American Farmland Trust presence in Oconee

The American Farmland Trust is sending a representative next week to a meeting of the Oconee County Council.  AFT is concerned that the U-S is losing farmland at an alarming rate.  Topsoil acreage in places such as Oconee is being lost to development.  The organization seeks to protect farmland through agricultural conservation easements, smart growth, and what it calls “smart tax policies.”  Scheduled to make the presentation is Billy Van Pelt, director of external relations and senior advisor to the ATF.