Do Agricultural Land Preservation Programs Reduce Farmland Loss? Evidence from a Propensity Score Matching Estimator

More than 80 governmental entities concerned about sprawl, open space, and farmland have implemented purchase of development rights (PDR) programs preserving 2.23 million acres at a cost of $5.47 billion. Are PDR programs effective in slowing the rate and acres of farmland loss? Employing propensity score matching methods and a 50-year, 269-county data set for six Mid-Atlantic states, we find empirical evidence that PDR programs have had a statistically significant effect on farmland loss. Having a PDR program decreases a county’s rate of farmland loss by 40% to 55% and decreases farmland acres lost by 375 to 550 acres per year.