Morrow County commissioners back Soil and Water District to become certified local sponsor for Ohio farmland preservation

The Morrow County Board of Commissioners voted to support the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District’s application to become a certified local sponsor for the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Farmland Preservation Program.

The resolution, introduced by Speaker 2 and read into the record by Speaker 1, notes that Morrow County currently has 13 closed easements covering more than 1,800 acres and that the Soil and Water Conservation District has performed annual monitoring of those easements for 19 years. Speaker 1 moved to approve the resolution and the motion was seconded; roll-call confirmations recorded verbal "Yes" responses and the resolution was adopted.

Speaker 3 explained how the certified local sponsor role works and described the program’s funding limits. "We usually get about $140,000 to work with," Speaker 3 said, adding that ODA’s top payment is typically "$2,000 per acre." Speaker 3 and Speaker 1 both described the program as competitive and limited by annual allocations, so larger farms can consume a significant portion of the local sponsor’s yearly funds.

Commissioners also asked about the compatibility of farmland preservation easements with solar leases. Speaker 1 asked whether solar would be allowed under an existing preservation easement; Speaker 3 responded, "If you had any preservation easement on your property, solar would not be an option," and emphasized that the district aims to maintain drainage and other natural-resource values.

The resolution instructs county support for the Soil and Water Conservation District’s certification application; no new funding commitments or programmatic changes were adopted during the meeting. The board recorded the action and proceeded to other agenda items. The next Commission session was scheduled for Oct. 15.