Network Documents

helpful, recent analysis of payments for ecosystem services, produced for Colorado State Land Board by Sonoran Institute. 

Summary of research on Transfer of Development Rights in Summit County. Submitted by Rick Hum.

Summary of all ideas presented during the second Action Team meeting in February, with corresponding champions and related homework insights.

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/made-in-place/?download=yes&key=44389930

https://www.greenneighborhoods.org/casebook.pdf

Link to story on the severe famine in Denmark in the late 1800s and how the country used the crises to transform itself agriculturally. Today Denmark creates a food surplus. This change of events was created by food producers coming together in cooperation and branding their products with pride from Denmark. Submitted by Elise Backinger.

Summary of what the local nonprofit organization, Guidestone, offers in the way of education resources in support of the continued legacy of agriculture in our community. Submitted by Dan Waldvogle.

Comprehensive list of online resources where myriad information can be found about how to support the continued legacy of agriculture. Emphasis on models, programs and laws that support increasing a diversified farm/ranch income. Submitted by Dan Waldvogle.

A portion of the 1% sales tax readopted in 2012 with 80% voter approval is devoted to land preservation.  In 2011 the amount was $308,268.  The Fund is designated for open space, agricultural preservation, wildlife habitat, wetland preservation, access to public lands, trails, and watershed protection in the county.  Administered by the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Board. The County relaxes building permits requirements for ag operation structures. There are reduced administrative steps for small lot development on ranches. The County has an incentive program to develop funds for preservation of working landscapes and open space.  Subdivision requirement of 30% open space can be reduced to 15% if developer agrees to pay a fee equal to 10% of the increased value of land (per assessor) from ag to res development.  The fee can be paid  as land is sold over time.  Sig Jaastad

working with public & private agencies, and securing funding How does Salida Mountain Trials do it?

All ranchers report that the development of rural residential subdivisions increases the difficulties and, consequently, the cost of ranching.  It becomes an even greater problem when the subdivisions adjoin ranching operations.  One ranching family reports they now have two adjoining subdivisions that will eventually make ranching impossible.  Faced with this certainty, the incentive is strong to subdivide earlier rather than later when additional land use restrictions might make subdividing more difficult or less profitable and when objections from residents of the adjoining subdivisions could raise obstacles to subdividing of the adjoining ranch.  Sig Jaastad  

How might we research local models to provide educational support for the legacy of agriculture and also educate the community on the value of agricultural lands and the challenges/benefits/needs of local producers, Louise Olsen-Marquez

Development of Ag & Towns - Organic Certification by Oregon Tilth

Agriculture and Development in Towns  - Open space acquistion - Boulder County  

Healthy Landscapes and Balanced Recreation - Collaborative resource mangement - Roan Plateau  

A report produced by Colorado Counties, Inc. provides differing views on the impact on Colorado counties of the 35 acre subdivision exemption (lots of 35 or more acres are not subject to local subdivision regulations). -          Absent other regulatory tools, this exemption can impair both the ability of counties to provide and pay for services and their ability to manage land use within the county. -          According to the American Farmland Trust, farmers and ranchers in Colorado are recognizing land values exceeding agricultural production value by 30 to 100 times when selling to developers or real estate speculators. -          Others see the development of 35-acre lots as an effective way to preserve open space and forests. -          For every tax dollar they bring in, large lot rural developments in Colorado represent $1.65 in infrastructure costs. -          Owners moving onto 35-acre parcels often aggravate counties and farmers and ranchers with nuisance complaints related to the active farming and ranching activities of their neighbors.  Sig Jaastad    

Custer County relies heavily on large lot zoning and conservation easements for preservation of the ag lands.  Agricultural and residential uses are permitted in all 4 zones but other uses are subject to restrictions.  Minimum lot sizes 80 acres, 35 acres, 10 acres, and  5 acres depending on zone.  The zone map was developed based on the physical characteristics of the County as well as existing land uses and ownership.  Sig Jaastad

Summary of Alan Robinson's thoughts: -          Agritourism as in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.  Multiple examples and wide variation in activities.  Tours, walks, horseback riding, meals, overnights, participation in operations, mountain-biking, etc. -          Pro-bono tax accounting and financial planning services. -          Group health plan. -          Seasonal uses of land such as camping. -          Cash crops where feasible.  Sig Jaastad  

On page 13 of a survey of visitors to Chaffee County conducted by CSU, a chart provides an estimate of projected loss of visitor revenue as a function of loss of working landscapes.  Sig Jaastad

A chart on page 10 of a survey of Chaffee County residents indicates their willingness to pay to preserve working landscapes.  Of the 638 responders to the survey, about 130 indicated a willingness to pay $100 to help preserve the working landscapes.  Sig Jaastad

Our education partners at Colorado State University provided two leading papers on Payment for Ecosystem Services - PES (attached). PES programs identify environmental services that are of value to buyers that have the willingness and ability to pay for them. There are 3 working examples of these programs: 1. Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project - a program that pays ranchers for water storage and reduced P loading (funded due to impacts on Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades), 2. Texas - payment for endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler habitat, and  3. Oregon - payment for salmon habitat, wetlands, upland prairie habitat and water temperature regulation. All these have in common endangered species or ecosystems with big funding - but there may be some ideas we could borrow in Chaffee.  

This is a presentation summarizing how Routt county successfully planned to keep growth focused in towns.  They developed a County Master Plan (jointly adopted by county and town governments) that directed all new residential, commercial and industrial development into growth centers (in and around towns).  They also passed a sales tax supporting a development rights purchase program to keep working lands working.

Envision Utah is a similar planning effort focused on the Wasatch Front that started in 1997 and is still going strong. · A key bright spot in their process and progress was a community meeting on “Where to Grow”. Maps showing the things the public valued (from a survey like Envision completed) were provided – Ag lands, key habitats, forest, key community assets/towns etc. All the community was invited. Each participant was given “development chips” each representing a number of new community members moving in. Attendees selected areas for growth and priorities for protection. These became a guiding map for infrastructure and growth zone planning.

This is data from an interview with Randy Carpenter, former Gallatin MT Planner and now with Future west.  He sites 3 keys that created success in MT: 1. Keeping working lands working 2. Protecting the best lands (riparian, wildlife corridors, best irrigated Ag land) with County purchase of development rights.  These are essentially mini-easements funded by count bond measures matched with many other funding sources.   3. Getting county and city government to agree on "Growth Zones" and create infrastructure and zoning plans that match.

Levy was reauthorized in 2006 for 20 years with a 1.5-mill levy, which currently generates about $1.6 million to $1.9 million annually. That money, along with the donation of some value by the landowner, is used to attract and match additional funding from organizations such as Great Outdoors Colorado to purchase the development rights on tracts of land, limiting the possibility of future development.  Sig Jaastad.  

Agricultural preserves are restrictive covenants that limit land use to agriculture or forestry for a minimum of eight years. In return, landowners receive property tax credits, protection for normal agricultural practices, and other benefits. Owners of land in agricultural preserves receive the following benefits: § A $1.50 per acre per year property tax credit. § Annexation proceedings affecting agricultural preserves are limited and must meet certain criteria. § Eminent domain proceedings are limited and subject to public and administrative review. § Local governments may not enact ordinances or regulations that restrict normal farm practices unless directly related to public health and/or safety. § Public water, sewer, and drainage projects are prohibited unless the owner chooses to use and will benefit from the projects.   Sig Jaastad.  

Part I: Subdivision and rezoning applications on high potential cropping land Prohibition on subdivision of high potential cropping land 5. The subdivision of high potential cropping land is prohibited, unless approved by the Minister in accordance with section 12(4). Prohibition on rezoning of high potential cropping land 6. The rezoning, with associated subdivision if required, of high potential cropping land is prohibited, unless approved by the Intergovernmental Committee in accordance with section 12(5).  Sig Jaastad. http://nda.agric.za/docs/media/Draft%20Preservation%20and%20Development%20of%20%20Agricultural%20Land%20Framenwork%20Bill.pdf  

Measure J and its successor, measure P, adopted by Napa County voters place most proposed land use changes away from agricultural in the hands of the voters, removing the decision from the hands of the county commissioners.  Sig Jaastad http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/agricultural-land-advocate-volker-eisele-dies/article_acec97be-6bbd-5b1c-9a5a-25e5569a593e.html

The German Federal Constitutional Court pointed out in 1967 that land is not expandable. “This fact makes it impossible to leave its use to be determined by the obscure interplay of market forces and the whim of the individual. An equitable legal and social system calls instead for the public interest to play a much stronger role in the case of land than in the case of other property assets. That is why land cannot be treated as moveable goods in legal relationships” (loc cit).  Sig Jaastad.

Like everywhere else, there is now a crisis in Swiss agriculture. Traditional small-holdings are no longer profitable or even viable Farms with a surface of more than 20 hectares have bucked this trend, though, with their numbers increasing. Swiss farmers need CHF2.5 billion in direct payments or state subsidies every year, whether or not they face competition. Some estimates suggest that supporting farming costs the Swiss taxpayer CHF4 billion annually. Direct payments have the advantage of not simply rewarding overproduction. They can selectively promote sectors of farming working in line with Swiss agricultural policy, for instance, organic farming. Nowadays over 12% of cultivated soil is farmed according to strict organic requirements. Sig Jaastad.    

Farmland Development Rights Agreements A temporary restriction on the land between the State and a landowner, voluntarily entered into by a landowner, preserving their land for agriculture in exchange for certain tax benefits and exemptions for various special assessments. Local Open Space Easement A temporary restriction on the land between the local government and a landowner, voluntarily entered into by a landowner, preserving their land as open space in exchange for certain tax benefits and exemptions for various special assessments. Designated Open Space Easement A temporary restriction on specially designated lands between the State and a landowner, voluntarily entered into by a landowner, preserving their land as open space in exchange for certain tax benefits and exemptions for various special assessments.  Sig Jaastad. http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1599_2558-10301--,00.html  

Agricultural Enterprise Areas provide for a farmland preservation agreement in which an agri-business person can receive $5 or $10 per acres in exchange for agreeing to keep the land in agricultural use for 15 years.  Sig Jaastad. https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/AEAOverview.pdf  

 The Green Acres Program (Minnesota Agricultural Property Tax Law) The Green Acres Program provides property tax relief for owners of agricultural property in areas where the market value of land is affected by development pressure, sales of recreational land, or other nonagricultural factors. Farmland preservation is not a stated purpose of the law, but tax relief is recognized nationally as a tool to help protect farmland. For details, see the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s Green Acres fact sheet (PD Sig Jaastad

A 25 percent surcharge is added to Maryland's agricultural land transfer tax is imposed on qualifying land transfers by individuals and businesses. Lots of two acres or less to be improved and transferred to a child or grandchild of the owner are exempt from the 25 percent surcharge.  Sig Jaastad. http://taxes.marylandtaxes.gov/Business_Taxes/Business_Tax_Types/Income_Tax/Tax_Information/Filing_Fees_and_Surcharges/Agricultural_Land_Transfer_Tax_Surcharge.shtml          

Sale of Entire Property -If a landowner wants to sell a farm outright, the SADC (State Agricultural Development Committee) can purchase it at fair-market value under its fee simple program. The SADC then auctions the farm to a private owner with agricultural deed restrictions in place that ensure its permanent preservation. This option also provides other farmers with opportunities to purchase land at reasonable prices that reflect only farmland values, not development potential.  Sig Jaastad. http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve/  

Delaware's farmland preservation program has two major components – Agricultural Preservation Districts and Agricultural Conservation Easements. Preservation Districts are voluntary agreements where landowners agree to continue to only use their land only for agriculture for at least 10 years. Agricultural easements are purchases of development rights by the Foundation, placing imposing a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the property. Landowners must enroll their farm into a Preservation District before they can sell an easement. Sig Jaastad https://dda.delaware.gov/aglands/index.shtml  

Eight-Year Preservation - Landowners can choose to voluntarily restrict development on their land for a period of eight years. Although landowners receive no payment for this, they are eligible to apply for cost-sharing grants for soil and water conservation projects, as well as for the Farmland Preservation Program's other benefits and protections. Sig Jaastad. http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve/  

This is a map provided by Karin Adams that shows land status in Chaffee County. The takeaway is that private land that is not already subdivided is very limited due to the high percentage of federal, state and protected lands.

This is a county map that shows building permits issued outside of the 3 mile radius surrounding towns in 2016 and 2017.  In that time, 450 new home permits were issued, about 80 of them more than 3 miles outside of existing city limits.

Summit County has created Basin Planning Commissions to coordinate land use planning between the County and the Towns.

Transferable Development Rights have been successfully used in Summit County to encourage development in and around towns and growth areas and to preserve back county areas.

Action Team members should use this form to complete homework assignments between meetings.

Notes from exploration exercise during first Action Team meeting in January.

This document includes a summary of work completed as well as    — Focus Areas for Research
— Next Steps
— Team Homework

On December 19, 2017, Chaffee County ranchers gathered to provide feedback and insight to Envision Chaffee County. Hearing their perspective is essential to finding common ground and creating ways to ensure that working lands, and the waters, wildlife, views, local foods and economy they support, remain an integral part of Chaffee County in the future. The Envision Team asked the following three questions, and listened to, recorded and analyzed more than 250 answers: What are your future hopes for your ranch/agricultural lands? What is currently working for you with regard to your ranch/ag lands? What needs to change to make your vision reality? A summary of responses is included in this report. Publication date: January 1, 2018

As part of identifying what the community values during Phase I of the Envision Chaffee County initiative, the Envision Team conducted a survey designed to gather input from a representative sample of the County’s population. Community engagement in the Envision survey was excellent, with 1,203 total respondents – more than a quarter of whom asked to stay involved in the project. The demographic summary of survey participants shows a strongly representative sampling of Chaffee County citizens. Coverage by zip code area, age bracket and work force participation is highly representative of County composition. Coverage of all income ranges is also high, but with somewhat of an under-representation of lower incomes and over-representation of higher income ranges. This potential bias was addressed by testing results for each survey question by income range and reporting any significant differences. A broad range of different lengths of county residency was also sampled, even though no county-wide data were available for comparison. In summary, the Envision community survey is representative; it provides very clear and quantitative information about what the county’s residents value most and what concerns them as they consider the County’s growth. This report complements the Community Interview Report. Published: November 6, 2017

As part of identifying what the community values during Phase I of the Envision Chaffee County initiative, the Envision Team conducted short interviews (five questions) with a broad range of local residents to discuss one-on-one their vision for Chaffee County’s future, and garner their feedback on the draft results statements created by the Envision Team during the group’s first meeting in early October. A total of 95 people were interviewed. This report complements the Community Survey Report. Everyone who participated in the first Envision Team meeting was invited to interview community members. The result was a diverse set of conversations with people who participate in the Chaffee County community a variety of ways, including: Buena Vista and Salida school administrators and teachers; business owners; bankers; realtors; ranchers; public officials; pastors; outdoor enthusiasts; retirees; high school students; seasonal workers; parents; teachers; foresters; and more. Coverage by zip code area and age bracket was representative of Chaffee County’s composition. Published: November 7, 2017

As part of Phase I of the Envision Chaffee County initiative, the community defined what is most valued in Chaffee County and then developed four vision statements describing the future citizens want to see. The community then defined measures to show how we are doing relative to these Community Visions. These measures are the basis of our report card. This report card is a first for our community – a data-centric “grading” that shows how we are progressing relative to the vision citizens have for the future. This report card shows some areas to celebrate, and many areas that require new approaches and planning, to create a future where the community’s vision becomes reality.  Published: January 15, 2018