KRS 262.902: Legislative findings.

(1) The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that it is a policy of the

Commonwealth to retain agriculture and enhance the contribution that agriculture

makes to its economy. A program to retain and enhance agriculture is in the

economic best interests o f the Commonwealth and, consequently, constitutes a

public benefit that contributes to the health, safety, and general welfare of the

residents of the Commonwealth and the nation.

(2) The General Assembly further finds and declares that the use of the

Commonwealth's funds for the purpose of paying in whole or part the cost of

acquiring agricultural conservation easements as set forth in KRS 262.900 to

262.920, including any costs necessarily incident to the acquisition, sale, issuance,

and delivery of the f unds, and the monitoring and enforcement of agricultural

conservation easements, or to the participation of any party for these purposes, will

promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the

Commonwealth.

(3) Further, it is the purpose of KRS 262.900 to 262.920 to:

(a) Establish procedures for the acquisition of agricultural conservation easements

in order to ensure that lands currently in agricultural use will continue to

remain available for agriculture and not be converted to other land uses, and

that landowners who participate in this program will be fairly compensated for

their agreement to accept deed restrictions limiting the use of their property;

(b) Encourage landowners to make a long -term commitment to agriculture by

offering them financial incentives and security that land use will remain

stable;

(c) Protect normal farming operations in agricultural areas from incompatible

nonfarming uses that may render farming impracticable;

(d) Protect normal farming operations from complaints of public nuisance against

normal farming operations; and

(e) Maximize the use of agricultural conservation easement purchase funds and

protect the investment of taxpayers in agricultural conservation easements.