Martinsburg, WV – The Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board (BCFPB) closed an easement on another farm this month. “This farm brings the total protected acreage in Berkeley County to 8,475 acres,” says Resa Ingram-Orsini, Executive Director of the BCFPB. Berkeley County was the first county to create a farmland protection board in the state of West Virginia. “Including this new farm, we now protect 80 properties. We have three more slated to close this fall as well,” Ingram-Orsini continued, “It is really special that families continue to choose Berkeley County Farmland Protection to keep their farmland protected perpetually.”
The Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board purchases conservation easements on farmland. These easements prevent further subdivision of land and help protect valuable farmland from development. A property owner still owns the land outright but has agreed to sell the development rights to the BCFPB. The Board also accepts donations of easements, which can yield a significant reduction in federal income tax. Ingram-Orsini said, “We are still accepting applications until the end of October for this fiscal year. Our county is still growing at a rapid rate, and we want to consider all the farmland we can.”
For more information about Farmland Protection, contact: Resa Ingram-Orsini, Exec. Director, at berkeley@wvfp.org