Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP)

The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing an agricultural easement on their property, keeping the farm in agricultural production in perpetuity. Monies are issued for up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm's development rights, with a payment cap of $2,000 per acre and a maximum of $500,000 per farm. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land; the land remains on the tax rolls under private ownership and management. Administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation.

The 2026 landowner application period (January 15–April 15, 2026) has closed.

• Farm must be enrolled in CAUV and the Agricultural District Program through the county auditor's office.

• Farm must be a minimum of 40 acres, or 25 acres if adjacent to a preserved farm; farms of 10-24 acres sharing a substantial border with permanently protected compatible land may request an eligibility determination.

• The landowner must demonstrate that retaining the farm in agricultural production in perpetuity is compatible with the township's or county's community plan and that it is not in the direct path of development.

• Where local governments have adopted zoning, the farm must be zoned for agricultural use.

• The farmland owner must certify that the property does not contain hazardous substances.

• The farmland owner must have been in compliance with state and federal agricultural laws for the past five years.

• The farmland owner must have possession of clear title to the property.

• The local sponsor must agree to share monitoring and enforcement responsibilities.

• A minimum of 25 percent of the points-based appraised value of the easement must be provided as cash match by the local sponsor, donation by the landowner, or a combination.

Easement payment. ODA issues "up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm's development rights." Payment caps: "$2,000 per acre, with a maximum of $500,000 per farm." No minimum payment is published.

Required match. "A minimum of 25 percent of the points-based appraised value of the agricultural easement must be provided either in cash match by the local sponsor, donation by the landowner, or a combination of donation and cash match."

Term. The easement is perpetual. It is recorded in the county recorder's office, "limits the use of the land to predominantly agricultural activity and prohibits the conversion of the land to non-agricultural uses," and "is binding on all future owners of the property." The land "remains under private ownership and management and stays on the tax rolls under Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV)," and can still be sold or gifted at any time.

Timing. "Application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days." A landowner cannot apply directly — a certified Local Sponsor submits on the landowner's behalf. No individual may sell more than one easement in a funding round, and title, escrow, closing and recording costs are deducted from the easement purchase payment at closing.

Verified 2026-09-04 on ODA's Clean Ohio LAEPP program page (the Landowners page linked as this record's website does not restate the payment terms).

The 2026 landowner application window (January 15–April 15, 2026) has closed. The 2027 Local Sponsor certification window ran September 21–October 23, 2026.

• Landowners cannot apply directly to ODA. Applications must be submitted on the landowner's behalf by a certified Local Sponsor (a municipal corporation, county, township, soil and water conservation district, or charitable organization).

• During an open application period, landowners apply through a certified Local Sponsor using ODA's online LAEPP Landowner Application (https://www.apps.agri.ohio.gov/laeppapplication/); application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days.

• Questions: contact ODA's Office of Farmland Preservation.

• 2026 LAEPP Policies and Guidelines (PDF)

• LAEPP program overview

• Local Sponsors page: current application dates