STORRS, Conn.—In the face of a rapid loss of agricultural lands in New England, Connecticut’s Public Act 490 was adopted in 1963 to discourage conversion of agricultural and farmlands to other uses.
Public Act 490 allows farm, forest or open space land to be assessed for local tax purposes at its use value rather than its fair market or highest-and-best use. Without the lower use value assessment, many landowners would have to sell their lands because they could not afford the property taxes.
The University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is currently conducting an online survey to update its data about land characteristics, soil types, rental rates and other information concerning land conserved under Public Act 490.
The survey is important because the Northeastern states continue to lose agricultural land at an alarming rate. A 2020 American Farmland Trust report showed that, despite the reduction in housing starts brought about by the Great Recession in 2008, a renewed uptick in development resulted in 19 acres per day, or 7,000 acres per year of New England agricultural land, being lost or threatened in the first two decades of the millennium.
Participation in the survey is voluntary, and all the information provided is confidential. Respondents can choose to stop the survey at any time, but they are encouraged to complete it, as the results can affect communities across the U.S. Surveys are due no later than April 23.
Click here to participate in the survey.