Major State Land Acquisition and Conservation Easement Programs

The following table was developed by the National Governors' Association. It summarizes state-funded programs that purchase land or conservation easements for open space preservation or other conservation purposes. The information was obtained through a telephone survey of officials from state agencies with land purchasing authority and may not include every state-funded program. Funding levels represent best estimates as of December 31, 1998, based on variable annual levels or actual levels for the most recent year for which data are available.

http://www.virginiaconservation.org/openspacepaper.htm

State	Program	Funding Sources and Acquisition Methods
Alabama	Forever Wild (est. 1994)	A percentage of oil royalty funds totaling approximately $8 million/year is applied to direct land purchase and some conservation easements.
Alaska	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (est. 1993)	Exxon settlement provides $400 million for council to purchase land or conservation easements on behalf of the state or federal government.
Arizona	Growing Smarter Act (est. 1998)	Beginning in fiscal 2000, $19 million per year for eleven years in general- fund appropriations will purchase development rights for state trust lands.
	Arizona Preserve Initiative (est. 1996)	Variable annual funding through land sales is used to sell or lease state lands to cities, private trusts, or other state agencies for conservation uses.
	Water Protection Fund (est. 1994)*	Approximately $5 million per year in funds from the general fund and surcharges on sales of Central Arizona Project water to out-of-state utilities provide grants for protection and restoration of rivers and streams.
	Arizona Heritage Fund (est. 1990)*	Lottery sales of $10 million per year are dedicated to parks, recreation, cultural resources, and environmental education.
Arkansas	Natural Heritage Commission (est. 1997)*	Conservation sales tax funds, real estate transfer tax funds, general funds, and grants, totaling $4 million in fiscal 1999, preserve land, including threatened habitat areas, that retain their presettlement characteristics.
California	Agricultural Land Stewardship Program (est. 1996)*	General fund provides funding $1 million in fiscal 1997 to protect agricultural lands from development.
	Inland Wetlands Conservation Program (est. 1991)*	Cigarette tax funds totaling $14 million per year are dedicated to a public resources account.
	Habitat Conservation Fund (est. 1990)*	Cigarette tax funds totaling $30 million per year for 30 years are used to acquire, protect, and restore habitat.
	Environmental Enhance-ment Mitigation Program (est. 1989)*	This ten-year program uses $10 million per year in gas tax funds to acquire lands.
	Natural Areas Conservation Program (est. 1988)*	Since 1988, $776 million in bond funds acquire and protect habitats, open space, parklands, and wetlands.
Colorado	Great Outdoors Colorado (est. 1992)*	Lottery income of $10 million to $20 million per year through fiscal 1999 and $44 million per year thereafter funds grants to preserve open space, wildlife, parks, trails, and rivers.
Connecticut	Open Space Acquisition and Water Resource Protection Program (est. 1998)	General fund appropriation of $10 million in fiscal 1999 provides grants to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and water suppliers to take title of land having conservation and public access easements.
	Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Fund (est. 1986)*	General obligation bonds will provide $19.5 million in fiscal 1999 for fee-title land purchases and some conservation easements by nonprofit organizations.
Delaware	21st Century Fund (est. 1995)	One-time funding from state’s settlement over rights to escheat funds, totaling $220 million, is helping purchase land for open space, parks, recreation, farmland preservation, education, and community development.
	Open Space Program (est. 1990)	Bonds, the general fund, the 21st Century Fund, and a portion of the real estate transfer tax are providing $70 million over ten years to acquire land for open space, parks, recreation, and farmland preservation.
Florida	Preservation 2000 (est. 1990)	Bond sales provide $300 million per year for ten years for fee-simple land acquisition and the purchase of easements and mining or forestry rights by the five water management districts and the three primary state land managers.
	Florida Communities Trust	Money from Preservation 2000 fund provides $30 million per year in matching-fund grants to local governments for land acquisition.
	Save Our Rivers (est. 1981)	Document stamp tax revenue and $90 million per year from Preservation 2000 fund helps purchase lands needed for water management, conservation of water resources, implementation of surface water improvement and management plans, and the Everglades Construction Project.
	Conservation and Recreational Lands Program (est. 1979)	Document stamp tax revenue of approximately $60 million per year and $150 million per year from Preservation 2000 fund helps purchase large wilderness tracts or lands with recreational uses.
Georgia	Nongame Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Acquisition Fund	Nongame check-off and environmental license plate sales totaling $6.3 million in fiscal 1997 fund land acquisition and habitat conservation.
	River Care 2000 (est. 1995)*	Bond funds totaling $25 million per year fund riparian land acquisition and river corridor protection.
	Preservation 2000 (est. 1990)	Bond sales have provided approximately $115 million over eight years for fee-simple land purchases and a few easements.
Hawaii	Natural Areas Partnership and Forest Stewardship (est. 1991)*	Matching funds of approximately $2.3 million per year purchase conservation easements for native ecosystems.
	Natural Areas Reserve Fund (est. 1987)*	General funds are used to create and maintain natural area reserves.
Idaho	General land purchase (est. early 1900s)	Hunting license fees totaling $0.5 million per year are used for fee-title land purchases and easements.
Illinois	Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Fund*	Thirty-five percent of real estate transfer tax funds, totaling approximately $14 million in fiscal 1996, provide grants to local governments to purchase open space.
	Natural Areas Acquisition and Management Fund*	Fifteen percent of real estate transfer taxes are used to acquire, protect, and restore natural areas.
	Conservation 2000 (est. 1995)	General fund or capital fund provides $2.7 million per year in fiscal 1998 and fiscal 1999 for grants for land acquisition and conservation easements.
	Build Illinois (est. 1985)*	Bonds provide $7.5 million over four years to preserve natural areas.
	Natural Heritage Endowment Trust Fund (est. 1985)*	General funds and nongame tax check-off funds are used to protect natural heritage lands.
Indiana	Heritage Trust Fund (est. 1992)	Fund leverages approximately $1.5 million per year in revenues from environmental license plate sales, state general funds, and donated money for land purchases.
Iowa	Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (est. 1989)*	Funds from lottery sales, the general fund, and environmental license plate sales totaling $15 million in fiscal 1999 are used for ten-year program for city parks, open space acquisition, and other land conservation activities.
Kansas	General land purchase (ongoing)	Wildlife fee fund (from license sales), the general fund, and the park fee fund provided $1.3 million in fiscal 1999 and will provide $1.5 million in fiscal 2000 for fee-title land purchases and some easements.
Kentucky	Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund (est. 1994)	Sales of nature license plates, the state portion of unmined mineral taxes, and water violation fines provide approximately $3 million per year for fee-title land purchases.
Louisiana	Wetland Conservation and Restoration Trust Fund*	Severance tax on off-shore oil drilling provides a $53-million trust fund to conserve and restore coastal vegetated wetlands.
Maine	Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (est. 1995)	Lottery proceeds fund fee-title land purchases or easements.
	Land for Maine’s Future Bond (est. 1988)	Legislature appropriated $3 million in fiscal 1998 in addition to funds from a $35-million bond sale for fee-title land purchases or easements.
Maryland	Rural Legacy Program (Part of Program Open Space) (est. 1997)	In fiscal 2000, a 10 percent transfer tax increase and $5 million from general obligation bonds will provide $6 million for competitive grants to local governments to acquire land.
	Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation Program	Real estate transfer tax and agricultural transfer tax provide funds for state department of agriculture to purchase agricultural easements.
	Natural Heritage Program	Real estate transfer tax provides funds for protecting endangered species through land title purchases and easements.
	Heritage Area Finance Authority	Real estate transfer tax and occasional bonds for specific projects provide approximately $1 million per year to protect natural, historic, and cultural sites along linear corridors.
	Program Open Space (est. 1969)	Real estate transfer tax provides approximately $70 million per year for fee-title land purchases and easements.
Massachusetts	Wildlife Acquisition Account	Wildlife stamp and fishing and hunting license fees totaling approximately $1.5 million per year fund land purchases to protect wildlife habitat.
	Open Space Bond Act (est. 1996)	A $318-million bond fund is used to preserve open space and water resources.
Michigan	Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund (est. late 1970s)	Oil and gas lease revenues fund purchase of recreational land or development rights and easements.
Minnesota	Environmental and Natural Resources Trust (est. 1988)*	Fifty percent of state lottery funds (cumulative total capped at $1 billion) provide funding to acquire agricultural lands, wetlands, and natural areas.
	Reinvest in Minnesota (est. 1986)*	Successive bond sales totaling $60.7 million to date provide funding for acquisition of agricultural lands, wetlands, habitats, forests, and natural areas.
	Critical Habitat Matching Program (est. 1986)*	Environmental Trust Fund (from lottery funds), environmental license plate fees, and matching funds from the private sector provide funds to acquire wildlife management areas, restore wetlands, and protect spawning sites.
	Minnesota Future Resources Board*	Cigarette taxes of $1.3 million per biennium fund grants for special environmental projects.
Mississippi	Wildlife Heritage Fund (est. late 1940s)	A portion of license fees, a portion of income tax check-offs, and occasional legislative appropriations fund fee-title land purchases.
Missouri	Conservation and Natural Resources Departments Land Purchase Authority (est. 1976)	A 1/8 percent sales tax and the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, totaling $1.5 million in fiscal 1998, fund fee-title land purchases.
Montana	Habitat Montana Program (est. 1992)*	A portion of state game license fees totaling $2.5 million per year is used to purchase easements and some fee-title land.
	Bonneville Power Administration Mitiga-tion Fund (est. 1987)*	Environmental penalty money provides $500,000 to $800,000 per year to protect wetlands and certain species habitat.
	General land purchase (est. 1973)	Hunting license fees provide $5 million every two years for conservation easements.
Nebraska	Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act*	Nongame check-off funds are used for habitat acquisition for species conservation.
	Environmental Trust Fund (est. 1992)*	Nearly 50 percent of lottery funds are used to purchase land or easements to protect habitat for rare or endangered species.
Nevada	Nevada Parks and Wildlife Board*	A 1990 bond sale created fund of $47.2 million that can be used to purchase land and easements.
	Tahoe Bond Act Program (est. 1986)	A $31-million bond sale has provided $27.8 million since 1986 for land acquisition and some easements.
	Tahoe Mitigation Program (est. 1997)	Mitigation fees collected by the California and Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are used to purchase conservation easements and land coverage.
New Hampshire	Land and Community Heritage Commission (est. 1997)	State is designing a program to allow fee-title purchase of lands.
	Land Conservation Investment Program (est. 1987)*	Bonds and general funds are used to purchase open space, forests, natural areas, and wildlife habitat.
New Jersey	1998 Ballot Initiative	Initiative will annually dedicate $98 million in sales-and-use tax revenues to preserve 1 million acres of open space, farmland, and historic areas from 1999 through 2009. After ten years, up to $98 million per year for twenty years will be available to repay or refinance bonds issued for land conservation.
	Farmland Preservation Program (est. 1983)	Bond sales of $200 million and federal funds of $2.6 million are used to pay for 50 percent of soil and water conservation efforts on voluntarily restricted private farmlands, for grants to counties for development easement purchases, and for some fee-simple land purchases. Some funds of the 1998 ballot initiative will be used to protect 500,000 acres of farmland.
	Green Acres Program (est. 1961)	Bond sales and sales tax revenues totaling $1.4 billion since 1961 fund fee-title land purchases, easements, grants and loans to local governments to purchase and maintain areas, and matching grants to nonprofit organizations.
New Mexico	State Parks and Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) (est. 1995)* Natural Land Protection Fund (est. 1988)*	A portion of gross receipts tax on water and sewer utilities provides $2.5 million per year for state parks and $1.5 million per year for Youth Conservation Corps projects. Bonds, severance taxes, and general funds provide funding for protection of threatened and endangered species and natural areas.
New York	Clean Water and Clean Air Bond Act (est. 1996)	Approximately $150 million (of $1.75-billion fund) can be used for water- related open space projects. An additional $50 million is provided for water- related state and local park and historic preservation projects.
	Environmental Protection Fund—Open Space Account (est. 1993)	Bluebird license plate sales and real estate transfer tax provide approximately $50 million per year to fund fee-title land purchases, conservation and agricultural easements, and agreements with nonprofit organizations to purchase specific parcels from them when funds become available.
	Environmental Protection Fund—Parks Account	Environmental Protection Fund provides grants of up to 50 percent of project costs to municipalities and nonprofit organizations for state and local parks, historic preservation, and waterfront revitalization, totaling more than $14 million in fiscal 1998.
North Carolina	Park and Recreation Trust Fund (est. 1995)	Sixty-five percent of land transfer tax revenues, totaling approximately $18 million in fiscal 1998 is used for fee-title land purchases.
	Natural Heritage Trust Fund (est. 1987)	Sales of personalized license plates and 25 percent of land transfer tax revenues provide funds($8.2 million in fiscal 1997) for fee-title land purchase and some easements.
	National Wetland Research Reserve (est. 1981)	General-fund appropriations of $6.8 million in fiscal 1998 fund fee-title land purchases.
Ohio	General Land Purchase	Four state agencies use federal matching funds, license fees, and tax check-off donations for fee-title land purchases and some easements.
	Nature Works Bond Issue (est. 1993)*	Bond funds authorized at $50 million per year, up to a cap of $200 million, are used for park and recreation acquisition and development as well as other conservation activities.
Oregon	Fisheries Restoration and Enhancement Program (est. 1989)*	Fishing license fees and lottery funds provide approximately $15 million per biennium for grants to restore fisheries.
Pennsylvania	Keystone ’93 (est. 1993)	Real estate transfer taxes provide $3.5 million per year to land trusts and $10 million per year to communities for grants for fee-title land purchases.
	Farmland Purchase of Development Rights Program*	Cigarette tax provides approximately $20 million per year to purchase easements on agricultural lands.
Rhode Island	1998 Bond Initiative Program Open Space (est. 1986)	Bond initiative provides $5 million for open space acquisition, $5 million for local greenways projects, and $5 million for state greenways projects. Bond sales provide approximately $5 million per year for fee-title land purchases and occasionally conservation or agricultural easements through a zero-interest loan program to municipalities and nonprofit organizations.
South Carolina	Legacy Program	One-time appropriation of $5 million provides grants for land purchases.
	Heritage Trust Program (est. 1976)	Real estate transfer tax provides approximately $2 million per year for fee-title land acquisition.
Tennessee	State Land Acquisition Fund (est. 1991)	Real estate transfer tax provides approximately $3 million per year for fee-title land purchases and some easements.
Utah	Critical Lands Conservation Revolving Loan Fund (est. 1998)	State surplus land sale income, donations, and a general-fund contribution of $100,000 in fiscal 1999 are used to assist municipalities or nonprofit organizations in preserving lands related to quality of life or cultural heritage.
	Habitat Management Program (est.1995)*	Habitat authorization fee provides funds totaling $3.4 million in fiscal 1997 to protect fish and wildlife habitat and improve public access to recreational land.
Vermont	Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund (est. 1987)	Funds from real estate transfer tax, state general fund, and occasional bond sales, totaling $5 million in fiscal 1999, are used for agricultural easements and some forestland purchases.
Virginia	Open Space Preservation Trust Fund	Bond sales provide funding for landowners to donate easements.
	VA Land Conservation Foundation	$1.75M fund to acquire and protect sensitive lands
	General Obligation Bond	1992 Bond provided $26.4M for Parks & $11.47M for natural areas
Washington	Trust Land Transfer Program (est. 1989)	General funds totaling $33 million in the fiscal 1999–2000 biennium are used to purchase land.
	Legacy Program (est. 1988)	Program leverages funds to acquire conservation easements.
	Special land acquisition	Funds from license taxes and other fees provide between $8 million and $20 million per year for fee-title land purchases.
West Virginia	General land purchase (est. 1933)	Bond sales and hunting and fishing license fees, totaling $1.5 million in fiscal 1998, fund fee-title land acquisition and some easements, as necessary.
Wisconsin	Stewardship Program (est. 1989)*	Bond funds provide $250 million over ten years to protect sensitive lands, expand state parks, and acquire recreational land.
Wyoming	Wildlife Trust Fund	Budget surpluses, hunting and fishing license fees, and sales of a conservation stamp create a $14-million fund; interest on the fund is used for habitat development and protection and may be used for land purchase.
	Game and Fish Easement Program (est. 1919)	Hunting and fishing license fees provide funds, totaling $1 million in fiscal 1999, for easements and some fee-title land purchases and one-year leases.

Source: State Investment Strategies to Save Open Space and Steer Development by Barbara Wells of the Natural Resources Policy Studies Division, NGA Center for Best Practices. February 21, 1999

Note: *Program data could not be obtained through the telephone survey, so this information is derived from the April 1998 report A Legacy to Future Generations: A Study of State Land Conservation Activities by Carol Brinkerhoff of the Division of Travel Development, Utah Department of Community and Economic Development.