RICHMOND—Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Jan. 17 the distribution of $1.2 million in farmland preservation grants from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to 13 localities.

That’s $100,000 more than was available last fiscal year. Localities must use the grant monies to preserve farmland within their boundaries through local purchase of development rights programs. PDR programs compensate landowners who permanently preserve their land by voluntarily placing a perpetual conservation easement on it.

"Even in these difficult economic times, the General Assembly and I are committed to setting aside funds for preserving working farmland that produces goods, provides jobs and generates tax revenue for localities … while requiring little to no services from those same localities," McDonnell said. "One of my top environmental priorities is to permanently preserve 400,000 acres of land during my administration, much of which will be working farmlands and forests.”

The budget proposal McDonnell submitted to the General Assembly last month includes a continuation of $1.2 million in state matching funds for local PDR programs in the next two fiscal years.

“This grant funding plays a very important part in keeping local PDR programs viable and, ultimately, maintaining Virginia’s top industry,” said Trey Davis, assistant director of governmental relations for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization. “The increased grant funding for 2012 and the proposed continuation for the next two fiscal years is very encouraging.”

Twenty-two local PDR programs currently exist in Virginia; 18 have had some level of local funding available over the past few years. Two of the 13 localities that will receive grants, Shenandoah and Washington counties, are receiving state matching funds for the first time.

This is the fifth time that the state has provided matching funds for certified local PDR programs; $6.45 million has been allocated since February 2008, and almost 5,200 acres on 36 farms in 11 localities have been permanently protected in part with $4.94 million of those funds. Additional easements are expected to close using the remaining funds over the next two years.

For the FY 2012 allocation round, $110,952.46 has been awarded to the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach and the counties of Albemarle, Clarke, Fauquier, Isle of Wight, James City and Spotsylvania. Other localities received the following amounts: Shenandoah County, $105,000; Stafford County, $66,093; Franklin County, $50,000; Washington County, $46,000; and Northampton County, $45,287.30.

Grant applicants had to report how much funding was available for their local PDR programs as of October 21, 2011, and the state funds matched that amount up to $110,952.46.

Contact Davis at 804-290-1017 or Elaine Lidholm, VDACS communications director, at 804-786-7686.