Latest news with #AgriculturalDevelopmentandFarmlandPreservationFund
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Commissioners invest in future of agricultural, natural lands
The Lee County commissioners made a landmark investment in the future of local agriculture and working lands at their Monday meeting. They voted to adopt a new conservation easement policy establishing an Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Fund and updating the existing Farmland Preservation Ordinance. The policy creates a conservation easement fund of $340,610, using roll back, or deferred, taxes generated when land is taken out of agricultural use and the Present Use Value program, most commonly when it is sold for development, according to Bill Stone, director of the county's Agricultural Extension Program. 'The newly established fund will reinvest the deferred taxes back into farmland preservation, earmarking these dollars toward landowner costs associated with conservation easement projects,' Stone said. Several residents spoke at Monday's meeting with most voicing support for the plan. 'It will empower farmers to resist rising development pressures, while advancing the public's goal of maintaining the open spaces which have always been such an essential and attractive element of life in Lee County,' said Jimmy Randolph of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance. Jim Foster noted that the county is continuing to grow and increase in population, subdivisions and schools. 'It's an increase in pretty much everything. With this type of growth, we have growing pains. One of the biggest pains is the loss of forest and farmlands,' he said. The board also voted to approve revisions to the existing farmland preservation ordinance that was last updated in 2013, Stone said. 'Along with maintaining their commitment to the Voluntary Agricultural District, or VAD, program, the board added the option for landowners to participate in the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District, or EVAD. That program requires a 10-year irrevocable commitment from the landowner to agree to keep the land in agricultural use,' Stone said. The ordinance allows farms smaller than five acres to qualify for the VAD and EVAD programs, recognizing the growth of smaller farms in the county. 'I'm in support of the VAD and EVAD proposals, but I'm in opposition to creating a special fund that would provide taxpayer benefits to those paying taxes on the property,' Jim Womack said. 'The issue here is taking the taxpayers' money to benefit someone who doesn't want to pay taxes. The rollback taxes should come back to the taxpayer.' Commissioner Samantha Martin cast the lone vote against the conservation easement policy. Like Womack, she believes that rollback taxes should be returned to the taxpayers.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Commissioners to consider farmland preservation policies
Feb. 15—Preserving farmland will be a dominant discussion theme at Monday's meeting of the Lee County commissioners. A public hearing is planned on a request to adopt the Lee County Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Ordinance. It is aimed at replacing the current Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance that was adopted in 2013, according to agenda documents. The proposed ordinance is the result of state legislators' adoption of the Farm Act of 2021 and enhances voluntary agricultural districts. The update includes the addition of the Enhanced Voluntary Preservation Ordinance, which provides landowners with the benefits of the current version. It also adds options for the sale of non-farm products, eligibility for some cost-share programs and priorities for consideration in applying for grants. Under the proposal, participants agree to a 10-year irrevocable agreement which creates a level of sustained commitment to the conservation agreement. "The other most significant suggested revision to this policy is the decrease of the minimum acreage required for a landowner to qualify for the program," according to agenda documents. The change would allow landowners whose farms qualify as a "bona fide" farm to enroll in the program with just one acre of land in production for horticultural or agricultural purposes. This change reflects the emergence of the growth of small farms across the county meeting the requirements for a bona fide operation that didn't qualify under the 2013 version. If the board agrees, a public hearing will be held at the next meeting. The commissioners will also consider a proposed Conservation Easement Policy that will let landowners seek the county's involvement financially or as a party and create an Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Fund. It also includes a request to use $340,610 from the county's fund balance based on rollback taxes in the last two fiscal years for the program. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Dennis Wicker Civic Center at 1800 Nash St.
