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Public amenities provided by a rural agricultural landscape, arising
from open space and farm activity, are important to many citizens
and policymakers. Widespread development of farmland in some parts
of the country is spawning an expanding array of farmland protection
programs by county, State, and Federal governments, as well as by
nonprofit organizations.
ERS is releasing a new report on rural amenities from farmland
preservation in conjunction with a celebration of the 25th anniversary
of one of the oldest programs in the Nation—the Massachusetts
Agricultural Preservation Restriction Act of 1977. The ceremony
was organized by the Massachusetts
Department of Food and Agriculture and the American
Farmland Trust.
 Farmland
Protection: The Role of Public Preferences for Rural Amenities—To
investigate the relative importance of preserving different rural
amenities associated with farmland, this report examines the enabling
legislation of these programs across the 48 contiguous States, and
the implementation of programs in 5 Northeastern States. The report
also assesses how farmland protection programs fit into the broader
array of rural land conservation programs. AER-815 (10/02)
For more information on ERS research on farmland preservation,
urbanization, and land use, see:
Other Reports
Major Uses of Land in the United
States, 1997—As the latest in the Major Land Use series,
which started in 1945, this report summarizes cropland, forest,
pasture and range, and miscellaneous and special uses such as urban,
recreational, and parkland. The annual cropland portion of the series
has been maintained since 1910, SB-973 (9/01). Also see the companion
data set, covering 1945-97.
Development at the Urban Fringe
and Beyond: Impacts on Agriculture and Rural Land—Land
development in the United States is following two routes: 1) expansion
of urban areas and 2) large-lot development (greater than 1 acre
per house) in rural areas. Urban expansion claimed more than 1 million
acres per year between 1960 and 1990. While it is not seen as a
threat to most farming, it may reduce production of some high-value
or specialty crops. The consequences of continued large-lot development
may be less sanguine, since it consumes more land per unit of housing
than does the typical surburban house. Controlling growth and planning
for it are the domains of State and local governments. The Federal
Government may be able to help them in such areas as building capacity
to plan and control growth, providing financial incentives for channeling
growth in desirable directions, or coordinating local, regional,
and State efforts. AER-803 (7/01)
Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population
Change—Climate, topography, and water area are highly related
to rural county population change over the past 25 years. A natural
amenities index, derived and discussed here, captures much of this
relationship. Average 1970-96 population growth in nonmetropolitan
counties was 1 percent among counties low on the natural amenities
index and 120 percent among counties high on the index. Most retirement
counties and recreation counties score in the top quarter of the
amenities index. Employment change is also highly related to natural
amenities, although more so over the past 25 years than in the current
decade. The importance of particular amenities varies by region.
In the Midwest, for example, people are drawn to lakes for recreation
and retirement, while people are attracted to the West for its varied
topography. AER-781 (10/99)
Articles
Rural Residential
Land Use: Tracking Its Growth—Among the most rapidly growing
land uses in the U.S. is land for rural residences. Residential
land use in rural areas has increased more rapidly than in urban
areas, in percentage terms and in absolute numbers. While land in
residential use in rural areas is a small proportion of total U.S.
land use, rural residential development has implications for farmland
prices and the availability of land for agriculture and forestry,
and can affect rural amenities and the rural environment. AO (8/02)
Public
Lands and Western Communities—Net migration to the West
and changing preferences for recreation opportunities and environmental
amenities are increasing demand for recreational/environmental goods
and services. This, in turn, is reshaping the economic relationship
between public lands and rural communities. Traditional uses of
public lands in the West—such as grazing, mining, and forestry—remain
key sources of rural jobs and income, but continuing demographic
changes are likely to put additional pressures on policymakers regarding
multiple uses for public lands. AO (6/02)
Farmland Protection
Programs: What Does the Public Want?—Public support has
been growing for government farmland protection programs, driven
by the perception that farmland produces more for society than food
and fiber, such as scenic views, environmental benefits, and maintaining
an agrarian heritage. Designing and implementing a cost-effective
farmland protection program with maximum benefits requires an understanding
of public preferences for particular amenities as well as which
amenities are best provided by preserving farmland. AO (5/02)
Development
at and Beyond the Urban Fringe: Impacts on Agriculture—Urbanization
and development are affecting the nature of U.S. agriculture, particularly
at the urban fringe. Development at and beyond the urban fringe
is following two routes: incremental expansion of urban areas, and
scattered large-lot residential development in rural areas. These
patterns of development are creating conditions in which a variety
of metro farm types coexists. To adapt to increasing land values
associated with these growth patterns, and to the increasing contact
with new residents, metro-area farmers may have to alter their operations
to emphasize higher value products, more intensive production, and
urban marketing savvy. AO (8/01)
Smart Growth:
Implications for Agriculture in Urban Fringe Areas—"Smart
growth" is a catch-all phrase to describe a number of land
use policies to influence the pattern and density of new development.
Smart growth directs development to designated areas (cities and
older suburbs) through incentives and disincentives. Landowners
most likely to experience the effects are those in close proximity
to existing population centers or to planned growth areas. One of
the greatest impacts of smart growth policies on local agriculture
will be changes in farmland values, because farm real estate dominates
total farm assets. AO (4/01)
Visit our other web products and briefing rooms for additional
resources on land use and land value, including links to detailed
economic analyses, new and ongoing research, data, and more:
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