LEXINGTON, Ky. — The General Government & Planning Committee heard Tuesday that Lexington's Purchase of Development Rights program has conserved nearly 300 additional acres this year, bringing the total protected acreage to more than 33,000.

The PDR program, Kentucky's first Agricultural Conservation Easement program run by a local government, purchased 13 easements during the calendar year, including its first small farm easements. The purchases involved nine small farms totaling approximately 99 acres and four larger farms comprising about 197 acres across Fayette County.

PDR Director Beth Overman highlighted recent acquisitions on Old Frankfort Pike and Ferguson Road, noting how new easements filled gaps in existing conservation zones. The program works by having the Rural Land Management Board purchase farm owners' development rights while allowing them to continue farming and maintain ownership of the land.

The program faces an ambitious outlook. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service expedited its federal grant deadline to Sept. 25, giving staff only six weeks notice. Despite the shortened timeline, Overman said the program received 10 strong applications representing nearly 1,000 acres, with three exceeding 100 acres each—a welcome development given that recent closings have trended smaller.

Looking ahead, the Small Farm program's deadline is Nov. 2, with the program having mailed postcards to over 1,000 potentially eligible farm owners in August. Overman expects robust response. Council member Hil Boone, who serves as a non-voting representative to the Rural Land Management Board, has been promoting the program through social media and newsletters.

Currently, 21 applicant farms in various stages are under consideration, representing approximately 1,275 acres submitted for federal matching funds. Of the program's 318 total easements, the NRCS has funded 177—well over half.