|
First round of AEA’s Recommended
An evaluation team at Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has recommended that twelve areas
covering just under 200,000 acres be officially designated as
agricultural enterprise areas (AEA's).
The proposed AEA's came from groups of farmers and local governments who identified contiguous blocks of mainly agricultural land that are targeted for agricultural preservation and agricultural development by the local community.
Pending approval by the DATCP board, DATCP will begin an
expedited rule-making process this summer which will include a public
hearing on the proposed AEAs. The rule will be signed later this year
so that the designations become effective on January 1, 2011
A map of the proposed areas is on DATCP's site. Read more about the recommended AEA's in this month's Working Lands Connection.
What's and Agricultural Enterprise Area?
AEA’s are part of Wisconsin's Working Lands Initiative. An AEA is an area where the local community has prioritized preservation of farmland and agricultural development.
Designation of an agricultural enterprise area is a tool that the local
community can use to help promote the future viability of existing
agricultural and agriculture-related land use. Once an area is officially
designated as an AEA, eligible farmers owning land within the area may
enter into a farmland preservation agreement with the state. This
enables the landowners to receive tax credits in exchange for agreeing
to keep their farm in agricultural use for at least 15 years.
In response to the first-ever call for petitions, DATCP received requests for designation totaling 222,000 acres. More than 150 landowners, 25 city and town governments and 11 county governments signed the petitions.
Several included a focus on renewable energy or energy conservation while others make a connection to local foods with community supported agriculture and organic production. Another is looking to increase vegetable production to support the local food processing industry. A summary of the petitions can be viewed here.
For DATCP's info sheets and application material, visit their AEA webpage.
For additional explaination of the general function of an AEA, this report about agricultural districts
maybe helpful. While ag districts and AEA's aren't entirely the same, they function on the same principle -- that local measures and tax incentives can protect valuable farmland and encourage sustainable commercial agriculture.
Updated 6-30--2010.
| 
