An overview of the farmland retention issue

Richard W. Dunford is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Washington State University (Pullman). He has written extensively on rural land use problems, conflicts, and policies. This report was prepared for the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division of the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) in partial fulfillment of contract 83-30.,This overview of the complex farmland retention issue begins with a reveiew of recent empirical evidence on farmland conversion trends. Concerns associated with farmland conversion are then presented and analyzed. State and local farmland retention efforts are summarized in the third section. Finally, Federal farmland retention efforts to date are examined.,Executive Summary -- Introduction -- Farmland Conversion Trends. Recent Empirical Evidence ; Future Prospects ; Summary -- Farmland Conversion Concerns and Analysis. Food and Fiber Concerns ; Other Concerns ; Summary -- State and Local Farmland Retention Efforts. State Programs ; Local Programs ; Integrated Programs ; Summary -- Federal Farmland Retention Efforts. Executive Efforts ; Legislative Efforts ; Farmland Protection Policy Act ; Recent Developments ; Summary -- Bibliography -- Appendix I: Content of Recent Books on Farmland Use, Conversion, or Retention -- Appendix II: Review of NALS Data on Farmland Conversion and Criticisms of These Data -- Appendix III: Text of the Farmland Protection Policy Act.,CRS 83-635 ENR,"December 9, 1983.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3