Michigan’s Farmland Open Space Preservation Program

Michigan’s Farmland Open Space Preservation Program allows landowners to enter into a developmental rights agreement with the State, under which they can receive certain tax benefits and not be subject to special assessments in exchange for committing to keep the land in agricultural use for at least 10 years. In 2019, pollinator-friendly commercial solar sites were approved for enrollment in the program. The policy change opened up 3.4 million acres of farmland currently enrolled in the program to pollinator-friendly solar development. A landowner participating in the program and building a solar facility is required to plan and design the site to achieve a score of 76 or higher on the State’s pollinator habitat scorecard.