I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2429
To amend the Farms for the Future Act of 1990 to provide agricultural
producers, in cooperation with States and local governments, financially
competitive options for maintaining farmland in agricultural production.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 29, 1995
Mr. FARR (for himself, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. OLVER, Mr. HOLDEN, Mrs.
MORELLA, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. ROSE, Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr.
CONDIT, Mr. DOOLEY, Mr. SAXTON, and Mr. LOBIONDO) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Farms for the Future Act of 1990 to provide
agricultural producers, in cooperation with States and
local governments, financially competitive options for
maintaining farmland in agricultural production.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farms for the Future
Act Amendments of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS.
(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to pro-
vide agricultural producers in the United States, in co-
operation with States and local governments, financially
competitive options for maintaining prime, unique, and
other strategic farmland in agricultural production.
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Prime, unique, and other farmland that has
strategic importance because of its exceptional agri-
cultural, economic, or environmental contribution to
society is being converted to nonagricultural uses be-
cause agricultural producers and other owners of
such lands lack financially competitive options for
retaining it in agricultural production.
(2) States and local governments have been un-
able to provide sufficient incentives to landowners to
maintain prime, unique, and other strategic farm-
land in agricultural production.
(3) Federal assistance is needed to achieve the
national interest in protecting prime, unique, and
other strategic farmlands.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL COST SHARING FOR ACQUISITION OF
FARMLAND PROTECTION EASEMENTS.
The Farms for the Future Act of 1990 (chapter 2
of subtitle E of title XIV of Public Law 101–624; 7 U.S.C.
4201 note) is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:
‘‘SEC. 1470C. FEDERAL COST SHARING FOR ACQUISITION
OF FARMLAND PROTECTION EASEMENTS.
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section:
‘‘(1) 
QUALIFYING
FARMLAND.—The 
term
‘qualifying farmland’ means land used for agricul-
tural production that is determined by a eligible
State or a local governmental agency of an eligible
State to be—
‘‘(A) of particular importance to the State
or locality because of its agricultural, economic,
or environmental characteristics; and
‘‘(B) at risk of conversion to uses incom-
patible with agricultural production.
‘‘(2) FARMLAND PROTECTION EASEMENT.—The
term ‘farmland protection easement’ means an ease-
ment that, with respect to a parcel of land—
‘‘(A) prohibits or severely limits the uses of
the land that are incompatible with continued
agricultural production; and
‘‘(B) runs with the land and binds all fu-
ture landowners.
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE
STATE.—The term ‘eligible
State’ means a State that has a program, approved
by the Secretary, to acquire farmland protection
easements.
‘‘(b) FARMLAND PROTECTION EASEMENT COST-
SHARING.—In lieu of the authorities provided elsewhere
in this chapter to assist eligible States to retain qualifying
farmland in agricultural use, the Secretary may carry out
a matching grant program under this section.
‘‘(c) 
FARMS
FOR
THE
FUTURE
MATCHING
GRANTS.—The Secretary may make matching grants to
an eligible State (and local governments approved by the
State) to be used for the purpose of acquiring farmland
protection easements to protect qualifying farmland from
uses inconsistent with continued agricultural production
or for the development or improvement of similar pro-
grams with this purpose.
‘‘(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.—Matching grants
under subsection (c) shall be made on a 50–50 matching
basis, except that the Secretary may make matching
grants for up to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring farm-
land protection easements by an eligible State (and local
governments approved by the State) that is actively devel-
oping or carrying out programs to protect farmland from
uses inconsistent with continued agricultural production.
‘‘(e) LIMITATION ON TOTAL AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—
An eligible State may not receive more than 10 percent
of the total amount made available for matching grants
under subsection (c) for a fiscal year. However, if fewer
than 10 eligible States participate, the share provided to
a State may be equal to its pro rata share of the total
matching funds all States make available.
‘‘(f) CONDITIONS ON ASSISTANCE.—In providing as-
sistance under this section, the Secretary shall ensure
that—
‘‘(1) funds provided under this section are used
by an eligible State to protect qualifying farmland,
with priority given to those lands of greatest impor-
tance to the State’s agriculture industry; and
‘‘(2) on average the purchase price of farmland
protection easements acquired using such funds do
not exceed fair market value.
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— There
is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
essary to carry out this section for each fiscal year.’’.
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