(Kingston, NY) - The Ulster County Legislature will accept applications from landowners wanting to have their agricultural lands included within a NYS Certified Agricultural District from March 1 through March 30, 2023.

Landowners seeking inclusion into a New York State Certified Agricultural District must submit a completed Agricultural District Inclusion Application available on the Planning Department’s website http://ulstercountyny.gov/planning/annual-agricultural-district-inclusions. Interested parties may also request an application by contacting Burt Samuelson at (845) 339-2490 or via email at bsam[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us with tax map identification number(s).  The Application and the relevant portion of the tax map should be submitted to: 

Burt Samuelson, Ulster County Planning Department,

244 Fair Street Post Office Box 1800,

Kingston, New York 12402-1800

Applications must be received no later than close of business Thursday, March 30, 2023. Applications may also be sent via email to bsam[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us. Emailed applications must be received by 11:59PM on March 30, 2023.

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.  Additionally, land used in agricultural production within an Agricultural District is not subject to benefit assessments, special ad valorem levies or other rates and fees for the financing of improvements such as water, sewer or non-farm drainage. Presently, Ulster County has four certified Agricultural Districts containing around 71,400 acres of farmland.

Please see attached for release in Spanish.