Farmland Preservation Reaches 3,000 Acres in Kent County, with 2 Resolutions Passed by the Board of Commissioners
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (February 8, 2024) – At today's Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting, two resolutions were passed to secure funding for the preservation of 233.5 acres of farmland in Sparta Township. Kent County is actively pursuing the development rights from the Linda Bradford Anderson Trust and the Bettes & Kingsbury families, both owning farmland properties along Peach Ridge Avenue in Sparta Township.
Kent County's Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program compensates owners of agricultural property for their voluntary acceptance of a permanent deed restriction in the form of a conservation easement that limits its future development for non-agricultural purposes. The acquisition was made possible through federal and state funds, donations, and the Bettes, Kingsbury, and Bradford families. With the addition of these properties, Kent County's PDR program will grow by 7.8% totaling about 3,000 acres.
“We are very happy that the Bettes, Kingsbury, and Bradford families have continued to be a part of our Purchase of Development Rights program and have expanded their commitment," said Matt Channing, agricultural preservation specialist, Kent County. "I am also thankful for the partnership we have with our local townships. Their land use decisions will help protect our land and local food security for generations.”
The Linda Bradford Anderson Trust property is comprised of four parcels totaling 157.5 acres. The parcels are used for growing wheat and are centennial, meaning they have been in the Bradford family for over 100 years, starting in 1910. The Bradford family has five other preserved properties in the program, totaling about 368 acres.
The Bettes & Kingsbury property is comprised of a single parcel totaling 76 acres. The parcel is used for growing corn, soybean, and hay. The Bettes & Kingsbury families have one other preserved property in the program, totaling about 140 acres.
The Agricultural Preservation Board selected the farms because of their abundance of prime and unique soils, allowing for a broad diversity of agricultural production and its proximity to other protected parcels. The PDR program uses a combination of state or federal grant funding, private donations and landowner contributions to purchase the development rights to farmland, creating a permanent agricultural conservation easement.
To learn more about agricultural preservation and the PDR program, visit https://www.accesskent.com/Departments/BOC/PDR/.
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