Assemblyman Joseph Angelino (R,C-Norwich)

NORWICH – Assemblyman Joe Angelino is lauding the New York State Farmland Protection Board for earmarking $50 million to save area at-risk farmland.

The Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) gives a financial lift to counties, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and land trusts to protect local farmland. The grant mostly funds the purchase of development rights on individual farms, keeping the land viable for ag use.

FPIG funding may also pave the way for amendments to local laws affecting agriculture, option agreements, and covering the transaction costs of donated agricultural conservation easements.

“Agriculture is the number one industry in the 121st district and these funds will go a long way to ensure farmers will have the land and resources needed to feed our great state,” Angelino said in a statement.

The grant awards $4.5 million to each of the state’s 10 economic regions. Applications will be accepted until funding runs out. There’s no deadline to apply.

Interested applicants can apply online by visiting grantsgateway.ny.gov. Additional information can be found on the NYS Ag and Markets website, agriculture.ny.gov.