Farmland Registration

On this Page:

  • Well-nigh Farmland Registration
  • How to Register Farmland
  • How to Re-Register Farmland
  • Withdrawing Farmland Registration

About Farmland Registration

In 1988, the Maine Legislature enacted a voluntary farmland registration program aimed at protecting the ability of farmers to engage in common agronomical activities with minimal potential for causing damage to their neighbors. The legislation provides covenants to farmland registered with their local government. Owners of farmland must provide disclosure to adjacent backdrop and the public virtually setback restrictions on specific types of development on abutting land in firsthand vicinity of active farming operations.

Any farmland owner electing to register their farmland after July ane, 2012, may prohibit Incompatible Use within fifty feet of registered farmland.

  • Incompatible Utilise means the construction of new wells, drinking h2o springs, or water supply intake points. For case, if a field of registered farmland is 20 anxiety from a property boundary line, the possessor(southward) abutting land will be prohibited from installing whatsoever new wells, drinking water springs or h2o supply intake points within 30 feet of that boundary line.
  • Inconsistent Development or Use means the construction of residential buildings, installing any new wells, drinking water springs or water supply intake points, construction of school buildings and any playgrounds, able-bodied fields or other schoolhouse facilities designed for employ by children in the vicinity of school buildings, commercial establishments dispensing or selling food, and creation of public and commercial campgrounds and picnic areas within 100 feet of that boundary line.
  • Eligible farmland consists of tracts of land of 5 or more than contiguous acres, which produce a gross almanac income of at to the lowest degree $2,000 per year from the sale value of subcontract products in 1 of 2, or 3 of five, calendar years preceding the date of application for registration. The owner of the registered farmland bears the burden of proof when at that place is a question virtually the eligibility of the country.
  • Farm products are plants and animals useful to humans, including fruits, berries, vegetables, dairy products, livestock and livestock products, poultry and poultry products, grains, forages, flowers, seeds, grasses, bees, Christmas copse, maple syrup and other similar products.
  • Eligible farmland does Non include country used for woodlots, homes, farm buildings, roads, lawns or whatsoever area covered with not-crop vegetation.
  • Abutting land is real estate that shares a common boundary, or portion of a boundary, with registered farmland. Except in the case of the variance (described in the law), a municipality may Non issue a edifice or utilize allow allowing whatsoever prohibited development or use of land abutting registered farmland.

How to Annals Farmland

A farmland owner must consummate several forms for before registering farmland at the Registry of Deeds in which the farmland is located.

  1. Obtain the property tax map(s) which illustrates the entire parcel(south) subject to farmland registration and all abutters to parcels. Y'all may need to search other town resources to find the names of the abutters.
  2. Using the tax map information complete pages 2 and 3 of the Farmland Registration (PDF) (Form 2A).
  3. Submit the tax map(s) as amended in the instructions in Grade 2A, Form 2A, and Farmland Registration Certification Course 3 (PDF) to your County Soil and H2o Conservation District (SWCD) for determination of farmland eligibility. Find your SWCD. Districts shall consummate their review within 60 days of receiving an awarding.
  4. Upon receipt of Form 3 in which the SWCD has found that the parcel(s) are granted certification continue onto step 5. If the parcels are denied certification, please contact the SWCD to determine advisable measures to accept earlier reapplying with them.
  5. Complete the Notice Of Intent To Register Farmland Form 4A (PDF).
  6. Using Certified Postal service with render-receipt requested, mail a copy of Farmland Registration Fact Sheet Grade 1 (PDF), the tax map prepared for Grade 2A, Form iii, and Course 4A to all abutters identified in Form 2A.
  7. After completing the public notification outline in step six bring Form 2A to a public notary for notarization.
  8. No less than fifteen (days) afterward completing the notice of intent public notification outline in footstep half dozen, submit Form 2A and Form 3 to the county registry of deeds in all jurisdictions in which the farmland and abutters are located to record the deed. Observe your registry of deed. Please contact the registry before sending in the documents as they will assess a registration fee that must be included. Be sure to include a self-addressed envelope to receive a copy of the recorded human action.
  9. Upon recording the act mail a re-create of the Notice of Registered Farmland (Form 5A) and the tax map prepared for Class 2A to all abutters farmland and abutting parcels via Certified Mail service with return-receipt requested.
  10. Provide copies of the following recorded documents: Forms 2A or 2B, Class 3, Form 4A or 4B and Course 5A or 5B to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, c/o Farmland Registration, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME, 04333-0028, or email alexander.redfield@maine.gov.

How to Re-Register Farmland

Farmland must be renewed every 5 years continuously to maintain development protections. A registration takes effect 15 days later receipt of notice by the municipality and abutters.

Follow steps 1-10 above replacing Form 2A with Find of Intent To Renew Registration of Farmland Form 2B. For farmland originally registered in 1990 or 1991 also replace Form 4A with Notice of Renewal Of Farmland Registered in 1990/91 (Grade 5B).

Withdrawing Farmland Registration

If you cease to produce farm products on all or office of your registered farmland for more than than one year in a row, then y'all must withdraw your property from farmland registration.

  1. Complete the Farmland Registration Withdrawal (Form 6) and adhere a property map of the parcel and aerial photograph(due south) illustrating the areas bailiwick to withdrawal as required on Form vi.
  2. Take Form 6 notarized and submit this form to your county registry of deeds in all jurisdictions in which the farmland and abutters are located to record the human action. Find your registry of deed.
  3. Within two (two) days of recording the deed, mail a copy of Grade 6 and the taxation map and aeriform photo(south) prepared for Course 6 to all abutters which govern the farmland and abutting parcels via Certified Mail service with return-receipt requested. For parcels in unorganized territories this may be the aforementioned as the state register of deeds.
  4. Provide a re-create of Class 6 to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, c/o Farmland Registration, 28 Land House Station, Augusta, ME, 04333-0028 or email them to alexander.redfield@maine.gov.

Not sure if your farmland is registered? Contact your county register of deeds.