Read the Leelanau Enterprise article pre-vote: Farmland Program Faces Ax http://www.leelanaunews.com/editorial.php?id=2591

Read the Leelanau Enterprise article: Starting From Scratch: http://www.leelanaunews.com/editorial.php?id=2623

Read the Record Eagle Editorial pre-vote:Leelanau Board Can’t Justify Scrapping Program http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/nov/21edit.htm

Commentary from our Director, Brian Price

On November 21, 2006, the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners voted 5-1 to rescind the Farmland Preservation Ordinance and disband the Farmland Preservation Board.

Their action came in response to the recent Farmland Preservation millage vote which failed 7265 to 4426 on Election Day. Abolishing the Board and the Ordinance came at the request of a very vocal contingent of farmland preservation opponents. The opponents interpreted the voters’ wishes for the commissioners, repeatedly stating that the voters rejected farmland preservation in general, and therefore the entire county farmland preservation program should go away. Five of the commissioners, many of whom have been reluctant to support the efforts to establish a farmland preservation program in the county, seized upon the opportunity dismantle the machinery in place to allow for a county program.

To provide commissioners with an alternative to abolishing the program, we had worked with representatives from the Farmland Preservation Board and Save Leelanau Farmland. We all recognized that, in the wake of the election, there would be no appetite for any future public funding. Nevertheless, we asked the commissioners to hold off on a final decision about rescinding the ordinance and dismantling the Preservation Board while we and our partners worked to build a privately-administered program.

You may be wondering, “Why didn’t the Conservancy take on the challenge of running a private farmland preservation program in the first place?” That’s a good question, and the answer is that in the nine years we’ve been working on the problem of the loss of family farms, everything pointed to a millage request. Among the dozens of successful farmland preservation programs throughout the nation, we’ve yet to find one that is funded solely with private dollars. And, because of the immense economic and quality of life benefits to everyone in Leelanau, we among many others felt the voters should have the chance to decide for themselves whether to help fund the program the County enacted via ordinance in 2002. The only viable option for local public funding is a millage increase. This is why we supported the millage initiative as a funding mechanism. Michigan’s legislation is set up to work with local governments, not non-profit agencies. Local government, therefore, should always be the first choice.

Despite the failed vote to fund the County’s program using a half-mill property tax levy, it was necessary for the ordinance and the Farmland Preservation Board to remain in place to provide access to state matching funds for Leelanau County farmers. At the meeting we read a statement asking for time so that we could work out an outline of a privately-administered program. (See statement below).

Our efforts were in vain. Without serious consideration or discussion of the merits of our request, the Commissioners voted to do away with any vestiges of county involvement in farmland preservation.

Where do we go from here? First, the Leelanau Conservancy is committed to finding a way to make sure that Leelanau County farmers have an option to preserve their land. We are committed to finding a solution because our mission of conserving the land, water, and scenic character of the county cannot succeed without a viable program to protect the 40,000 acres that comprise Leelanau County’s family farms. We are also committed to finding a solution because we know from experience that a great many farmers would participate in such a program if offered, and because similar programs have worked in other parts of the country. In Leelanau County our opportunity is doubly important because we are dependent on tourism and agriculture for our economic livelihood – maintaining agriculture is not just a nice amenity to the community, it is the cornerstone of our local economy.

In the short term, we won’t be able to protect nearly as much farmland as we had hoped to, but we will do what we can—including completing the 3 farmland projects we currently have in the works. When those are finished, we will look to the next, and the next, (we signed options on two more very significant family farms just prior to the election!). Our goal to protect our working farms has not changed. Longer term, we are committed to finding a way to make sure that Leelanau County farmers have an option to preserve their land. If you would like to help us complete these projects and take on the next one, a gift to our Farmland Fund will do just that.

Second, it is obvious that, at least in the next few years, there will be no support or even cooperation from Leelanau County government in this effort. Several opponents to farmland preservation and several commissioners urged us to work with willing townships, and that is worth investigating as we move forward. But it is clear that the Leelanau Conservancy will need to take the lead in re-formulating a farmland preservation program. We will need to lead with private funds and private administration. Public funding could come at a later time, very likely relying on the cooperation of townships, not the county.

Finally, while the privately-administered program that we envision has not to our knowledge been done anywhere else in the country, we feel that we must do everything within our capabilities to see it done here. We have a dedicated cadre of supporters, both inside and outside of the traditional farming community. We have a strong organization with a proven track record to take the lead. And we have the support of private funders and the initial interest of foundations. We will do our utmost to gain their aid to help save working family farms.

While the action taken by the Leelanau County Commissioners last week was a major disappointment – especially in light of the fact that they were offered a viable alternative with no ongoing legal or financial obligation – we remain committed to building toward a future where preserving farms is an option for every owner, and where the community fully embraces and supports such efforts. We especially want to thank our members who supported the Conservancy and its partners in working to build an effective program for Leelanau County, and we look forward to creating a new model for farmland preservation in Michigan.

Statement to County Commissioners

November 21, 2006

By Brian Price

I am here on behalf of the Leelanau Conservancy to discuss the Commission’s stated intention to rescind the Farmland Preservation Ordinance and to abolish the Farmland Preservation Board.

The recent election told us that the majority of voters are not willing to fund Farmland Preservation through a millage. That message has been heard. It remains unclear what level of general support for farmland preservation there is in the community, although both proponents of and opponents to the millage stated support for preserving Leelanau’s farmland. In the wake of the election many people, including several on this commission, have encouraged the Leelanau Conservancy to put together a privately administered program for working with willing owners to preserve Leelanau’s family farms.

I am here to tell you that our Board has deliberated on this issue and is willing to take up this challenge. Our offer is not taken lightly, as we know of no model for a privately funded Farmland Preservation program on this scale anywhere in the country. But we have discussed this issue with the heads of the Leelanau Farmland Preservation Board, and with Save Leelanau Farmland, and we are willing to investigate how and if such a privately administered program could work. We estimate that at least 8 to 10 months will be required to report back to various community groups, including the commissioners on how such a program can be structured and operated.

In the meantime we would ask that the Commission cooperate with us in the following ways:

First – the Farmland Preservation Board is readying one or more applications to submit for funding under the Michigan Farmland Preservation Program. By statute, these applications must be submitted by a unit of government. We understand the objection of several commissioners that Leelanau County, if it is not going to operate a Farmland Preservation program going forward, should not be stuck with one or two farmland conservation easements which would need to be administered and monitored. We propose that if funding is received for one or more projects, the Leelanau Conservancy can be designated as a co-holder of any conservation easements and that we would agree to monitor and enforce those easements. Rich Harlow at the state Farmland Preservation program has agreed in principle that there is no known reason why that can’t be done.

Second – For at least the next 8 to 10 months the current ordinance and Farmland Preservation Board needs to remain, if only to allow access to state funding under current law. The ordinance and board are in place, and there is no point in discarding tools that we may need going forward. Part of our investigation into a privately operated Farmland Preservation program will be to make a recommendation to the Commissioners on whether to modify or rescind the ordinance and the farmland board.

Third – There was $13,000 previously budgeted for the Farmland Preservation Board in 2007. We agree that this item can be eliminated from the county budget and the work of the Preservation Board can be funded by private dollars..

Fourth – Because this is new ground for everybody, and because the traditional apparatus for operating such programs is built around local government, rather than around a private organization, we ask that the county commissioners cooperate in every reasonable way as we explore a privately operated program. We are not asking for financial support and will try to eliminate any legal obligations on the part of the county going forward. But we will very likely need assistance from county government in the form of resolutions of support as needed, assistance from the Planning Department, and, if necessary, support as we seek funding from larger foundations. To our knowledge no one has put together a program like we are envisioning, but we would expect cooperation from local units of government on a number of different levels if we are to be successful.

To sum up, we ask that the Commissioners table any action to abolish the Farmland Preservation Board and rescind the Farmland Preservation ordinance until at least September 1, 2007. We also ask that you agree to consider forwarding applications at the December meeting for submission to the state Farmland Preservation Program. Any resolution to forward those applications for state funding could require that the Conservancy agree to co-hold and assume primary responsibility for enforcement of conservation easements that result.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.