Overview
Farmlands have economic, environmental, and aesthetic value for large expanses of the landscape at the urban fringe, but they are also highly vulnerable to development pressure.
Farmlands have economic, environmental, and aesthetic value for large expanses of the landscape at the urban fringe, but they are also highly vulnerable to development pressure.
Tools and Actions
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Comprehensive Plan Resource Protection
Can include farmland protection as an objective.
See Plan -
Farmland Preservation Plans
Can include a wide range of economic and land- use tools targeted specifically to support agriculture and make it more competitive.
See Plan -
Critical Environmental Areas
SEQRA (NY State) can be used to delineate farmlands as Critical Environmental or Conservation Areas.
See Plan
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Agricultural zoning
Can put limits on non-agricultural uses.
See Tool -
Right-to-farm Laws
Can protect farmers against unreasonable challenges from adjacent non-farming landowners.
See Tool -
Incentive Zoning
Can allow farmers flexibility on developed portions of land in return for keeping other lands in agriculture.
See Tool -
Basic Zoning
Can create farming zones and disallow uses and development patterns that will create conflicts for farming.
See Tool
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Local farmland policy
Can protect farmland by eliminating competitive disadvantages, coordinating project approvals, protecting farmers against nuisance challenges, and providing tax relief.
See Action -
Acquire Land
Acquire land to be kept in farming.
See Action -
Conservation easements and land trusts
Can be used to keep land in farming.
See Action -
County farmland policy
Can include review of development actions to assess impacts on farming.
See Action