The APR Program is a voluntary program which is intended to offer a non-development alternative to farmers and other owners or "prime" and "state important" agricultural land who are faced with a decision regarding future use and disposition of their farms. Towards this end, the program offers to pay farmers the difference between the "fair market value" and the "agricultural value" of their farmland in exchange for a permanent deed restriction which precludes any use of the property that will have a negative impact on its agricultural viability.
By protecting farmland, the APR Program works to secure a continued high quality of life for Massachusetts residents. Farmland not only contributes to the scenic beauty of the state, but it provides for clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.
More information is available by contacting the
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Bureau of Land Use
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
(617) 626-1720
MDAR: Bureau of Land Use
Land use statistics for Massachusetts are available by town, county and statewide through the Resource Mapping – Land Information System at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The web site listed below. The information is available in an Excel format.
Resource Mapping at UMass Amherst
Land use mapping for Massachusetts is available by town, county and statewide through the Resource Mapping – Land Information System at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Users would need access to ESRI compatible GIS software in order to make their own maps.
Yes, Resource Mapping has been in existence since the 1950\'s when Forestry Professor William P. MacConnell set out to map land cover for the entire state of Massachusetts in order to identify wildlife habitat using aerial photography. This was eventually expanded to include the mapping of all land uses for the state and has been modified for use in present day projects. We continue to use aerial photography and other remotely sensed images to update land use - land cover maps in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as other geographic areas. In Massachusetts, we have produced statewide land use - land cover data for the time periods 1951/52, 1971/72, 1984/85, and 1999.
In addition to land use mapping, we have been involved with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) since 1986 and have been able to develop an extensive computer network to support our research activities. We have a number of networked UNIX workstations and PC\'s, and peripheral equipment (e.g., digitizer boards, plotters, scanners, and archive systems).
We use ESRI GIS software.
Our expertise is in the creation of digital data for use within a GIS for spatial analysis and modeling. These data can be extracted from remotely sensed sources (such as aerial photography, satellite images or aerial videography), or converted from existing analog sources (such as parcel maps, floodplain maps, or vegetation maps), or from original field collected data (such as GPS data to locate streetside trees, vegetation boundaries, trails, or stone walls).
Our research work is completely grant funded. Most of our grants involve some sort of natural resource mapping application. A summary of funded research follows with the funding agency listed:
Resource Mapping: Home
Q. Are there state laws that provide special tax benefits for owning farm land or forests?
") document.write("Chapter 61A is that provides tax benefits where land is determined to be in agricultural use when primarily and directly used in raising animals, including dairy cattle, beef cattle, poultry, sheep, swine, horses, ponies, mules, goats, bees and fur-bearing animals, for the purpose of selling such animals or a product derived from such animals in the regular course of business
Land may also qualify if determined to be for horticultural use when primarily and directly used in raising fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts and other foods for human consumption, feed for animals, tobacco, flowers, sod, trees, nursery or greenhouse products, and ornamental plants and shrubs for the purpose of selling such products in the regular course of business; or when primarily and directly used in raising forest products under a program certified by the state forester.
If you would like additional information on Chapter 61A you can follow this link to the MDAR web site or contact:
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Bureau of Land Use
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
Telephone (617) 626-1720
Q. What subsidy/grant programs are available for farmers?
") document.write("Department of Agricultural Resources
It is a business planning program designed to help farmers diversify and modernized their existing farm. The purpose of the Farm Viability Enhancement Program ("Program") is to improve the economic bottom line and environmental integrity of participating farms through the development and implementation of Farm Viability Plans ("Plans"). Application is by a competitive process and once selected a farm goes through a business planning phase. If after the business plan is completed and the farmer is willing to implement the changes recommended in the business plan AND sign a non-development covenant for a period of five or ten years, the Department may make money available to implement the changes recommended in the business plan.
There are many programs available from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Farm Bill Programs
Agricultural Management Assistance
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
Grassland Reserve Program
Wetland Reserve Program
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides cost share assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In Massachusetts, cost-share is available to producers for drought mitigation. Program participants may develop or improve sources of irrigation water supply, construct new or reorganize irrigation delivery systems on existing cropland to mitigate the risk of drought. Incentive payments are available to encourage producers to adopt irrigation water management. NRCS programs in Massachusetts can be found at this webpage.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land. EQIP was reauthorized in the 2002 Farm Bill and is administered by NRCS.
EQIP offers contracts with a minimum term that ends one year after the implementation of the last scheduled practice and a maximum term of ten years. Persons who are engaged in livestock or agricultural production on eligible land may participate in the EQIP program. EQIP activities are carried out according to a plan of operation developed in conjunction with the producer that identifies the appropriate conservation practice or practices to address the resource concerns. The practices are subject to NRCS technical standards adapted for local conditions.
EQIP may pay up to 75 percent of the costs of eligible conservation practices. Incentive payments may be provided for up to three years to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices, such as nutrient and pest management. Limited resource producers and beginning farmers may be eligible for 90% cost-share. An individual or entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, cost-share or incentive payments that, in the aggregate, exceed $450,000 for all USDA program contracts entered during the term of the Farm Bill.
The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) provides funds to purchase the development rights to farmland, preserving productive farmland for agricultural use. Working through existing programs, USDA joins with state, tribal or local governments to acquire conservation easements from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the fair market easement value. To qualify, farmland must be part of a pending offer from a state, tribe or local farmland protection program; be privately owned; have a conservation plan; be large enough to sustain agricultural production; be accessible to markets for what the land produces; have adequate infrastructure and agricultural support services and have surrounding parcels of land that can support long-term agricultural production. Depending on availability of funds, proposals must be submitted by a government entity to the NRCS State Office during the sign-up period.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency are coordinating implementation of the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), which helps landowners restore and protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrubland and certain other lands, and provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands. The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) offers an opportunity for landowners to voluntarily protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property. The USDA NRCS provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their restoration efforts. To be eligible for WRP, land must be restorable; suitable for wildlife benefits; and must have had an agricultural history. WRP offers three options to landowners to protect, restore and enhance wetland and associated uplands: permanent easements, 30-year easements or 10-year restoration cost share agreements. The program will pay all legal costs to establish an easement; up to100 percent of the cost of the restoration; and the landowner will receive a payment for the easement based on the appraised agricultural value of the land. Landowners may sign up any time at the local NRCS office. Applications are ranked and funding is done periodically throughout the year.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to landowners who want to improve fish and wildlife habitat or restore natural ecosystems on their land. The USDA-NRCS will pay up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing and maintaining conservation practices that are necessary for enhancing/improving wildlife habitat and restoring natural ecosystems. Agreements are from 5 to 10 years in duration. Landowners may sign up for this program at any time through the local NRCS office.
For more information on any of these programs contact your local Natural Resource Conservation Service office.
Where can I obtain information about the type of soil I have and what can be grown in it? Soil surveys are available through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service:
a class=\"faq-in-answer\" href=\"http://www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/soilsurveyprogram.html\" target=\"_blank\">Soil Surveys
For more information contact your local NRCS office.
Other programs available from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service are:
Earth Team Volunteer Program
Emergency Watershed Protection
Massachusetts Community Assistance Program
National Resources Inventory
Resource Conservation & Development
Small Watershed Program
The Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program [APR] is available through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Bureau of Land Use.
APR protects prime farmland from development. The APR Program is a voluntary program which is intended to offer a non-development alternative to farmers and other owners or "prime" and "state important" agricultural land who are faced with a decision regarding future use and disposition of their farms. Towards this end, the program offers to pay farmers the difference between the "fair market value" and the "agricultural value" of their farmland in exchange for a permanent deed restriction which precludes any use of the property that will have a negative impact on its agricultural viability.
For more information visit this webpage.