Do Agricultural Land Preservation Programs Reduce Farmland Loss? Evidence from a Propensity Score Matching Estimator

Xiangping Liu () and Lori Lynch

Land Economics, 2011, vol. 87, issue 2

Abstract: More than 80 governmental entities concerned about sprawl, open space, and farmland have implemented purchase of development rights (PDR) programs preserving 2.23 million acres at a cost of $5.47 billion. Are PDR programs effective in slowing the rate and acres of farmland loss? Employing propensity score matching methods and a 50-year, 269-county data set for six Mid-Atlantic states, we find empirical evidence that PDR programs have had a statistically significant effect on farmland loss. Having a PDR program decreases a county’s rate of farmland loss by 40% to 55% and decreases farmland acres lost by 375 to 550 acres per year.

JEL-codes: Q24 Q28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (32)

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