The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to assist landowners in preserving farmland. The program purchases agricultural easements from landowners who volunteer to keep their land in agricultural production in perpetuity. For the seventh year, the Geauga County Board of County Commissioners, with assistance from Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District, is a Certified Local Sponsor to administer the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s LAEPP in Geauga County. This allows the County to accept applications for landowners to preserve valuable farmland within Geauga County. As a 2024 certified local sponsor, $110,554 has been allocated for Geauga County. Interested landowners should contact Geauga SWCD directly to set up a meeting to discuss eligibility for the program. The District is available to assist landowners through the application process. The 2024 application round is open now through Friday, February 23rd. For more details, contact Carmella Shale at 440-834-1122 or cshale@geauga.oh.gov.
