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Ada County adopts new Agricultural Protection Area ordinance; statewide law creates opt‑in tool for landowners
Summary
The Ada County Board adopted a new Title 11 creating Agricultural Protection Areas (APAs), a property owner opt‑in tool established by recent state legislation. The ordinance sets application rules, minimum acreage and a 20‑year minimum designation period and creates an APA commission to review requests within short statutory timelines.
Ada County commissioners adopted a new local ordinance implementing a tool created by recent Idaho legislation that allows landowners to designate Agricultural Protection Areas (APAs) on parcels that meet statutory tests.
What the ordinance does: Development Services staff presented a new Title 11 that translates the state law into a local procedure. The ordinance establishes eligibility criteria (minimum five acres; active agricultural or forest production for at least three consecutive years as defined in state code), an application and review process and a new advisory APA commission to make recommendations to the board.
Key features and limits: Designation is voluntary and initiated by the property owner; an APA runs for a minimum of 20 years unless the board approves a reduction for demonstrated hardship. The ordinance requires the board to act on APA applications within 60 days and instructs staff on recording and map updates. Staff noted that state law imposes the 60‑day schedule, which required them to design an overlay zoning mechanism to update planning maps within the time limit.
Why it matters: Supporters including local agricultural representatives said the program provides a straightforward way for working‑land owners to signal their intent to keep land in agricultural production and to limit future conflicts with urban encroachment. Critics and some commissioners noted the designation is voluntary and contains limited enforcement or financial incentives in the current law.
Board action and next steps: The board adopted the new Title 11 ordinance and instructed staff to create the APA commission and related bylaws. Staff said they will return with implementing resolutions establishing fees, bylaws and a Title 8 overlay district to handle planning map updates.
Public testimony: Farmers and dairy representatives voiced support at the hearing, characterizing the ordinance as a useful first step to protect working lands even though earlier legislative drafts had proposed stronger incentives. Ted Vanderschaft, who sits on the Idaho Dairy Association, told commissioners he supported the law as a practical start for protecting agricultural operators’ long‑term viability.
What to expect: Ada County will begin accepting APA applications once procedural bylaws and a fee schedule are adopted. Staff said the program is designed to be amended if future state or local policy provides different incentives or requirements.
