The year ended with a bang for Albemarle County and 10 other localities in the Commonwealth. Governor Tim Kaine announced today plans to distribute $500,000 within the 11 communities to preserve farmland through local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs.
Albemarle received $49,900 along with Clark, Fauquier, Goochland, Isle of Wight, James City, Northampton, Rappahannock and Spotsylvania. The City of Virginia Beach and Cumberland County received $1,000 each.
"Even with our budgetary restraints, we will continue to support PDR programs in every way we can. My Renew Virginia plan includes initiatives to protect our environment, and these PDR programs do exactly that," said Kaine.
PDR programs allow landowners to receive monetary contributions for selling the farmland portion of their property while retaining ownership rights. A conservation easement is placed on that parcel of land to prevent it from being developed.
Under the Renew Virginia initiative, Governor Tim Kaine vowed to make the Commonwealth a leader in energy conservation, efficiency and protecting the environment.