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Senate Gives Initial Approval To Green Acres Fixes

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Mar 12, 2009 3:20 pm US/Central

Senate Gives Initial Approval To Green Acres Fixes

ST. PAUL (AP) ― The state Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that includes changes to Minnesota's Green Acres program.

The program was established four decades ago to protect farmers from rising property taxes. But last year, lawmakers made changes to it after an auditor's report said some property owners were taking advantage of lower taxes but not farming their land.

Farmers have complained about the new requirement making only productive land eligible. They say the law caused conservation lands to become too expensive to keep in conservation.

A group of lawmakers decided this year to remedy the situation with a new land conservation property tax for land not meeting agricultural definitions.

Supporters say the program provides similar benefits without requiring the land to be farmed.

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