Provided by Prince William County
Very soon, landowners in the Rural Area will be able to permanently conserve their land through the recently adopted Purchase of Development Rights Program. The Prince William County Planning Office has spent several years working with the community and stakeholders on tools to preserve land in the County. One of these tools is the new Purchase of Development Rights Program.
On May 5, 2021, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors adopted a new land preservation tool to conserve land in the Rural Area of the County. This new tool will allow for property owners in the Rural Area with 20+ acres of contiguous A-1, Agricultural land to submit an application to sell their development rights to the County. The Program is entirely voluntary and will allow land owners to retain ownership of their land while conserving it for natural, historical or agricultural purposes.
This program is similar to more than a dozen programs active in Virginia. These programs have had success protecting and preserving land for education, farming and environmental stewardship, and supporting the United States Department of Defense mission to limit encroachment near military installations, like Marine Corps Base Quantico.
