This webpage focuses on resources that can help municipal staff and officials understand their roles in working with the APR program to permanently preserve farmland Program. Additional resources will be added as they become available.
The APR webpages hosted by MDAR contain many details about the APR program, many of which are primarily oriented towards landowners and land trusts. They are a good place to find additional details that are not covered in resources on this webpage.
What is an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR)?
An Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) is an easement/ restriction held by the state through MDAR. The program strives to pay eligible farmland owners the difference between the Fair Market Value and the Agricultural Value of their farmland in exchange for a permanent deed restriction on the title to the farmland, which restricts any use of the property that will negatively impact its future agricultural viability, and secures a commitment to keep the land in agricultural production in perpetuity.
Municipal role when protecting farmland through the APR Program
In 2026 MDAR published a new resource to increase the awareness of municipal staff and officials of their statutory responsibilities and many opportunities to support permanently preserving farmland through the APR program.
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Sign up for the Farmland Action Plan newsletter, which will include some additional emails related to these resources.
Additional resources for municipalities
In additional to how to protect farmland, municipalities may be interested in other ways to support farms and farmland in their communities. The following webpages have resources that may be helpful:
- MDAR's Ag Resources for Municipalities webpage - This webpage includes a range of resources, including planning for farmland
- MDAR's Agricultural Commissions (Ag Comms) webpage - Massachusetts towns and cities have the authority to establish municipal agricultural commissions to “promote and develop the agricultural resources of the municipality.”
When protecting farmland in Massachusetts there are two additional permanent protection options available:
- A private APR (PAPR) is an Agricultural Preservation Restriction in which the primary holder is an entity other than MDAR. The easement/restriction can be held by a municipality, land trust, or another governmental body. Learn more from MDAR’s PAPR webpage.
- A Conservation Restriction (CR) is a legal agreement that protects natural resources, which can include agricultural resources such as soil and water, on private property. CRs can be held by governmental entities such as municipalities and the state, as well as non-profit organizations. Learn more from DCS’s CR Review Webpage including a model CR that considers agriculture and DCR’s CR Stewardship Webpage.