Westminster, MD, Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - The Carroll County Agricultural Land Preservation Program is opening a new application cycle and accepting submissions beginning July 1st through August 30, 2025. Program Manager J.P. Smith, Jr. stated, “the county has budgeted $1 million for fiscal year 2026. The review process will include an analysis of soil quality and other important factors. Landowners with at least 30 acres of farm or forestland with development potential may apply. Farms exceeding 60 acres will be ranked higher than farms with less acreage.”

Each property that finishes the Agricultural Land Preservation (ALPP) process is restricted to agricultural use in perpetuity through a Deed of Conservation Easement recorded in the Carroll County Land Records. These programs help preserve valuable agricultural lands that are the foundation of Carroll County’s agricultural industry while compensating landowners for the potential development value of the property.

Carroll County’s farmland preservation program ranks in the top five most successful programs in the United States and is the number one program in the state of Maryland. The county has a long-standing goal of preserving 100,000 acres, and just over 81,000 acres have been preserved since farmland protection efforts began in 1980.

Interested landowners may contact ALPP staff at 410-386-2214 to discuss program options and arrange to receive an application by mail or on the County website.