Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs have been used successfully in many areas around the nation. They were pioneered in Suffolk County, New York in 1974 and have since been used across the nation to preserve an estimated 400,000 acres of farmland alone. Programs focused on natural areas and other open spaces have protected additional acreage.

Description

Under a PDR program, a landowner voluntarily sells his or her rights to develop a parcel of land to a public agency or a charitable organization interested in natural resource conservation. The landowner retains all other ownership rights attached to the land, and a conservation easement is placed on the land and recorded on the title. The buyer (often a local unit of government) essentially purchases the right to develop the land and retires that right permanently, thereby assuring that development will not occur on that particular property. The landowner is generally compensated for the value of the right to develop the land through the following formula.

Considerations

When considering where PDR fits into a community's land conservation plan, one should consider the cost involved in purchasing development rights on a significant amount of land. In areas with high growth pressure, the cost of a PDR program can be high as the difference between development value and conservation value increases. Used strategically, however, a PDR program can be an effective tool to help maximize a community's conservation efforts. Money for PDR programs can be raised through a variety of means, including bonding initiatives, private grants, and various taxation options. Many communities have found matching dollars from state and federal sources.

Where it is Working

One of the most successful PDR programs in the country is run by the Agriculture Preserve Board of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It has preserved over 23,500 acres of farmland since 1981.

Closer to home, Dunn Township, Wisconsin, located near Madison, initiated a PDR program in 1996.   To date the township has preserved more than 1,700 acres of land through its PDR program and currently has a waiting list of 26 landowners.