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Farmland Preservation

Task Force

Prepared by D.B. Hartt, Inc.
Kristin Hopkins, Principal Planner
Ann Pylkas, Planner
 

Chapter I: Executive Summary Tuscarawas County is facing increasing development pressure to convert productive farmland to non-agricultural uses, particularly residential and industrial.  As a result, the expanding population and associated development is beginning to fragment farmland and scatter non-agricultural uses throughout farming areas while destroying the county’s rural character, open spaces and natural environment.  Farmers need to be able to farm on quality soils, assemble and maintain large contiguous tracts of land, and make a reasonable farm income.  If farmers cannot be profitable, farmland will continue to decline as current farmers sell off their land to maintain the remaining portion of the farm or to get out of farming all together, whether for retirement or to enter another industry. To address these issues, the Tuscarawas County Farmland Preservation Task Force was created and its mission statement formulated. Tuscarawas County Farmland Preservation Task Force Mission Statement Our mission is to develop a plan for the protection and maintenance of agricultural and forest land in Tuscarawas County. This plan shall include elements that: Preserve an agricultural base that will allow for a viable commercial agriculture economy Provide for the orderly and efficient conversion of land to residential, commercial and industrial use Create an aesthetically desirable mix of uses, which will enhance a sense of pride and well-being in the residents of Tuscarawas County. The Farmland Preservation Strategy builds upon this mission statement, and includes the following: A summary of relevant background information; An assessment of the impacts of growth and development on farmland and the obstacles and pressures facing farmers; Farmland preservation goals for Tuscarawas County; and A comprehensive set of policies and implementation strategies. This report does not identify locations where these policies and implementation strategies should be applied.  It is recommended that this step be completed as part of the update of the Tuscarawas County Comprehensive Plan.     Overview of Development Pressures and the State of Agriculture in Tuscarawas County In 1985, there were 1,150 farms in Tuscarawas County with farmland totaling about 164,000 acres. In 2000, there were 1,080 farms accounting for about 154,000 acres of land in farms, or 42% of the total acreage in the county.  This represents a loss of approximately 670 acres of farmland per year*.   If farmland loss continues at this rate, within the next 25 years, the county will lose approximately 17,000 acres, or an area equal to the size of a township. An average of 315 new dwelling units are built in the county each year.  Of the new units built between 1990 and 2000, half of these were constructed townships and half in municipalities.  This trend of residential development occurring outside of cities and villages is likely to continue and to some extent will contribute to future loss of farmland.  If the current amount of residential construction continues Land is a commodity valued by all sectors of the economy.  However, developers of residential, commercial and industrial uses are typically willing and able to take on more risk and larger debt loads to spend more money on land than farmers.  Farmers cannot compete for agricultural land where there is potential development interest because land is just too expensive.  As a result, farmers faced with economic uncertainty are often convinced to sell their land and transfer it out of active agricultural production.     Goals In support of Tuscarawas County Farmland Preservation Task Force’s mission statement, the following general goals were formulated: To preserve land for farm use so that agricultural businesses can thrive. To minimize the impact of future nonfarming development on important farmland. To preserve the rural farming environment, recognizing that this environment supports a variety of other types of uses, including a growing tourist industry. To preserve open space for its contribution to the rural farming environment only to the extent that it does not compete with the preservation of farmland for priority and funding. To develop a variety of preservation strategies to ensure the flexibility to meet the demands of individual landowners and maximize alternatives for funding. Farmland Preservation Policies Five primary objectives to proactively preserve/conserve land for farming in Tuscarawas County were identified.  The objectives are listed below. Tuscarawas County Farmland Preservation Task Force Farmland Preservation Policy Objectives Find ways to definitively control the USE of properties. Reduce pressure/attraction to develop in outlying ares. Improve the financial situation of farmers. Improve the relationship between the farming community and nonfarming residents. Educate all county resident about the importance of and methods for preserving farmland. Implementation Tools Based on the above objects and their related policies, the following strategy identifies the various tools needed to implement farmland preservation in Tuscarawas County.  The implementation strategy can be divided into three major prongs: Regulatory measures; Incentive-based measures; and Educational measures. Some farmland protection tools rely on regulations.  The advantage of regulatory strategies is that they can be put in place relatively quickly, and do not generally require governments to spend a lot of money.  But new land use regulations are often controversial, and laws can always be changed - they don't guarantee that farmland will be protected in the long term. Other programs give farmers economic incentives to keep their land in agriculture.  These programs are voluntary, and they are usually more popular than regulations.  But they may also be more expensive, and they may not be able to protect large blocks of land. The common underpinning of each tool is the need for education.  It is crucial to the success of the farmland preservation effort that all individuals involved have the same knowledge base upon which to make decisions and take action.  Finally, it must be stressed that preserving farmland is a long-term process.  It is expected to take a number of years of careful planning, public and private investment, and most importantly, landowner support for the program to be successful. There will inevitably be additional tools developed over time, and the ones outlined below will likely evolve and change in order to stay relevant for the intended beneficiaries.  Therefore, this Preservation Strategy should be viewed as a working document or guidebook for government officials and landowners. A complete inventory of the farmland preservation tools recommended in this Preservation Strategy as well as others that have been utilized in various communities throughout the United States is included in the Appendix.     *Source: OSU Extension Data Center and Ohio Department of Agriculture Annual Reports. A full printed version of the Farmland Preservation Strategy is available by contacting Chris Zoller.

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  This Page Created April 2002