ENROLLED
Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 126
BY REPRESENTATIVE ANDERS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To encourage state, parish, and local governments to purchase conservation easements from
owners of quality agriculture and forestry lands.
WHEREAS, an agricultural and forestry conservation easement is an interest in land
which represents the right to prevent development or improvement of a parcel for any
purpose other than agricultural and forestry production; and
WHEREAS, this program is to preserve the state's agricultural and forestry land base
by helping to ensure the continued viability of Louisiana's agricultural and forestry industry;
and
WHEREAS, these preserved lands contribute not only to a secure land base for
agricultural and forestry operations but also to a host of other quality of life benefits that
accrue at the local, parish, and state level; and
WHEREAS, the agricultural and forestry conservation easement may be granted by
an agriculture and forestry land owner to a state, parish, or local government agricultural and
forestry land preservation program; and
WHEREAS, the preservation of agriculture and forestry lands make good economic
sense on many levels; and
WHEREAS, it helps preserve the state's agricultural and forestry industry,
contributes to the local tax roll, and generates tax revenue; and
WHEREAS, because Louisiana continues to experience a strong market, there exists
an ever-increasing pressure to convert farmland to development throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, this is causing the rapid escalation of easement values throughout
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the rapid escalation in easement values means that fewer agriculture and
forestry land acres can be preserved with the same amount of program funding; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 126
Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS, the establishment of the Agriculture and Forestry Conservation
Easement Fund seeks to preserve as much land as possible in as short a time frame as
achievable to maximize the preservation of land into the future.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
encourage state, parish, and local governments to purchase conservation easements from
owners of quality agriculture and forestry lands in Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
commissioner of administration, the Police Jury Association, and the Louisiana Municipal
Association.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE