DC PR&D recommends county board adopt farmland preservation plan

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  —  Recognizing that agriculture as an important part of Dunn County’s economy, the Dunn County Planning, Resources and Development committee is recommending that the county board adopt a new farmland preservation plan.

The PR&D committee held a public hearing on the proposed farmland preservation plan April 5.

“It’s been a long process to get to this point,” said Bob Colson, Dunn County planner.

The farmland preservation plan has been sent off to the state, and state officials are now reviewing the plan to make comments, he said.

Colson noted that he had hoped the comments from the state would be available by the time of the public hearing, but that turned out not to be the case.

While several members of the public did attend the public hearing, none of them wished to speak about the proposed farmland preservation plan.

If the Dunn County Board approves the farmland preservation plan, it will be added to the county’s comprehensive Smart Growth land use plan.

The farmland preservation plan is intended to guide efforts related to protecting farmland and to promote agriculture in Dunn County through the year 2034.

Green map

The new farmland preservation plan includes a new map for Dunn County, and most of the county has been identified as eligible for farmland preservation, Colson said.

The areas of the county designated as eligible for farmland preservation are in green on the map, but not all green areas are zoned as farmland preservation, he said.

If an area of the county is certified as eligible for farmland preservation but is not currently zoned as farmland preservation, landowners could form an Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA), Colson said.

The farmland preservation plan and being certified as eligible for farmland preservation indicates that Dunn County has a preference to preserve farmland, he said.

When the townships were doing their Smart Growth comprehensive plans, surveys from residents all came back saying they wanted to preserve the rural nature of their township, Colson noted.

Dan Prestebak, county conservationist, noted that land use decisions must be consistent with the comprehensive land use plan.

Colson agreed but noted that there is nothing that says county officials cannot change their minds about the comprehensive plan as long as they go through the process outlined in state statutes to amend the comprehensive land use plan.

The process includes public participation and a series of public meetings.

“The staff recommendation (to adopt the farmland preservation plan) is to say that lots of effort went into farmland preservation, so an effort should be made to preserve (farmland),” Colson said.

IA/PA

All together, 80 percent of the green area on the map is either Intensive Agriculture or Primary Agriculture, which is eligible for farmland preservation zoning, Colson said.

But even land that is designated as certified for farmland preservation but is not eligible for farmland preservation zoning can still be part of an Agriculture Enterprise Area, Colson said.

An Agriculture Enterprise Area needs five sponsors to go around and contact landowners for inclusion in the AEA. The land must be contiguous, and all landowners are eligible, but if only one participates, the lone participant is still eligible for the credit, Colson explained.

AEAs are competitive, noted Tom Quinn of Downing, county board supervisor and a member of the PR&D committee.

The state only allows a certain number of acres that can be designated as Ag Enterprise Areas, Colson noted.

Dunn County has one Ag Enterprise Area that covers 25,908 acres that spans two counties (Chippewa and Dunn) and includes all or parts of seven townships — Grant, Colfax, Sand Creek, Otter Creek, Auburn (Chippewa County) and Cooks Valley (Chippewa County). The AEA was petitioned by the Town of Grant and is primarily located in that township.

Purpose

Dunn County’s existing farmland preservation plan was adopted in 1979, and much has changed about farming during that period of time.

The Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative was adopted in July of 2009, and one priority of the Working Lands Initiative is for every county in the state to update the county’s farmland preservation plan.

Under the new law, the Dunn County farmland preservation plan was scheduled to be updated by the end of December in 2011.

Dunn County’s completion date was extended to December 31, 2015.

According to Dunn County’s proposed farmland preservation plan, “In the past, agricultural land has been treated in many land use plans as a holding area for eventual developed uses. Where planning has occurred for local agriculture, too frequently the plan treats the farm economy as an interim use, eventually making way for other uses. Agricultural land often lacks a legal underpinning to protect it … the mapping of appropriate farmland preservation areas will place a significantly higher emphasis on the preservation of these areas. This farmland preservation plan does not intend to prevent non-agricultural development. Rather, planning and farmland preservation activities are used to limit non-agricultural development in areas with favorable conditions for agricultural enterprises, and target other areas for non-agricultural development. Planning for long-term farmland preservation and for the economic development of agriculture can help identify and preserve a sufficient land and infrastructure base needed to support agriculture. Planning for agriculture can also contribute to other goals, such as preserving wildlife habitat areas and maintaining groundwater recharge areas.”

Statistics 

Here are some statistics and facts about farming in Dunn County from the proposed farmland preservation plan:

• In the 2010 census of agriculture, Dunn County had 1,001 farms, compared to 936 in the year 2000, representing an increase of four percent.

• The number of acres of farmland in Dunn County declined from 170,404 in 2002 to 164,014 in 2010, translating into a seven percent decline in farm size, going from 177 acres in 2000 to 164 acres.

• The trend of more farms and fewer acres in agriculture also is occurring in surrounding counties.

• More than half of all farms are being operated by people who have another primary occupation. The average age of farmers in Dunn County is older than the general population. Farmers in Dunn County are predominantly male and white.

• Among the 72 counties in Wisconsin, in the 2010 Census of Agriculture, Dunn County ranks 7th in growing corn for grain, ranks 6th in growing soybeans for beans, ranks 19th for forage land and ranks 31st in growing corn for silage.

• Among the 72 counties in Wisconsin, Dunn County ranks 2nd for growing turkeys, 22nd for cattle and calves, 12th  for sheep and lambs, and 20th for hogs and pigs.

• Regarding market value of agricultural products sold, Dunn County ranks 16th in total value among the 72 counties, ranks 6th for crops (including nurseries and greenhouses), and 23rd for livestock and poultry.

• Agriculture provides 3,890 jobs in Dunn County, which is about 17 percent of the county’s workforce of 23,404.

• Agriculture in Dunn County generates $800 million in economic activity, which accounts for $225 million of the county’s total income, or 14.8 percent.

• Dunn County farms and ag-related businesses generate $10.6 million in local and state taxes.