identification information, and information concerning experience with Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation easement projects and participation in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Agricultural Land Easement program. Proposed projects must concern qualified farmland and must satisfy minimum Program criteria, including requesting no more than 50 percent of the purchase value of an agricultural conservation easement plus direct acquisition costs. The proposed easement must be of the maximum legal duration, must be incapable of assignment or enforcement by a third party without the landowner's express written consent, and must align with existing federal and local programs. The project's primary purpose must advance farmland conservation and support active farming and food production in Georgia. The application requires detailed information about the proposed property, including its street address, tax parcel identification, city, state, ZIP code, county, acreage, and, when available, USDA Farm and Tract Number. Applicants are instructed to attach proof of ownership consisting of a deed with legal description and legal access to the easement, as well as an aerial map identifying the proposed easement boundary and access location. A survey and appraisal are also requested if already conducted. Additional questions address property ownership, agricultural leases, property history and features, buildings and structures, participation in other conservation programs, current conservation or environmental practices, impervious surface, and the percentage of cropland, pastureland, grassland, and rangeland within the property proposed for protection. Applicants must provide the expected project cost, separating the cost of purchasing the qualified agricultural easement from direct acquisition costs and identifying the resulting Total Project Cost and requested matching funding. Acquisition costs for which matching support is requested must be itemized and identified as incurred or estimated. The application also requests property and easement values, including price per acre, recent appraisal information, the basis for an estimated easement value, and the actual or anticipated source of matching funding. An appraisal is not required merely to submit the application, although an appraisal must be submitted if the estimated total project cost is based on an actual appraisal. Projects meeting the minimum criteria are analyzed and scored by GDA for GFAC review and approval. The application provides eight statutory scoring factors totaling up to 120 points. Up to 20 points each are available for protecting agricultural lands susceptible to development, subdivision, and fragmentation; protecting farmland in active or planned cultivation; preventing development or fragmentation that would result in farmland loss; and supporting the transition of affordable farmland to next-generation farmers. Up to 10 points each are available for leveraging local, federal, or private funding; supporting conservation priorities such as habitat, water quality, watershed conservation, climate resiliency, local conservation plans, and public viewshed; preserving or enhancing soil quality and health; and creating or enhancing compatibility with existing military installations. GDA states that it will strongly favor applications containing supporting materials demonstrating the project's ability to meet the scoring criteria. The supplied application does not state an application opening date, closing deadline, award notification date, performance period, or recurring application schedule. Applicants needing assistance with the application are directed to GDA at gafarmlandconservation@agr.georgia.gov. If selected, an applicant must enter into a Project Agreement with GDA and maintain complete financial records for project activities, submit quarterly progress reports, and satisfy other responsibilities established by the agreement. Program funding will not be received under a Project Agreement until project closing documents or sufficient evidence of acquisition costs have been submitted. Applicants must also certify the truth and accuracy of the application and authorize GDA or GFAC to access the property during typical business hours, with or without advance notice, to ensure compliance with Program requirements.

Confirm all minimum criteria before submission; provide supporting materials demonstrating the project's ability to meet the scoring criteria because GDA states these applications will be strongly favored; clearly demonstrate protection from development subdivision and fragmentation active or planned cultivation prevention of farmland loss support for next-generation farmers leveraged funding conservation priorities soil health and military compatibility where applicable.