Agriculture is one of America’s leading industries, generating $835 billion in economic activity in 2014–about 5 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product–and employing more than 9 percent of the nation’s workforce. Yet until now, there -been no single volume on the law of agricultural land preservation. The Law of Agricultural Land Preservation in the United States covers the legal principles, federal and state legal requirements, and legal issues that have arisen in the implementation of public and private agricultural preservation programs, federal tax and estate laws, court cases, and landowner financial issues and options that affect agricultural land preservation efforts. Agricultural land preservation can help farmers and ranchers by providing needed capital to strengthen the profitability of the agricultural operation, facilitate the transfer of the farm or ranch to the next generation, and offer an alternative to selling land for development. This book provides practical, current guidance for attorneys advising landowning clients who wish to explore agricultural land preservation options, in addition to those who advise private, nonprofit land trusts or government agencies that preserve farmland. Written by an attorney and a land planner, both with extensive experience in agricultural land preservation, the book covers all essential issues, including: - Federal power to preserve agricultural land- Constitutional limits on the exercise powers of preservation- Conservation easements and federal law- Estate planning for transferring of land to the next generation- Federal agricultural land preservation programs- State and local government farmland preservation programs- Land trusts- Integrating land preservation and land protection programs- Future challenges in preserving agricultural land, and more
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