§8A-12-14. Value of Conservation or Preservation Easement
(a) Maximum value. — The maximum value of any conservation or preservation easement acquired by the county farmland protection board or the authority is the asking price or the difference between the fair market value of the land and the agricultural value of the land, whichever is lower. (b) Fair market value. — The fair […]
§8A-12-15. Criteria for Acquisition of Conservation and Preservation Easements by County Farmland Protection Boards and the Authority
The authority and county farmland protection boards, in ranking applications for conservation and preservation easements, shall consider the following factors as priorities: (a) The imminence of residential, commercial or industrial development; (b) The total acreage offered for conservation or preservation easement; (c) The presence of prime farmland, unique farmland, farmland of statewide importance, other locally […]
§8A-12-16. Use of Land for Which Conservation or Preservation Easement Acquired
(a) Provisions to be included in conservation or preservation easement and county farmland protection board rules, or the authority rules. — Farmland upon which a conservation or preservation easement has been recorded may be used for the following: (1) Farm use;
§8A-12-17. Funding of Farmland Protection Programs
(a) County funds. — (1) Creation of county funds. — Once having created a county farmland protection program, a county commission may authorize the county farmland protection board to create and maintain a farmland protection fund and hire staff as it considers appropriate.
§8A-12-6. Farmland Protection Board Duties
The duties of each farmland protection board are as follows: (a) To report to the county commission with respect to the acquisition of easements by the farmland protection board within the county and to obtain final approval authority for any and all purchases of easements for the farmland protection program by the board; (b) To […]
§8A-12-7. West Virginia Agricultural Land Protection Authority -– Established
A West Virginia agricultural land protection authority is established within the Department of Agriculture. The authority has the powers and duties provided in this article.
§8A-12-3. Content and Requirements of Farmland Protection Programs
(a) An adopted farmland protection program shall include only those qualifying properties which are voluntarily offered into the program by the landowners of the properties. (b) An adopted farmland protection program shall meet the following minimum requirements: (1) The program shall be developed by the county farmland protection board and approved by the county commission. […]
§8A-12-4. Farmland Protection Boards -– Appointment, Composition, Terms
(a) Composition. — A farmland protection board shall be composed of seven members, each serving without compensation. Membership on the farmland protection board shall consist of the following: One county commissioner; the executive director of the county development authority; one farmer who is a county resident and a member of the county farm bureau; one […]
§8A-12-5. Farmland Protection Boards -– Powers
A farmland protection board has the following general powers: (a) Power to sue. — To sue and be sued in contractual matters in its own name; (b) Power to contract. — To enter into contracts generally and to execute all instruments necessary or appropriate to carry out its purposes; (c) Power to restrict use of […]
§8A-12-1. Legislative Findings and Purpose
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that agriculture is a unique "life support" industry and that a need exists to assist those agricultural areas of the state which are experiencing the irreversible loss of agricultural land. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide persons and other entities an opportunity to voluntarily […]