The Ulster County Legislature will accept requests from March 1 through March 30, 2014 from landowners wanting to have their agricultural lands included within a NYS Certified Agricultural District.
Landowners seeking inclusion into a Certified Agricultural District must submit a completed Agricultural District Inclusion Application with tax map identification number(s), a copy of the relevant portion to the tax map, and a description of the land to Burt Samuelson, Ulster County Planning Department, 244 Fair St., PO Box 1800, Kingston, NY 12402-1800 within this thirty-day period.
The Agricultural District Inclusion Application and a brochure explaining Agricultural Districts are available through the following website at http://ulstercountyny.gov/planning/annual-agriculturaldistrict-inclusions. To receive a worksheet, brochure or more information about the inclusion process, please contact Burt Samuelson at (845) 339-2490 or via email bsam[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us.
Lands requested to be added to an Agricultural District should consist predominantly of lands highly suitable for a farm operation ("viable agricultural land"). This includes the land and on-farm buildings, equipment, manure processing and handling facilities and practices which contribute to the production, preparation and marketing of crops, livestock and livestock products as a commercial enterprise, including a commercial horse boarding operation, and whose inclusion would serve the public interest by assisting in maintaining a viable agricultural industry within the district.
Article 25AA (Agricultural District Law) adopted by the New York State Legislature in 1971 provides for the creation of Agricultural Districts to protect and promote the availability of land for farming purposes. Lands within Districts are protected from unreasonable local regulation of farm practices, the acquisition by public entities through the use of eminent domain, and the advance of public funds to construct facilities that encourage non-farm development.
Ulster County has four certified Agricultural Districts containing over 69,000 acres of farmland.
