Historic Agricultural Resource Preservation Program parcel must consist of 35 acres or 20 acres contiguous to a prior preserved parcel and located within the Rural Tier.
The HARPP program was developed specifically for properties that do not qualify for other state preservation programs. It has been very successful preserving over 1,850 acres of private farm land. Eligible parcels must be located in the Rural Tier and be a minimum of 35 acres. Additionally if the property is 20 acres in size and contiguous to a prior preserved parcel it is eligible. In most cases inter-family lot rights are retained.
Applications are submitted once a year to the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District. The District reviews and seeks approval for funding from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Together, these two agencies work to move applications through the approval process. This process can take up to 24 months.
All programs allow for smaller properties that are contiguous to one another to pool together to create the minimum acreage requirement.
Please contact Jeanine Nutter for more information.