Since its inception in 1996, 20 percent of available farmland in New Castle County in Delaware has been protected at the cost of $2,546 per acre through the state’s voluntary Delaware Agricultural Lands Protection program, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, as reported by WDEL-FM in Wilmington, Del.
Critics, though, are raising questions, saying a proposed deal by New Castle County government to buy two farms in Port Penn for $6 million is a “sweetheart deal.” The acquisition could jeopardize the future of farmland preservation in the state by overvaluing the properties by unprecedented proportions, the critics claim.
The plan is to conserve more than 230 acres of land in Port Penn that belongs to Gary Warren, former state Farm Bureau president, and Jaymes Lester, a former Public Service Commission member.
A Request for Release of Reserves, dated March 17, 2015, was obtained, showing New Castle County sought to pay $13,000 from reserves for appraisals to buy development rights for the Warren and Lester Port Penn farms.
The appraisal that followed for Warren’s farm was discussed at a New Castle County executive committee meeting, but never publicly was released by the county.
Through a Freedom of Information request, according to WDEL, 120 emails were received between Warren and a county official. The e-mails appear to show Warren was involved in the appraiser selection and also reference several offline meetings between him and the county administration.