The protection and maintenance of Connecticut's agricultural lands has been of great concern for many years. Public Act 490 and the Farmland Preservation Program are key examples of this effort. Farm Bureau strongly supports and actively works for local, state and national actions to protect our valuable agricultural lands without diminishing the property rights of landowners.

Public Act 490 is Connecticut's law which allows farms, forest and open space land to be assessed at its "use value" for purpose of local property taxation. As a means to keep Connecticut's farms viable, Connecticut Farm Bureau will continue to work to strengthen the utilization of Public Act 490.

Farm Bureau strongly supports the Connecticut Farmland Preservation program. This successful program enables farm families who wish to keep their land in agricultural use by selling their development rights to the state. As the population continues to grow in Connecticut more pressure is placed on farmers to develop their land. We only have a finite amount of agricultural land in our state. The protection and preservation of farmland is necessary to protect the quality of life that Connecticut residents are accustomed to enjoying.