Suffolk County Executive Robert J. Gaffney announced today that the County has begun a "reverse auction" to acquire farmland development rights. Gaffney originally called for this plan in his State of the County address this past March. The auction was approved this summer by the County Legislature.

"Preserving our remaining farmland is a high priority for my administration and we invite all farmers to participate in the process," said Gaffney. "It is my hope that the auction will result in the addition of many more farms to the County's preservation program in a manner that is fair both to property owners and the taxpayers."

A "reverse auction," sometimes known as a Dutch Auction, is a method of identifying parcels for acquisition based on the amount a property owner would like to receive rather than the amount the County would initially offer. The County would then appraise the property and, if the value is in line with an independent appraisal, would purchase the development rights.

The County's Farmland Committee will evaluate each parcel for its agricultural qualities including proximity to other protected farmland and soil quality. The auction will enable the County to reach out to serious sellers and arrive quickly at the fair price for the purchase of development rights.

Suffolk County's Farmland Preservation Program, the first such program in the Nation, dates back to 1974. The program involves the purchase of development rights from landowners with the owner retaining all other ownership rights to the property including the right to use the property for agricultural purposes. To date, the County has preserved nearly 8,000 acres of agricultural land under the program.

To participate in the auction, farm owners should contact the Suffolk County Division of Real Estate at 853-5927. In addition, a public meeting will be held on October 23rd in the auditorium of the Riverhead County Center where additional information will be provided to prospective sellers. The meeting will begin at 6 PM.

All bids must be returned by November 21st of this year. In addition, all bids will be subject to acquisition requirements of the County and be approved by the County Legislature.

"Suffolk County has a rich history of farming dating back to the pre-Colonial days," the County Executive continued, "and it is our responsibility to ensure that that tradition continues for generations to come."
 

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