see if the state will help also - they may have a program to help you seed it with threatened plants and cut you a tax break

My parents farm qualified for a property tax break under state programs if my dad let the fence rows grow up...go figure. He gets lots of mailers for the Grassland program (he actually has 200 acres with cattle operation tho' he's cut his herd way down due to his health)...weird formula on a state by state basis. The amount they will pay (if you qualify) is no more than 75% of the FMV for grazing rental, based on things like the threat of development, primarily reserved for existing grazing operations that are being threatened by development, yadadadadadaada. Several acres wwere excluded because he has a pecan orchard on one section and that was considered an agricultural operation as opposed to an existing grazing operation.

There are caps by state as well as regions within the state...caps are low in rural areas, high in urban areas. Last year the total allocated for the program in all of Georgia was $500K. I think a horse farm surrounded by the suburbs of atlanta got something like $7,000/ACRE FOR 20 ACRES OF PRIME LAND.


Let us know how your deal turns out.

vegetation along fence rows can be important wildlife habitat - they want to encourage that

also it helps reduce wind, and hence wind blown soil erosion

Well that makes perfect sense...he rents another 250 acres for cotton/soy bean/peanut crops....we try to keep the turn rows from being cleared for quail/rabbit habitat. Tho bobwhite population is pretty much non-existent these days.

If he started a co-op and grew some MJ I think the profits would out distance any credits or government subsidies.

Good for you, Hugh. I got $65 yesterday for buying an Energy Star fridge last fall.

Well it seems I was a little too premature. I've got too many oak trees and brush to qualify. Also, in Los Angeles County they only give $9.25 per acre; not even close to the national average of $200 per acre. Gotta look for another government subsidy/scam.

buy some cornfields somewhere

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Dueller - check this out:

National Bobwhite Technical Committee

I suppose I could plant corn.... Nah, too much work. I want free money from the government, and I don't want to have to do anything for it (I suppose that would make it free, right?

Well, unless you're a female, unmarried, with lots of kids and willing to do the welfare thing, I think you will have to do something for your "free" money.

Geesh, in south Cali, having farmland all around would only increase property values way over 36K value over a ten year span.
Think of it as a blessing.

So I'm on to a new government subsidy, I told the Dept of Ag that I couldn't qualify for the Grassland Protection Program and they suggested the Wildllife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) which I seem to qualify for since I have Oaks, chapparel,etc. I also have some endangered plants and birds. Funny, I have some Stickleback plant that I tear out as a weed that is endangered (Sweet). I had an initial tour of the property and they thought it was a good candidate. They do a 25:75 sharing on costs 75 being them. I could get them paying 75% of my brush clearing, Oak tree trimming and other stuff. I'll keep you posted.

Zehr Gut - oak habitat has really been hit hard.

Up here, lack of fire allows Douglas Fir to come in and wipe it out. There is also a disease that is hitting oaks.

There is also a disease that is hitting oaks. Sudden Oak death syndrome I think they call it. Yeah, it's headed south, so I need to get while the getting is good.

Well I met with the guy from the Dept. of Ag and he says my property definitely would qualify! But I have to compete for funds with others in CA. I've got the riparian oak forest and scrub which are good. I might have some stickle plant they like and possibly a bat. So we're on to the next step which is to bring in a biologist and a botanist. This program is different in that they do a 75:25 Government:Landowner cost sharing. So if I got an award, they'd pay 75% of costs for maintaining the land. Maintaining can include fire breaks, trimming the oaks to keep them healthy, brush abatement, and maybe even paying a gravel road infront of the house for fire department access. We'll see. Some of that stuff I do now, but if they'd pickup 75% of the cost, I'd do more,including contracting out the backbreaking work on brush clearance that I do myself.

I'll keep you posted. I can smell that tax money of mine coming home to Papa.

Just be careful you don't start losing control of your own land.

sounds good - esp. if they pay for a gravel road(!)

I can't develop the land due to CC&Rs, neither can a future buyer. So I don't see that I'm giving anything up, but yes, I will be careful what I'm committing to.

Here are some pics of the land I'm trying to get to "work" for me and drag some of my tax money home.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1273279590.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1273279659.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1273279744.jpg

Wildlife brings property owners here significant tax reductions. I'd lease the grazing rights to get the tax reduction, screw the plants, they couldn't hack it and need to disappear. 18 acres wouldn't be much for a small herd of whatever, but they really only need to be there come inspection\appraisal time.

you might try a The Trust for Public Land (TPL) or a local group similar to that - they might want an easement or some deeded rights, but it's worth asking

what happens when you pass away? does the land got kids or other heirs?

if not, you could deed it to TPL, etc.; get a real nice tax break and get to live on it the rest of your life (life estate)