Bethlehem Farmland Program Lacks Acreage, Cost Details | The Locally Times
Bethlehem is offering agricultural land in Glenmont and Selkirk for 2026, but public records omit the acreage, lease costs, and how applicants will be chosen.
The Town of Bethlehem opened applications for its 2026 agricultural land use program, setting a 3:00 p.m. deadline on Friday, March 13, 2026. The program offers seasonal hay harvesting licenses and agricultural use lease agreements for town-owned land in Glenmont and Selkirk. A March 13 meeting record stated the program provides a variety of farmland opportunities, but public documents do not define the scope or specifics of the 2026 offerings. ## Acreage, Costs, and Duration Undisclosed The March 13 announcement established the program but omitted key terms. Public records do not specify the acreage of the parcels in Glenmont or Selkirk, nor do they outline the financial terms, such as lease costs or harvesting fees. The duration of the agricultural lease agreements is also not stated in the documents. Without these details, the public cannot assess the scale of the program, its potential revenue for the town, or the economic value of the opportunities. ## Selection Process and Criteria Kept Private Town documents do not detail the process for awarding the leases and licenses. While the March 13 announcement set a deadline, it included no criteria for how the town will evaluate applicants. It is not specified whether the selection will be based on competitive bids, a lottery, or a qualitative review of proposals or agricultural experience. This lack of defined criteria raises questions about how the town will ensure an equitable allocation of public resources. Furthermore, public records do not indicate who is responsible for reviewing applications, when awardees will be announced, or how many applications the town received by the deadline. The town has also not published a list of the individuals or entities that applied. It is unclear if the primary goal is to generate revenue, preserve open space, support the local agricultural economy, or a combination of these aims. Without stated goals, the public has no metrics to measure the program's success. Future disclosures from the town on lease recipients, financial terms, and total acreage allocated will be necessary for public accountability. These details are required to understand who benefits from the use of public land in Bethlehem and what financial return, if any, is generated for taxpayers.