News

Wisconsin Farmland Preservation hearings scheduled

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will conduct four public hearings to gather input for a new Farmland Preservation Program in Wisconsin.

The Legislature repealed the previous Farmland Preservation Program in 2009 in response to growing pressures to convert farmland statewide to nonagricultural uses, and recreated it with a new structure. The new law authorized the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to write an administrative rule, called ATCP 49, to lay out technical details as to how local governments may plan and zone to preserve farmland. Landowners within farmland preservation zones may be able to claim tax credits.

The hearing schedule is:

• Appleton – Thursday, Feb. 14, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m., Outagamie County Highway Department, 1313 Holland Road, conference room
• Eau Claire – Thursday, Feb. 21, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., DNR Service Center, 1300 W. Clairemont Ave., conference rooms 158/185
• Wausau – Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., Marathon County Extension Office, 212 River Drive, conference room 5
• Madison – Thursday, Feb. 28, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., State Agriculture Building, 2811 Agriculture Drive, board room

You can get a copy of the proposed rule:

• Online at http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov, search for ATCP 49
• By mail at WI-DATCP, ATTN Alison Volk, Agricultural Resource Management Division, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911
• By calling or emailing Alison Volk, 608-224-4712, [email protected]

You can comment on the rule:

• At the hearings
• Online at http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov, search for ATCP 49
• By sending written comments to the address
• By emailing comments to the address

Comments must be received by March 15.