Office of Farmland Preservation

Overview

The Office of Farmland Preservation (OFP), a program within the Washington State Conservation Commission, works to address the rapid loss of working farm and forest lands in our state.

FPLA Guidelines Finalized

The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) has finalized the Farmland Protection and Land Access (FPLA) Program Guidelines.

How to apply
Program Summary

The Farmland Protection and Land Access (FPLA) program was established via proviso in the Washington State 2022 Supplemental Capital Budget (SSB 5651), Section 3050. FPLA complements the “Buy-Protect-Sell” category of FarmPAI, a program of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. FPLA serves the dual purpose of permanently protecting high-quality farmland and facilitating access to land for next-generation farmers and ranchers.

FarmPAI provides conservation entities with low-interest loans for the fee-simple acquisition of at-risk farmland. FPLA grants fund the purchase of an agricultural conservation easement. The agricultural conservation easement ensures the land stays open and available for farming in perpetuity. By restricting or removing certain development rights that are incompatible with agriculture, FPLA-funded agricultural conservation easements make farmland more affordable for the future farm owner.

What we do:

  • Support and sponsor agricultural conservation easements.
  • Assist localities as they develop and implement measures to retain agricultural lands.
  • Provide resources to assist with the transition of farmland and related business from one generation to the next.
  • Provide data and analysis on trends impacting farms in Washington.

Meet the Team

Paul D'Agnolo
Office of Farmland Preservation Specialist
(564) 669-0972
pd'agnolo@scc.wa.gov
Kate Delavan
Office of Farmland Preservation Coordinator

OFP Resources

Overview
Agricultural Easements
Farm Transition Planning
Mapping Crops & Parcels
Farmland Preservation Reports
Farmland Preservation Newsletter
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