Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-sh8wx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T23:58:47.490Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Examining Changes in Land Use after the Sale of Development Rights on Farms in Rhode Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Dennis Wichelns
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the University of Rhode Island
Megumi Nakao
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the University of Rhode Island
Get access

Abstract

Purchasable development rights (PDR) programs are generally considered to provide permanent protection of farmland because development rights are separated from the land in perpetuity. However, the programs do not require that farming activities be maintained in the future. Farming may be discontinued on PDR parcels due to changes in economic conditions or if the parcels are converted to non-farm, rural estates. Such changes may reduce the flow of public goods that citizens seek to obtain by implementing PDR programs. We examine changes in land use on PDR parcels to determine if current activities are consistent with program goals. While changes have occurred in the crops and livestock produced on Rhode Island farms, over time, all of the farms on which development rights were purchased during 1985 through 1999 are currently being farmed by the original owners or by new operators who have either purchased or leased the land.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aiken, J. David. 1989. “State Farmland Preferential Assessment Statutes.” Research Bulletin 310, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska.Google Scholar
Alterman, Rachelle. 1997. “The Challenge of Farmland Preservation: Lessons from a Six-Nation Comparison.” Journal of the American Planning Association 63(2): 220243.Google Scholar
Beasley, S.D., Workman, W.G. and Williams, N.A. 1986. “Estimating Amenity Values of Urban Fringe Farmland: A Contingent Valuation Approach.” Growth and Change 17: 7078.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergstrom, J., Dillman, B. and Stoll, J. 1985. “Public Environmental Amenity Benefits of Private Land: The Case of Prime Agricultural Land.” Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics 17: 139149.Google Scholar
Bowker, J.M. and Didychuk, D.D. 1994. “Estimation of the Nonmarket Benefits of Agricultural Land Retention in Eastern Canada.” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 23(3): 218225.Google Scholar
Buckland, Jeffrey G. 1987. “The History and Use of Purchase of Development Rights in the United States.” Landscape and Urban Planning 14(3): 237252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buist, Henry, Fischer, Carolyn, Michos, John and Tegene, Abebayehu. 1995. “Purchase of Development Rights and the Economics of Easements.” AER-718. U.S. Dept. Agr. Econ. Res. Serv., Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
Coughlin, Robert E. and Keene, John C. 1981. The Protection of Farmland: A Reference Guidebook for State and Local Governments, Regional Science Research Institute, Amherst, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. 1990. “Policies to Preserve Prime Farmland in the U.S.A.: A Comment.” Journal of Rural Studies 6(3): 331336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. 1991. “The Purchase of Development Rights: Preserving Agricultural Land and Open Space.” Journal of the American Planning Association 57(4): 421431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. 1997. “Where Does Cluster Zoning Fit in Farmland Protection?Journal of the American Planning Association 63(1): 129137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. 1999. When City and Country Collide: Managing Growth in the Metropolitan Fringe. Island Press, Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. and Bowers, Deborah. 1997. Holding Our Ground: Protecting America's Farms and Farmland. Island Press, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Daniels, Thomas L. and Nelson, Arthur C. 1986. “Is Oregon's Farmland Preservation Program Working?Journal of the American Planning Association 52(1): 2232.Google Scholar
Drake, L. 1992. “The Non-Market Value of the Swedish Agricultural Landscape.” European Review of Agricultural Economics 19: 351364.Google Scholar
Dudley, Brier. 1998. “Pioneering Farmland Preservationist Forced to Sell Out.” Seattle Times, Monday, November 16. Available at [http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/web].Google Scholar
Dudley, Brier. 1999. “Preservation Program Reaps Mixed Harvest After 20 Years.Seattle Times, Monday, October 11. Available at [http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/web].Google Scholar
Dunford, Richard W. 1981. “Saving Farmland: The King County Program.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 36(1): 1921.Google Scholar
Esseks, J. Dixon and Coughlin, Robert E. 1981. “Land Use Controls: Purchase of Interests in Land.” In Coughlin, R.E. and Keene, J.C., eds, The Protection of Farmland: A Reference Guidebook for State and Local Governments. Regional Science Research Institute, Amherst, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Freedgood, Julia. 1991. “PDR Programs Take Root in the Northeast.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 46(5): 329331.Google Scholar
Hallberg, Milton C. 1993. “Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation using Conservation Easements.” Farm Economics, March/April.Google Scholar
Halstead, J. 1984. “Measuring the Nonmarket Value of Massachusetts Agricultural Land: A Case Study.” Journal of the Northeastern Agricultural Economics Council 13: 1219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herring, Judy. 2000. Farmlands Preservation Program Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources, King County, Washington. Personal communication.Google Scholar
Johnston, Robert A. and Madison, Mary E. 1997. “From Landmarks to Landscapes: A Review of Current Practices in the Transfer of Development Rights.” Journal of the American Planning Association 63(3): 365378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keene, John C. 1981. “Incentives: Tax Relief.” In The Protection of Farmland: A Reference Guidebook for State and Local Governments. Coughlin, R.E. and Keene, J.C., Eds. Regional Science Research Institute, Amherst, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
King County, 2000. “Deed of and Agreement Relating to Development Rights.” Copy available at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/lands/farmpp.htm.Google Scholar
King, William H. 1988. “Political Issues in Purchase of Development Rights Program Administration,” In Purchase of Development Rights Programs in the Northeast. Northeast Regional Research Publication, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 474, University of Delaware.Google Scholar
Klein, Linda R. and Reganold, John P. 1997. “Agricultural Changes and Farmland Protection in Western Washington.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 52(1): 612.Google Scholar
Kline, Jeffrey and Wichelns, Dennis. 1994. “Using Referendum Data to Characterize Public Support for Purchasing Development Rights to Farmland.” Land Economics 70(2): 223233.Google Scholar
Kline, Jeffrey and Wichelns, Dennis. 1996. “Public Preferences Regarding the Goals of Farmland Preservation Programs.” Land Economics 72(4): 538549.Google Scholar
Lapping, Mark B. 1980. “Agricultural Land Retention: Responses, American and Foreign,” In The Farm and the City: Rivals or Allies?. The American Assembly, Columbia University. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Maynard, Leigh J., Kelsey, Timothy W., Lembeck, Stanford M. and Becker, John C. 1998. “Early Experience with Pennsylvania's Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 53(2): 106112.Google Scholar
McLeod, D.M., Menkhaus, Jody Woirhaye and Dale J. 1999. “Factors Influencing Support for Rural Land Use Control: A Case Study.” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 28(1): 4456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelson, Arthur C. 1990. “Economic Critique of U.S. Prime Farmland Preservation Policies.” Journal of Rural Studies 6(2): 119142.Google Scholar
Nelson, Arthur C. 1992. “Preserving Prime Farmland in the Face of Urbanization: Lessons from Oregon.” Journal of the American Planning Association 58(4): 467488.Google Scholar
Pfeffer, Max J. and Lapping, Mark B. 1994. “Farmland Preservation, Development Rights and the Theory of the Growth Machine: the Views of Planners.” Journal of Rural Studies 10(3): 233248.Google Scholar
Pope, C. Arden III. 1985. “Agricultural Productive and Consumptive Use Components of Rural Land Values in Texas.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 67(1): 8186.Google Scholar
Pruckner, G. 1995. “Agricultural Landscape Cultivation in Australia: An Application of the CVM.” European Review of Agricultural Economics 22: 173190.Google Scholar
Reganold, John P. 1986. “Prime Agricultural Land Protection: Washington State's Experience.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 41(2): 8992.Google Scholar
Roberts, Ernest F. 1982. The Law and the Preservation of Agricultural Land. The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.Google Scholar
Spellman, John. 1984. “King County's Purchase of Development Rights Program.” In Protecting Farmlands, Steiner, F.R. and Theilacker, J.E., Eds. Avi Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Connecticut.Google Scholar
Storrow, Tim and Winthrop, Frederic Jr. 1983. “Agricultural Land Retention: The Massachusetts Experience.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 38(6): 472474.Google Scholar
Strong, Ann L. 1991. “Buying Farmland Development Rights: The Chester County Program.” Land Use Law & Zoning Digest 43(5): 37.Google Scholar
Tremblay, R.H., Foster, J.H., MacKenzie, J., Derr, D.A., Lessley, B.V., Cole, G.L. and Bills, N.L. 1987. “Use Value Assessment of Agricultural Land in the Northeast.” Northeast Regional Research Publication, Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 694. University of Vermont, Burlington.Google Scholar
United States Department of Agriculture. 1999. “1997 Census of Agriculture: Rhode Island State and County Data.” Volume 1, Part 39. National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
Wright, John B. 1994. “Designing and Applying Conservation Easements.” Journal of the American Planning Association 60(3): 380388.Google Scholar