As the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Wisconsin region, Thrive takes positions on issues that affect the region. Thrive does not lobby--instead, we take an advocacy and educational role, grounded in our regional perspective that important issues cross boundaries--geographic boundaries, issue boundaries, and political boundaries.
May, 2009: Working Lands Initiative
Motion: Thrive supports the updates to the farmland preservation program for Wisconsin in accordance with the concepts developed by the Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative task force as outlined in the 2009-11 state budget.
Comments: The region's economic vitality and quality of life are dependent upon the wise use of one of Wisconsin's most valuable resources: its land. Fertile soil is the paramount ingredient in providing for a viable food production and processing economy. Preservation programming that reduces parceling enhances opportunities for renewable energy production, applications of biotechnological discovery, and water quality and control. Productive farmland retained in close proximity to urban areas encourages investment in locally-grown food initiatives and helps build a sense of community."No growth" is neither realistic nor desired -- and so, in the maturation of the state, planned growth is in everyone's long-term best interest.
Farmland preservation and planning is also a way to keep farms profitable. Research shows nearly 72,000 jobs and $9.3 billion in total economic activity from agriculture in the Madison Region (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, and Sauk counties). That $9.3 billion in economic activity was generated from approximately $1 billion in raw products coming off the farm.
When it comes to agricultural sales, 10% of the state's land (the Madison Region) is producing 17% of the state's ag sales. Farms are critical not just to the agriculture economy, but to the economy in this region as a whole. In order for farms to be profitable, they need quality land to farm.
The Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative would update the state's farmland preservation program, creating a purchase of agricultural conservation easements (PACE) grant program and establishing voluntary agricultural enterprise areas (AEAs) to keep contiguous, productive working lands intact. Encouraging the importance of integration with local and county comprehensive plans and an increase in housing density promotes collaborative planning. Furthermore, changes are voluntary and based on incentives, also recognizing existing statutes and county and municipal authority for the zoning of lands. And it is important that the updates are state-budget neutral.
The state's current program was last updated in 1970. In order to encourage contiguous and effective, rather than fragmented, planning overall; to keep farms profitable; to preserve quality farmland; and to encourage agricultural investment, Thrive supports the concepts of the Working Lands Initiative to update the state's farmland preservation program as part of the state's budget bill.
Issues for Consideration: Updating the state’s farmland preservation program is essential. Thrive also acknowledges the importance of updating current statutes in a way that will allow for effective administration and enforcement by county and local planning and zoning officials, considering adequate education of the public and minimizing conflicts between local ordinances and state statutes.
Thrive encourages the state to work with county and local planning and zoning officials over the course of the updated program to track and evaluate the effectiveness of its 1) accomplishing the stated goals and 2) implementation and administration.
Motion: Thrive supports the updates to the farmland preservation program for Wisconsin in accordance with the concepts developed by the Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative task force as outlined in the 2009-11 state budget.
Comments: The region's economic vitality and quality of life are dependent upon the wise use of one of Wisconsin's most valuable resources: its land. Fertile soil is the paramount ingredient in providing for a viable food production and processing economy. Preservation programming that reduces parceling enhances opportunities for renewable energy production, applications of biotechnological discovery, and water quality and control. Productive farmland retained in close proximity to urban areas encourages investment in locally-grown food initiatives and helps build a sense of community."No growth" is neither realistic nor desired -- and so, in the maturation of the state, planned growth is in everyone's long-term best interest.
Farmland preservation and planning is also a way to keep farms profitable. Research shows nearly 72,000 jobs and $9.3 billion in total economic activity from agriculture in the Madison Region (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, and Sauk counties). That $9.3 billion in economic activity was generated from approximately $1 billion in raw products coming off the farm.
When it comes to agricultural sales, 10% of the state's land (the Madison Region) is producing 17% of the state's ag sales. Farms are critical not just to the agriculture economy, but to the economy in this region as a whole. In order for farms to be profitable, they need quality land to farm.
The Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative would update the state's farmland preservation program, creating a purchase of agricultural conservation easements (PACE) grant program and establishing voluntary agricultural enterprise areas (AEAs) to keep contiguous, productive working lands intact. Encouraging the importance of integration with local and county comprehensive plans and an increase in housing density promotes collaborative planning. Furthermore, changes are voluntary and based on incentives, also recognizing existing statutes and county and municipal authority for the zoning of lands. And it is important that the updates are state-budget neutral.
The state's current program was last updated in 1970. In order to encourage contiguous and effective, rather than fragmented, planning overall; to keep farms profitable; to preserve quality farmland; and to encourage agricultural investment, Thrive supports the concepts of the Working Lands Initiative to update the state's farmland preservation program as part of the state's budget bill.
Issues for Consideration: Updating the state’s farmland preservation program is essential. Thrive also acknowledges the importance of updating current statutes in a way that will allow for effective administration and enforcement by county and local planning and zoning officials, considering adequate education of the public and minimizing conflicts between local ordinances and state statutes.
Thrive encourages the state to work with county and local planning and zoning officials over the course of the updated program to track and evaluate the effectiveness of its 1) accomplishing the stated goals and 2) implementation and administration.