CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
Panels urge purchase of development rights
LITTLE VALLEY — Members of the Cattaraugus County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board decided this week to focus on education, with a goal of eventually establishing a program to purchase development rights to help farmers keep farming.
The panel met in August with Diane Held of the American Farmland Trust, who explained how to set up a Purchase of Development Rights program, including a feasibility study and state grants to pay for purchase of the development rights to offset higher real estate values.
Cattaraugus County has adopted a Farmland Protection Plan and a Right to Farm Law, and the board hopes to encourage towns and municipalities to follow this example.
Held, along with representatives of the Western New York Land Conservancy and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, are hosting a public meeting at 7 p. m. Dec. 15 in the Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara County Meeting Center in Lockport to provide more information on the program. Held promised to work with the Cattaraugus County group to hold similar meetings on the Southern Tier.
The board members examined a map of the county’s farmland and prime agricultural soils and agreed to set up meetings with farmers and town supervisors to share the information about these important resources.
County Planner Paul Bishop pointed out that the best soils are often found where the county’s main thoroughfares travel through the valleys and along rivers.
They identified some parcels of farmland in Great Valley along the Route 219 corridor that is under development pressure for the freeway acquisition, commercial development and residential expansion from Ellicottville. Due to these threats of conversion of farms to other land uses, the board will concentrate on trying to bring a purchase-of-development- rights program to that area of Great Valley, a town that has an additional benefit of recently adopting a zoning ordinance.
Board member Nancy Barney, who also serves as Cattaraugus County’s Real Property Services Department director, suggested making a presentation before an upcoming monthly meeting of the Cattaraugus County Town Supervisors.
“When you have no zoning, there is pressure to [sell to developers],” said board Chairman David Zilker. “That is the key to getting our foot in the door before other uses get in there.”
Lynn O’Brien of Cornell Cooperative Extension said literature could be mailed to farmers and public officials to explain the program, and she told the group about an upcoming meeting on this topic with the American Farmland Trust that is being planned in Springville.
The board intends to meet in March with Held and the American Farmland Trust to continue working on the program.
In another matter, the board decided to write a letter to the state Department of Transportation and local and state elected officials pointing out the danger for Amish buggy traffic traveling Route 219 to attend the Springville Auction.
The board’s next meeting will be at 1 p. m. Jan. 13 in the County Center in Little Valley.
