SmartMAP.com creates Agricultural Preservation District Maps for the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation.  The Agricultural Preservation Program started creating Agricultural Districts in 1992 and to date over 1,065 farms have been permanently preserved.  When a district has been approved, it is entered into the Preservation Program where it is eligible for certain tax breaks and is also eligible to have its development rights purchased by the state creating an Agricultural Easement preserving the farmland in perpetuity.  Using an automated system designed by SmartMAP.com, six maps are created to help the decision making process for approvals. The six pages are: General Location, Detailed Location and Surrounding Parcels, Soil Analysis, Ortho Photo Overlay, Land Use Analysis, Detailed Location with Ortho Photo Overlay.  The maps are distributed to the County Planning Commissions as well as other interested parties.  After final approval, the maps are recorded in the Recorder of Deeds office and the digital maps are used by the state to create digital GIS files for linking and viewing on the Internet through SmartMAP.  A similar program, being mapped by SmartMAP.com, was started in 2006 for Forestland Preservation Areas of Delaware.

http://www.smartmap.com/dda/dda.htm

 

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