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 While
Wisconsin does not yet have a state-wide Purchase of Development
Rights (PDR) program for protecting our agricultural lands, many local
units of government are moving ahead to create such programs in
their communities.
Click
here for a report on Purchase of Development Rights Programs completed
by the American Farmland Trust »
If you know of local PDR initiatives not listed below, or if you have questions about local purchase of development rights programs, contact Mike Carlson at 608.251.9131 x13.
The Town of Dunn
Located just south of Madison, the Town of Dunn
created one of Wisconsin's first PDR programs in 1996. As this
map shows, the Town has worked with a wide set of partners and
has used a variety of tools to protect the critical land in their
community. See
the Town of Dunn's website »
The Town of Bayfield
Town of Bayfield implemented a Purchase of Development
Rights program from 2002-2004. This community of only 625 people
chose to contribute $300,000 to a PDR program in order to ensure
the protection of their Town's unique orchard community. The program
was administered by the Town of Bayfield with day-to-day coordination
by the local land trust, the Bayfield
Regional Conservancy.
Town of Windsor (Dane County) - setting up a program
On January 23, 2007, the Town of Windsor approved
a voluntary purchase of development rights program to protect farmland
and environmentally sensitive land by compensating landowners for
limiting future development on their land. The program will be funded
with $500,000 in direct municipal obligations of the Town of Windsor
and is being set up with the assistance of the Natural
Heritage Land Trust.
See
a pdf document outlining the Town's plan here.
Rock County - considering a program
The following material was taken from a Janesville Gazette November 25, 2007 article.
It’s too soon to know if it will work, but Rock County is considering a new option for farmers who want to sell land.
The land conservation committee is talking about a purchase of development rights program. With PDR, people or organizations get government grants or cash from conservation groups to buy farmland at development price rather than agricultural price.
A developer might pay twice what another farmer will pay for fields, said Neil Deupree, committee chairman.
The land goes into a permanent conservation easement. Development is forbidden, but the land could be farmed.
“The overall point is that right now, farmers are really pressured to consider selling good farmland for development because the price is so much higher,” Deupree said.
LaCrosse County - creating a pilot program
The following material was taken from a La
Crosse Tribune March 6, 2007 article.
La Crosse County is moving slowly toward preserving
farmland by buying development rights. On March 5, the county board
voted to start work on a pilot program for 2008. Based on the results,
the county could ask voters for permission to raise taxes to pay
for it. The board voted to have its Planning, Resources and Development
Committee start work on a resolution to create the program. If approved
in a few months by the full county board, funding would be decided
in the 2008 budget.
Handy suggested starting with $250,000, which
would be matched with $500,000 in state and federal grants, and
other funding sources. That $750,000 could be enough to preserve
500 acres, he estimated.
If that pilot program is successful, said County
Administrator Steve O’Malley, the county can have a binding
referendum letting voters decide whether to raise taxes above the
current limits to buy development rights.
Jefferson County - developing a program
The following material was taken from a Waterton
Daily Times April 23, 2007 article.
The [Jefferson] county board voted 21-6 to create a voluntary purchase of development rights program to preserve farmland and support viable farm operations. It also aims to protect the county's natural land and water resources, maintain Jefferson County's agricultural heritage and quality of life, and to fulfill the goals set forth in the county's 1999 Agricultural Preservation and Land Use Plan.
The county board also directed that the Purchase of Development Rights Plan be developed and overseen by a seven-member Farmland Preservation Comis-sion composed of five county supervisors and two citizen members.
..."no other county in the state has a purchase of development rights program, “ ... so we are in virgin territory. This is going to take time to develop,” Sharon Schmeling, [chairwoman of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors] said.
She said already nearly 20 farmers and landowners have contacted county supervisors, seeking information about the purchase of development rights program. Clearly, there is strong public interest in preserving agricultural lands.
“That's why the county board created the Farmland Preservation Commission. We have high hopes that we can develop a voluntary program that will assist rural landowners who want to keep their land in agriculture,” Schmeling said.
See a March 14 Waterton Daily Times article »
See
the Jefferson County Farm Land Preservation Commission's website
»
Sauk County - discussing options
The following material was taken from a Baraboo News Republic May 21, 2007 article.
It will be controversial and unpopular with some people, a County Board member says, but Sauk County should develop a program to buy development rights on farmland and keep it in crop production rather than subdivisions.
Sauk County Land Conservation Committee members pondered the issue of purchasing development rights during their Thursday meeting. It is early in the discussion, but some County Board members favor a program similar to the existing one which pays owners of land in the Baraboo Bluffs to keep it undeveloped, said County Conservationist Joe Van Berkel. ...
In September 2004 the County Board voted on a farmland purchase of development rights proposal and rejected it 17-12. ...
Purchasing development rights is supported by a core group of county supervisors, Zowin said, but she didn't expect the proposal to move forward quickly.
"I guess we're just at the discussion phase and trying to find out information from other people and what they feel about it," she said. "It has to start somewhere."
Burnett County - planning to develop a program
Burnett County's 2006 Strategic Plan includes developing a PDR program. Burnett County Land & Water Conservation meetings in 2007 have included discussions about PDR program development and financing.
See Burnett County's 2006 Strategic plan (page 19) »
See public hearing notices, agendas and minutes »
The Town of Aztalan - looking into PDR
The following material was taken from a Waterton Daily Times May 14, 2007 article.
Farm Preservation Committee held an open house on the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR), the first in a series of public informational meetings that are to take place. Burow will try to keep the township informed of upcoming PDR meetings and will ask that notices of upcoming meetings be sent to townships within the county.
The Town of Onalaska - Reviewing and possibly developing a program
According to the Town of Onalaska's website, they have contracted with Schreiber Anderson and Associates (SAA) to conduct a public survey on PDR.
The Town of Omro - exploring PDR
The following material was taken from a Oshkosh Northwestern August 19, 2007 article.
Town Chairman Brian Noe is investigating a program called Purchase of Development Rights that would accomplish that goal, he said. A session may be held in the town this fall to explain how it works.
The incentive-based program would pay landowners who sell the rights to develop their land. They could still farm the land, give it to their children, or sell it, but it could never be developed, said Catherine Neiswender, community development educator in Winnebago County UW-Extension.
The amount landowners receive varies, but it is generally competitive with market rates, Neiswender said. "The tricky part is that it is a challenge for towns to have the money to buy the rights," she said. State and federal money is available, Neiswender said.
"If we truly want to preserve farmland this is how we can do it," Noe said.
Washington County - proposal did not pass on 4.3.07
The following material was taken from a West
Bend Daily News March 3, 2007 article.
There is strong and growing grassroots support
for a Washington County PDR program. The Washington County Board
voted 19-10 in January to put the PDR preservation issue on the
April 3 general election ballot. Last year, the board split on two
resolutions, first passing one 17-11 in March to start a PDR program,
then in May rescinding the first resolution on a 15-14 vote. A third
resolution, passed the same day as the referendum question, authorized
starting a county-run PDR program if it is approved April 3. That
vote was 16-13. If enacted, the PDR program would begin in 2008.
Washington
County Land Preservation Initiative campaign website »
Town of Mukwonago (Waukesha County) - proposal
did not pass on 4.3.07
The Mukwonago Town Board has decided to send the
Purchase of Development Rights issue to referendum. See
their website for more information. Here is the question as
it will appear on the April 3, 2007 ballot.
"Should the Town of Mukwonago Town Board
initiate a program for rural preservation through the purchase of
development rights (PDR) to permanently preserve farmland, water
resources, natural areas and open space that are voluntarily offered
for sale by property owners in the Town, with the program to cost
all taxable property in the Town $.50 per $1000 of assessed valuation
per year not to exceed 20 years?"
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