In 1999, the county commissioners obtained a grant from the Ohio Department of Development to create a farmland preservation plan for the county. They formed a task force of leaders representing different aspects of the county, including municipal, township and county officials, staff, farmers, agricultural organizations, bankers and developers. It led to significant changes in our comprehensive plan in 2000 and county-wide zoning laws in 2001.
In 2011, the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors asked the county commissioners to revisit the farmland preservation plan to see if it addresses all of the issues facing farmers today. Two issues of concern were rural energy development and zoning for agriculture. The commissioners agreed to create a new Farmland Preservation Task Force to update the plan.
The Farmland Preservation Task Force meetings are open to the public. We want as much input into the plan as possible. Upcoming meetings can be found on our Upcoming Events page. Electronic copies of handouts and presentations to date are listed below.
The Soil and Water Conservation District is facilitating the plan update. Please call Julia Cumming, Program Administrator for the Madison Soil and Water Conservation District, at (740) 852-4004, if you would like more information. Thank you for your interest!
