Exposing the Government's Secret Plan to Grab 30 Percent of America's Land
(www.theepochtimes.com)
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Not really, most often people will do what is called a "limited conservation easement". Basically, it just freezes the property taxes on the land in exchange for never allowing any non agricultural development on it.
In layman's terms, it essentially allows farmers to freeze the taxes on their land, so that no matter what happens around them development wise, their taxes can't be increased, while also preserving farm and ranch land.
Often, if done right, it can also help farmers pass on their land to their children without having to worry about paying the estate tax too (since farmland is REALLY expensive, and a few hundred acres of prime farmland, combined with all the equipment needed to farm it, can easily surpass the $25 Million mark).
So yeah, I get the concern, but 90% of the time, it's actually a good thing, since it's preventing farmers and ranchers from being screwed over by nearby developments that might raise their property value to an extent that they can't afford their land anymore, thus forcing them to sell.