Our current tumultuous economic climate could easily cool off funding for programs to purchase conservation easements to protect farm and ranch lands. No doubt we have seen state budgets strained and the expansion of program funding constrained by tight fiscal times. But recent developments suggest that despite the tough economy there are promising signs that protecting our Nation’s working lands remains a strong public priority. Last month, Congress made good on its commitment in the 2008 Farm Bill to those landowners wishing to protect agricultural land by including record-breaking funding for the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program in the 2010 federal budget. Similarly, earlier this month, voters filled the ballot box with YES votes for land conservation. The Trust for Public Lands reports that 64 percent of the 25 land conservation ballot measures across the country passed. The biggest of these measures was the New Jersey “Green Acres” bond offering $400 million for farmland protection and other land conservation efforts. Not surprisingly, at American Farmland Trust we believe that investing in farmland protection makes good economic sense, whether markets are up or down. Conservation easement programs enable farmers to tap into their land equity so that they can improve and expand their businesses. Farmers use the proceeds to implement conservation practices, retire debt, develop value-added products and markets, and buy equipment and supplies. These dollars tend to stay in the community, while at the same time our farms and ranches are providing multiple environmental benefits, ecosystem services and the underpinnings of our local agricultural economies. About the author: Bob Wagner has been on the staff of American Farmland Trust since 1985 and worked in the field of farmland protection since 1981. In his current position, Wagner helps communities nationwide build support for and create policies to protect agricultural land.