In 1982, Marathon County implemented its first Farmland Preservation Plan. The primary intent of the plan was to minimize the conversion of farmland to other land uses. The plan also provided incentives for participating farmland owners to minimize the property tax liabilities and to promote soil and water conservation practices.
Preserving farmland use is important to the Marathon County community because it defines a rural character and culture that we value. Farmland also provides a strong economic base for producers, processing industries, and agricultural support businesses.
Today, Marathon County is developing an updated Farmland Preservation Plan to be consistent with its Comprehensive Plan. The new plan will be developed under policy guidelines provided by the Wi Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) through the Working Lands Initiative (WLI). The new plan will offer increased tax incentives to landowners committing to preserving farmland through Agricultural Enterprise Area agreements and/or zoning.
Over the next year, Marathon County’s Conservation, Planning and Zoning Department (CPZ) will assist the Environmental Resources Committee develop policy to guide the Farmland Preservation Plan.
****************************************************************************
History of farmland preservation in Marathon County: The Farmland Preservation Case Study discusses the land use, taxation, conservation and economic policy initiatives of the initial Farmland Preservation Plan developed in 1982. The study describes the participation activity and financial benefits of landowners through over 29 years of program implementation. Finally, the study discusses the challenges and effectiveness of the program.
The ERC is a policy committee for the County Board that addresses land use and environmental programming. The ERC has developed several educational and informational presentations to understand the demographics and land use trends in Marathon County for the purpose of developing targeted policy initiatives.
Below are a number of PDF powerpoint presentations that were presented at ERC meetings.
The CPZ has developed several documents and reports to help local officials and landowners understand the opportunities and program details offered through the Farmland Preservation Program.
Local officials and landowners wanting to know the details of the Farmland Preservation Program can view this site to get information. Specific information of zoning districts, claiming tax credits and Agricultural Enterprise Areas, and conservation compliance can be found here.