Enrollment for Landowners to Apply for Ag District
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact Patrice Perry
518-828-3375
LANDOWNERS APPLY IN OCTOBER FOR AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT ENROLLMENT
Most of the land used for agricultural production in Columbia County is in one of ten agricultural districts. Columbia County is accepting applications now from landowners interested in having their property included in an Agricultural District certified by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM). This opportunity is for only 30 days each year, and in Columbia County, that is the month of October.
Explanation of the process may be found here:
A direct link to the application form may be found here:
To apply for inclusion this year, send the completed application to the Clerk of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. The postal address for the Clerk is
401 State Street,
Hudson, NY
12534. Email - [email protected]
Benefits of Land Being in an Agricultural District: Agriculture plays an important role in the local economy. Columbia County agricultural districts are comprised primarily of viable agricultural lands currently used, or that may be used in the future for agriculture. The benefits are to encourage the continued use of farmland for agricultural production and promote the availability of land for farming purposes. One benefit agricultural districts afford is protecting landowners and farmers against local laws that may unreasonably restrict farm operations within an agricultural district.
The Process:
At the end of October, all requests are referred to the County Agricultural Farmland Protection Board (AFPB). The AFPB will determine if the land to be included consists predominantly of viable agricultural land and if inclusion would serve the public interest by helping to maintain a viable agricultural industry within the district. The AFPB makes a recommendation to the County Board of Supervisors within 30 days, and a public hearing is held for public comment. After the public hearing, the County Board of Supervisors adopts or rejects the inclusion of the land into an existing agricultural district. This action must be taken no later than 120 days after the termination of the annual 30-day period (for Columbia County, this is October). If approved by the County Board of Supervisors, the recommendation is forwarded to NYSDAM. If approved by NYSDAM, the tax parcels are included in one of the county’s agricultural districts. Tax parcels may only be added and not removed during these 30 days.
For information, please contact the Columbia County Planning Department at (518) 828-3375
Patrice Perry