Tennessee Farmland Preservation Legislation Advances
By State Senator Page Walley
Legislation to protect Tennessee farmland from development advanced out of our Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week.
Senate Bill 207 – which I am cosponsoring – would establish a $25 million Farmland Preservation Fund to provide grants for property owners who voluntarily place their farm or forestry land into an agricultural easement with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The program aims to make farmland preservation financially feasible for family farms, ensuring they remain in agricultural use for future generations.
Farmers and foresters retain ownership of their land, decide what to plant and harvest, and keep control over decision making.
This bill is designed to support Tennessee’s hardworking farmers and foresters. For many, their land has been in the family for generations, and they want to ensure it remains farmland—not a strip mall or subdivision. However, financial barriers often make preservation difficult. By providing access to the proposed grant fund, we can give farm families a resource they can use to keep their land in agriculture and in the family, making conservation a realistic and economically viable option.
It is also important to note that this bill is the Tennessee Farm Bureau’s highest priority this year.
While property owners can already place their land in a conservation easement through various entities, rising land prices provide little incentive to do so. The Farmland Preservation Fund aims to make this more financially viable for Tennessee farmers to preserve their land.
Agriculture is our number one industry in Tennessee. Preserving farmland is critical not only for our economy but also for the traditions and values of the farming culture that define Tennessee, and our district in particular.
Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, allowing property owners to receive compensation for the difference between their land’s agricultural value and its highest market value. Farmers who take part in the program would still maintain the freedom to develop their land for agricultural purposes and maintain full farming operations without restrictions on output.
Tennessee is losing farmland to development at an astounding rate. Over a 20 year period, from 1997 to 2017, Tennessee lost 1.1 million acres of farmland to development. Since 2017, another 432,941 acres of farmland has been lost. This is equivalent to Tennessee losing 9.8 acres of farmland per hour, up from 6.3 acres per hour in the previous two decades.
In Tennessee, agriculture-related industries employ 324,000 individuals and contribute $89 billion into the economy.
Protecting the state from fraudulent business and foreign adversaries
In other legislative action, our State and Local Government Committee, which I vice chair, advanced legislation this week to ensure swift action can be taken against businesses owned or controlled by foreign adversaries. Senate Bill 306 grants the Tennessee Secretary of State the authority to dissolve a business if fraudulent activity is detected. In addition, the bill allows the Secretary of State to take action against businesses owned or controlled by foreign governments or foreign individuals who have been designated as foreign adversaries by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Senate Bill 306 now moves to the Senate Floor for further consideration.
Removing World Health Organization from Tennessee law
Also, legislation advanced in the Senate Health Committee this week to delete all references to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Tennessee code. Senate Bill 669 also replaces WHO references with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding pandemic declarations. Under the bill, Tennessee would only recognize a pandemic if declared by the CDC and followed with a state of emergency by the Governor. This move comes after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization upon taking office. The bill now advances to the Senate floor.
Reducing costs to local governments on inmate autopsies
Lastly, our State and Local Government Committee passed my Senate Bill 15 which aims to require the State of Tennessee to assume costs and responsibilities for autopsies of deceased inmates held in state prisons as well as the transportation that is associated with the autopsy. This legislation seeks to ease the financial burden of these costs on rural counties where these prisons are located. It now moves to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.
As always, thank you for the privilege of serving as your state senator. I will continue to update you weekly during our legislative session. Also, please feel free to contact my office for any questions or concerns at sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov or (615) 741-2368.
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