West Virginia Agricultural Land Protection Authority

Purpose

Under the Voluntary Farmland Protection Act passed by the West Virginia legislature, a West Virginia Agricultural Land Protection Authority was established beginning July, 2002.

The Authority is governed and administered by a board of trustees composed of the following:

  • Ex officio members, all at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305
    • State Treasurer: The Honorable Riley Moore, (304) 340-1571
    • Auditor: The Honorable John McCuskey, (304) 558-2251
    • Commissioner of Agriculture: The Honorable Kent Leonhardt, (304) 558-3200
  • Nine members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the West Virginia Senate (including five who shall be representative of farmers, and one who shall represent 501-c-3 land trusts).
    • Gary Foster (Representative for DNR, Marion County)
    • Dennis Funk (Farmers Representative, Hardy County)
    • Bill Coffindaffer (Farmers Representative, Harrison County)
    • Rod Graves (Representative of 501-c-3 Land Trusts, Monroe County)
    • Charlie Long (Farmers Representative, Greenbrier County)

Like the county Farmland Protection Boards, the Authority seeks to preserve farmland in the state of West Virginia. The Authority is empowered to accept conservation easements from anywhere in the state. Landowners in those counties that have Farmland Protection Boards must apply through their local board. The Authority is intended to provide a state-level entity as a dual system in parallel with the county Farmland Protection Boards. The Authority also serves to assist those landowners in counties that do not have Farmland Protection Boards.

See WV Farmland Protection Act

Duties

In addition to acquiring conservation easements, the Authority also has state-wide duties to disseminate information, seek funding, and assist county Farmland Protection Boards upon request by them. Specifically, the Voluntary Farmland Protection Act outlines the Authority’s duties as follows:

  •  disseminate information regarding agricultural land protection and promote the protection of agricultural land
  • assist county farmland protection boards in applying for and obtaining all available state and federal funding that is consistent with the purposes of the farmland protection programs
  • upon request of a farmland protection board, provide technical and legal services necessary to procure, acquire, draft, file, and record conservation and preservation easements
  • prepare and file with the governor’s office by August 31 of each year a report including, but not limited to, the following information:
    • the cost per easement obtained
    • the identity of all applicants for conservation and preservation easements
    • the identity of all applicants from whom conservation and preservation easements have been acquired
    • seek and apply for all available funds from federal, state, and private sources for farmland protection programs

Accomplishments

In addition to acquiring conservation easements, the Authority also has state-wide duties to disseminate information, seek funding, and assist county Farmland Protection Boards upon request by them. Specifically, the Voluntary Farmland Protection Act outlines the Authority’s duties as follows:

  •  disseminate information regarding agricultural land protection and promote the protection of agricultural land
  • assist county farmland protection boards in applying for and obtaining all available state and federal funding that is consistent with the purposes of the farmland protection programs
  • upon request of a farmland protection board, provide technical and legal services necessary to procure, acquire, draft, file, and record conservation and preservation easements
  • prepare and file with the governor’s office by August 31 of each year a report including, but not limited to, the following information:
    • the cost per easement obtained
    • the identity of all applicants for conservation and preservation easements
    • the identity of all applicants from whom conservation and preservation easements have been acquired
    • seek and apply for all available funds from federal, state, and private sources for farmland protection programs

Contacts

The Authority has been meeting quarterly since October, 2004. All meetings are open to the public and are published with the Secretary of State. For more information, contact the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, (304) 558-2201 or write to the Authority at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305