A state famous for its largest city is making a concerted effort to protect agricultural lands as part of a larger national push.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in April that the state’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) program had achieved a significant milestone—protecting more than 107,000 acres of New York farmland.
According to a press release from Gov. Hochul’s office, the FPIG program purchases conservation easements in an effort to contribute to the Biden administration’s 30 by 30 campaign to protect 30 percent of U.S. land by 2030.
“In Livingston, Monroe, and Wyoming Counties alone, 18,750 acres across 19 farms have been protected through the FPIG program and Genesee Valley Conservancy's partnership. An additional 11,000 acres of protected land is pending. So far, a total of $55 million in grants from the program have been invested or committed to in the area,” according to the press release.
The FPIG grant program is part of the state’s larger Farmland Protection Program, under management by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Twenty percent of the land area in New York is devoted to agriculture.
Read the full story: Governor Hochul Announces Over 100,000 Acres of Farmland Has Been Protected Across New York State
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