From Gov. Cuomo's office:
About $2.5 million has been awarded to five projects
in the Mid-Hudson Valley through New York state's Farmland Protection
Implementation Grant program to help farmers protect more than
700 acres of valuable and at-risk farmland.
The funding, which was
announced during the Governor's Mid-Hudson Regional Sustainable
Development and Collaborative Governance Conference, supports ability of
farms to maintain the land for agricultural purposes
and protect it from development through the use of perpetual
conservation easements.
This year marks
the 20th anniversary of the Farmland Protection program and New York state has committed historic funding levels to farmland
preservation. Since 2011, the state has invested nearly $40.9 million
for 58 projects statewide.
"New York's
hard-working farmers are essential to our economy, employing thousands
across the state and growing produce that is second to none," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “With this funding, we continue to invest in
the next generation of farmers in the Mid-Hudson Valley and help to
ensure a sustainable future for the entire industry."
The Farmland
Protection Implementation Grant program is part of New York state's
Environmental Protection Fund, which New York State’s 2016 Budget more
than doubled, raising the funding level to $300 million.
Funding
for the program increased by $5 million this year. It also built on
last year's historic investment in farmland protection, including the
$20 million Hudson Valley Agricultural Enhancement Program.
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