There’s just something wrong with the state purchasing land for the sake of purchasing land.   Currently NC is in the process of trying to purchase 1 million acres for preservation (in addition to the hundreds of thousands they already own and in addition to the 11% of NC that the Federal government owns).

But even more confusing is that farmers and enviros are teaming up thinking this is a good thing.  The real question is, how does the government “protect farmland” if the market doesn’t buy the products produced on the land?  Are we supposed to pay farmers to act like their farming? 

Political movement (from the Citizen-Times)

Although North Carolina hasn?t fully funded its conservation plan, voters are starting to make protecting land a priority.

In
Jackson County this year, commissioners put a stop to new subdivisions
to give the government time to craft development laws. The board was
able to approve the controversial six-month moratorium because its
majority won election last year on a controlled growth platform.

Other counties are considering subdivision regulations.

And
that mirrors voters nationally, the Trust for Public Land reports.
Since 1996, more than 1,500 of almost 2,000 conservation ballot
measures have passed across the country, and they have been just as
popular in states with Republican majorities as those that lean
Democratic.

Development
in rural areas and the prediction of 4 million new state residents over
the next 25 years has allied farmers and environmentalists. The new
political partnership could mean more money for preservation here and
in other states. Easley has already responded with more money set aside
for farmland protection.

?Chimney Rocks are critical and
wonderful, but if we are going to save what?s special in Western North
Carolina it is these beautiful valley farms,? said Paul Carlson, the
director of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, of those big types
of deals. The Franklin-based group conserves land in the upper Little
Tennessee and Hiwassee River valleys.

Carlson says this political trend might have already meant more funding in Raleigh.

?There is no greater constituency for the land than farmland owners,? he said.

In 2006, North Carolina spent $2 million on farmland preservation.

In
2007, it was $7 million. And two WNC lawmakers want a big jump in
funding for 2008. Rep. Phil Haire, D-Sylva, and Sen. John Snow,
D-Murphy, have asked for $10 million for farmland preservation, Carlson
said.

He said he believes for each million spent on farmland preservation, the state could protect 10 million acres.

?I think that, more than anything else, will increase land conservation across this state at the rhythm we need,? he said.