A new Army program has come to the north country and could mean good things for farmers and landowners who don't want to get priced out by developers.

"Basically we allow them to participate in the real estate market, but keep their land," said Betty J. Jones, who works in the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office on post and is the liaison for the Army Compatible Use Buffer program.

The program would allow landowners to keep their land, but would stop them from selling it for development purposes. This would, in effect, maintain the "buffer zone" around the post and allow residents and landowners to continue using their land. The program is a solution to encroachment issues that other military installations have faced, and according to Mrs. Jones, it is the perfect time for the program to start at Drum because there are now no large issues of encroachment.

The program is in its early stages, and gained only $250,000 in federal financing in February. Post officials already have requested $2 million for next year. No landowners have committed to the program yet, but there are several interested farmers in Philadelphia who have begun the process.

"I was thinking about selling my farm for development because I'm almost at retirement age and taxes aren't getting any lower," said Victor R. Delles, owner of Delles Farms on Route 30 in Philadelphia. "Now I'm thinking about signing up with the program to save the farm for future generations and to protect it from urban sprawl."

To determine the price that the Army would pay to landowners, an appraisal would determine the value of the land. Current market conditions would then be factored into the value of the land and that would produce the price the Army would pay for the development rights, Mrs. Jones said.

While right now the program seems to be focusing on farms, there are several priority areas around Fort Drum that the program hopes to address. Those include land around Lake Bonaparte, in Deferiet, and at the northwest and northeast corners of the post. These are areas of priority because of the proximity to ranges, training grounds and Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

The Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. is aiding the Army in the program, acting as the negotiator for community members. Its role, according to Jay M. Matteson, county agricultural coordinator, is to advise fort officials who are working with the local farmers and to spread the word of the program in the farming community.

"We are doing this as a preliminary test phase and working with farmers," Mr. Matteson said. "As the ACUB program is implemented, there will be more opportunity for more farms to come into the program."

Mr. Matteson also noted that the Army program is compatible with the Jefferson County Agricultural Farmland Protection Plan, which is trying to preserve farmlands in the county by seeking state funds to purchase development rights on farms that are interested in the program.

Both the Fort Drum program and the protection plan are voluntary and do not require landowners to participate. Both also are negotiated through outside land trusts, and produce an agreement signed between the trust and the landowner.

"It looks like it might be worthwhile. That way we can still keep the farm going and not be forced to sell," Mr. Delles said. "I think that once it gets started, it's going to spread."