Participation in Maryland's Agricultural Land Preservation Program: The Adoption of an Innovative Agricultural Land Policy

Abstract

Landowner participation in the agricultural districting and development rights acquisition programs of the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) is examined as the adoption and diffusion of an innovative agricultural land policy. Nine hypotheses of adoption behavior are tested using data obtained from interviews with 104 landowners at various stages of MALPF program participation. Predictive models of the decisions to enroll land in an agricultural district, propose a development rights sale to MALPF, and consummate a development rights sale are estimated using factor analysis and logit regression. The existence of and communication with neighbors, friends, relatives and near-by landowners who are MALPF program participants are associated with decisions to enroll land in a district as well as decisions to propose and sell development rights. The effects of MALPF program participation on property rights distribution, government involvement, and financial management are concordant with the attitudes and management styles of participating landowners. Geographic areas containing landowners most likely to gain relative advantages by participating in the programs contain high concentrations of participants. Communication and the flow of information within a social system and from external sources are important determinants of development rights sale. A generalized model of adoption behavior is presented and discussed in terms of its public policy implications.