Commission reduces minimum acreage for Ag Protection Area from 40 to 20 acres

At its Sept. 17 meeting the Utah County Commission approved an ordinance amending Chapter 9.06 of the Utah County Code to reduce the minimum acreage required to form an Agricultural Protection Area from 40 acres to 20 acres. The ordinance also amended the county fee schedule to capture the cost of mailing notices for land-use applications and petitions.

Why it matters: the change makes Ag Protection Area designation available to smaller landowners who own 20 acres or more, which supporters said can help protect farmland from nearby development and preserve agricultural operations as the county grows. Commissioners described the provision as respecting property rights because landowners can opt into or out of Ag Protection at their discretion.

Discussion and context: commissioners compared the county approach to neighboring jurisdictions and said 20 acres is a common threshold. Commissioners asked how quickly landowners could apply if the ordinance passed; staff said application timing would be discussed and follow-up would occur after the meeting. One commissioner noted the change helps local farmers preserve operations amid increasing development pressure.

Action taken: a motion to approve the ordinance carried by voice vote. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript. The ordinance, as discussed, reduces the acreage threshold and updates fees to recoup mailing costs for land-use petitions.

Next steps: county staff and planning will provide details on application timing and updated fees to the public; commissioners indicated they would follow up with staff for application logistics.