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County staff present draft farmland preservation plan; public hearing, open house and DATCP certification timeline laid out
Summary
Washington County staff presented the draft 10-year farmland preservation plan update, described how preservation areas were delineated and said a public hearing and ordinance vote are scheduled for May 15; staff will send the plan to the state for certification after local approval.
County planning staff gave a detailed presentation of the draft Washington County farmland preservation plan, describing statutory requirements, mapping methodology, town outreach and the timeline for public review and state certification.
Staff explained the farmland preservation program is governed by state statute (Chapter 91) and that counties must update farmland preservation plans every 10 years. The county’s plan inventory includes agricultural trends, a farmland evaluation and site assessment (LESA/LISA) analysis, and a delineation that produced tier 1 and tier 2 preservation areas. Tier 1 parcels scored highest on soils and site evaluation; tier 2 parcels remain candidates for protection but scored lower.
Staff described the five-step delineation and screening process: parcels were evaluated by soil and natural features, screened for planned nonagricultural land use and municipal sewer-service areas, grouped into minimum block sizes (35 acres minimum for grouped parcels) and reviewed with towns. The county distributed draft maps to towns and invited feedback. Staff said seven towns passed resolutions of intent supporting inclusion of mapped areas; those town-approved areas will be submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for certification.
Presentation highlights included: the plan’s required elements (inventory of agricultural resources, trends, goals and implementation actions), plan chapters, recommended actions that the county and municipalities can take to support agriculture beyond the state farmland preservation programs, and the implementation steps the county will follow if the committee and county board approve the plan.
Key dates and process: an open house for landowners in the mapped areas will be held April 30; the formal public hearing and committee consideration is scheduled for May 15; after committee action and any revisions, staff will submit the plan to DATCP for certification (DATCP has up to 90 days to review). Once the county adopts the plan and it is certified, towns may implement farmland preservation zoning or pursue agricultural enterprise areas and farmland preservation agreements with the state; landowners’ participation remains voluntary.
Ending: Staff asked committee members to review the 216-page draft and said chapter-level PDFs and links will be circulated; staff will incorporate public feedback before the May public hearing.
