Clark County Board of Supervisors Hears Strong Opposition to Ag Enterprise Areas
Monday, March 24th, 2014 -- 11:03 AM
-The Clark County Board of Supervisors heard strong opposition and some support to extending Agricultural Enterprise Areas to parts of Clark and Marathon County.The first resolution, they were deciding on, would extend the Ag Enterprise Area to the Towns of Weston and York in Clark County and the Towns of Bern, Day, Eau Pleine and McMillian in Marathon County. The second resolution extended the area to the Towns of Lynn and Fremont here in Clark County.
Farmers that are in these Ag Enterprise Areas, which is run by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, can enter into a Farmland Preservation Agreement and they are qualified for Farmland Preservation Tax Credits.
One resident said that the rules DATCP has established for areas to become Ag Enterprise Areas were not followed in either cases and, in his opinion, farmers should not be allowed to have tax free land. He requested that the resolutions be tabled permanently. Another resident said that she felt there were strings attached with these Ag Enterprise Areas and that these resolutions are encouraging Smart Growth. She also claimed that Adolf Hitler used a program similar to this to take over Germany.
A county official informed the board that this program has been in the state since the 1980?s and the money for it has been in the budget since that time as well. A resident in support of the resolutions said that farmers in his area would like to be included in the Ag Areas.
The board initially voted to table the resolutions, but that was defeated after the vote tied, 13 to 13. Both resolutions passed with 17 voting yes and 9 voting no.
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