Ordinance Approving the Amended Sauk County Farmland Preservation Plan

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is an agency responsible for administrating Wisconsin’s Farmland Preservation law pursuant to Wis. Stat. Ch. 91. In order for a county and its residents to participate in the Farmland Preservation Program, a county must have a state-certified farmland preservation plan pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 91.10 which clearly identifies farmland preservation goals, objectives, policies and areas that the county intends to preserve for agricultural use. This plan identifies areas for agricultural preservation for the next 15-20 years but is updated on a ten-year basis.

The amended Sauk County Farmland Preservation Plan has been updated with input from the agricultural community, area citizens and municipalities. Each town farmland preservation plan map represented in the plan reflects each Town’s respective future land use map as approved in their comprehensive plans. Pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 91.10(2) the Sauk County Farmland Preservation Plan must be included and made part of the Sauk County Comprehensive Plan. All lands owned by a federal, state or county entity are considered unclassified and are designated separately from preservation, development or transition areas.

The adoption of the Sauk County Farmland Preservation Plan by the Sauk County Board of Supervisors and subsequent certification by DATCP will allow participating Sauk County farms and agricultural property owners in towns zoned Exclusive Agriculture or as part of an Agricultural Enterprise Area to continue to qualify for farmland preservation tax credits. Agriculture is a significant economic driver in Sauk County with over 1,400 working farms and 298,000 acres in agricultural production which resulted in the sale of farm products and value-added products of over $269 million as reported in the 2022 USDA Census on Agriculture.