The private landowner still retains the right to occupy and make economic use of the land for agricultural purposes. The main difference is that by selling the development rights the landowner gives up the right to develop the property for some other use in the future. The second thing that needs to be emphasized is that farmers are not compelled to sell their development rights. Participation in PDR programs is entirely voluntary. Although PDR has only recently begun to be used in the Midwest, it is not a new idea.
PDR programs are currently in operation in fifteen states.
Maine and Michigan established PDR programs in 1990 and 1994 respectively. Of the seven states mentioned above, the state of Maryland is the leader in using PDR to protect agricultural land and open space. As of 1990, conservation easements had been purchased on over 90,000 acres of Maryland farmland. The main advantage of PDR over other approaches to farmland preservation is that it offers a permanent, long- lasting solution. Farmland preservation tax credits and use value assessment of agricultural land encourage farmers to keep their land in agricultural use somewhat longer than otherwise might be the case, but do not assure that farmland will remain in agricultural use.