Utah Agricultural Operators' Attitudes Toward Commonly Used Agricultural Land Preservation Initiatives

Like many areas in the Intermountain West, Utah experienced rapid population growth in the 1990s, resulting in the conversion of agricultural lands to various types of urban uses. The work described here is an examination of Utah agricultural operators' attitudes toward the most commonly used land preservation initiatives, including agricultural zoning, right-to-farm legislation, purchase of development rights programs (PDR), Greenbelt tax relief, and inheritance tax relief, in the context of substantial levels of agricultural land conversion. Interview and survey findings indicated that the most acceptable type of land preservation tool is tax relief programs, although farmers realized that these programs have not prevented the conversion of a great deal of farmland in the state. PDR is the least acceptable land preservation tool. However, most farmers did not have knowledge of PDR prior to interviews and the survey, and those that did have knowledge of PDR tended to view this program more favorably than those without any knowledge of PDR. This suggests that a well-constructed information campaign on PDR could be efficacious in increasing its acceptability. The implications of this research for developers are considered, and directions for future research are offered.