02-24-1982 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

METROPOLITAN AGRICULTURAL PRESERVES PROGRAM The Program In 19E0, the Minnesota Legislature passed a measure for the preservation of farmland in the seven - county Twin Cities Metropolitan area called the Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Act (Minn. Stat., Chapter 473H). The intent of the program is to provide incentives in the form of both benefits and protections to farmer - landowners to keep their lands in agricultural use. This voluntary program will be administered by local governments,,which are first required to plan and zone the land for agricultural use. Upon completion of the planning and zoning phase, the land is eligible for preserve status. The farmer - landowner must apply to have his land placed into'an agricultural preserve. He must agree by written covenant that the land will be kept in agricultural use indefinitely, but at least for a minimum of eight (8) years. Formal notice must be given to initiate expiration of the agricultural preserve. Entering the Program Once the land is planned and zoned for agricultural use, the farmer - landowner may make application for the preserve status for his land. The three -part application form will be available from county extension offices, your local Authority, the Metropolitan Council, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. You will need to check with your local Authority about the exact procedure at the local level of city, county or township. It is recommended that you check with your lawyer. Recommended steps in the process of application, and specific directions for filling out the parts of the application form are contained in the following pages. Leaving the Program There are two principal ways that your land may be taken out of an agricultural preserve. You may elect to terminate your involvement in the program, or your local Authority may change the planning and zoning of your land, thus, making it ineligible to continue in the program. In either of these two cases, your land remains an agricultural preserve for at least eight (8) more years after the date you or the Authority decide to remove it from the program. If you initiate the expiration of the preserve, you have a two -year period in which to change your decision. Specific directions for filling out the Notice of Expiration by either the landowner or the Authority are contained in the following pages.