AUGUST 2011
Three Jefferson Farms Under Easement
On July 27, three Jefferson
County landowners protected their farms with agricultural conservation easements pur- chased by the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board. The newly protected farms include Scott and Sondra Morgan’s 33 acre property in Kearneysville, William (Bill) Knighten’s 198 acre farm in the Shepherd- stown district, and the 42 acre Silo Hill Farm in Kearneysville owned by Walter Walls, Tammy Walls and their son Ray Walls. The working agricultural pas- tures and cropland on these farms are now protected in per- petuity by the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board. The Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle serves as a co-hold- er of the easements. These are the 29th, 30th, and
31st conservation easements completed by the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board since its establishment in 2000. To date, the board has preserved 2,888 acres of farmland in Jefferson County and has secured commitments and funding for 597 additional acres that are currently in the process. Another 533 acres are in application in 2011. A conservation easement is a
flexible legal tool that enables landowners to permanently protect the agricultural, natu- ral, scenic and historic values of their property from devel-
opment and subdivision. Prop- erty owners retain full use and ownership of the land. Because an easement is perpetual, it is transferred with the prop- erty when the property is sold, thereby forever protecting it. Easements have become a key tool for protecting impor- tant farmland in communities across the country. The Jefferson County Farm-
land Protection Board was established under a state law passed in 2000 that allows West Virginia counties to levy a transfer tax on real estate to purchase development rights from landowners who wish to protect their land for agricul- tural purposes. “Protecting our farmland in perpetuity secures productive farmland, protects water supplies and wildlife habitat, strengthens the viability of farming in the county and maintains the rural working landscape that makes Jefferson County such a beauti- ful place to live and visit,” said Elizabeth Wheeler, Administra- tor for Jefferson County Farm- land Protection Board. Ray Walls said, “When my
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father and I were fortunate enough to purchase our farm in 2006 the first step we took was getting involved with the farmland protection program. Our goal was to establish an environmentally friendly farm that we could pass on to our
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children and grandchildren. We feel blessed to have come so far so fast and are thrilled to be part of an organization that is so dedicated to protecting the future of agriculture in our county..” Scott and Sondra Morgan
said, “We are pleased and satis- fied to complete the easement on our land. It is the right thing to do.”
William Knighten grazes
cattle and maintains his land in crops and pasture. He re- marked, “My son Billy and I are not interested in developing our property. We wanted to keep our land open, and to con- tinue farming it.” “The Land Trust of the East-
ern Panhandle looks forward to additional easements this year that can benefit from Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board and NRCS funding, as well as where appropriate from the enhanced federal tax deduction that is available until December 31,” said Grant Smith, presi- dent of The Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle.
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