PDR Frequently Asked Question

About PDR’s & Land Preservation Easements

Why the emphasis on farmland?
Agricultural lands hold the key to our future food supply, and many believe our long term energy requirements.  It is estimated that by 2050, US food requirements will increase by 48.8% --that's in the lifetime of your children and grandchildren.  The projected population increase of 137,729,000 will be almost equivalent to the entire US population in 1942. The need to preserve farmland becomes even more apparent when you consider the need for sustainable energy and energy independence. Crop based fuels such as bio-diesel and ethanol promise to place substantial demands upon our nations land capacity. (Source: US Census Bureau ~ Table 2a ~ Projected Population of the United States, by Age and Sex: 2000 to 2050 ~ March 2004)

Why can't farmland be preserved through agricultural zoning?
While agricultural zoning is key to the success of a PDR program, history shows that zoning alone has not been very effective, and is never a permanent solution.  Agricultural zoning districts can change with each election cycle.  Local officials often find it difficult to deny long time community members from rezoning farmland for a rural subdivision, especially if financial issues are involved.  A PDR program provides another alternative to the rural landowner and empowers local officials to uphold adopted land use plans and zoning ordinances.  

Will PDR increase our property taxes?
Numerous studies have shown that even though farms are taxed at lower rates, they produce more tax revenues for local government than they demand in services.  The opposite is true for residential properties, where service demands (police, fire, schools, parks, roads, etc.) usually outweigh the tax revenues.  So when farmland is lost to residential development, the resulting demand for services usually increases the tax burden from then on, outweighing the one-time cost of public funding to preserve the rural landscape – especially if those costs are not coming out of the property tax.  So farmland preservation should actually help control property taxes.

What about lost tax revenue from less development?
There is no lost revenue because PDR is not designed to reduce or slow development in the county.  It would simply direct the growth toward areas designated by the communities in their adopted land use plans, which are required for every community in Wisconsin.  In general, designated growth areas are usually where public services can be provided in a more cost-effective manner and land use conflicts will not occur.  Priority areas for PDR will be based these plans and local community support is needed for the program to be effective.  In addition, a PDR program is designed to encourage growth in the agricultural industry, including the many businesses that branch off from or service agriculture.  This would produce more tax revenues for local governments.

Isn't PDR this just another farm subsidy?
No.  Farm subsidies are temporary measures generally designed to compensate farmers for low commodity prices that are out of their control, or to encourage or discourage certain farming practices.  Purchasing development rights is a one-time voluntary business transaction between the county and the farmer. The farmer gives up something real and concrete (the development rights to the farmland) for fair compensation - and the effect is permanent.  The land remains farmland or open space even after all payments are made to the farmer, while the public benefits continue in perpetuity.


How much of the PDR money will actually make it into the farmers hands?
PDR programs across the nation show that 95% of funds are used to buy development rights, with 5% used to pay for land appraisals and other program administrative costs.

Isn’t PDR just going to be another government bureaucracy?
This land preservation initiative has been citizen driven from the start.  As stated earlier, a citizen Advisory Committee is proposed to be the first line of oversight for the program, including developing the selection and ranking criteria, reviewing applications for program eligibility and recommending applicants for approval by the County.  A consistent annual base level of funding from the County is critical to pursue outside sources of matching funds.  A PDR program cannot realistically be carried out without county funding and staff expertise.  A public/private partnership is needed. 

Aren't there many more important things that our tax money should be spent on, like schools, roads and law enforcement?
Farmland preservation is no less important than those other services in supporting the quality of life in a community.  However, unlike the others, farmland preservation helps encourage investment in local businesses, which in turn generates the tax revenues needed to provide the other government services. 

Since not everyone who applies for the program would be selected, doesn't this mean that the County can "play favorites"?
A county ordinance is required to establish all the program rules, including a published application scoring system and several levels of program oversight, making it virtually impossible to give someone “preferential treatment”.  Any hint of such activity could easily be identified and would not be tolerated.  

Will PDR make less land available for development and raise prices for new housing?
Many communities throughout the nation have implemented successful farmland preservation programs, and there is no evidence that these programs cause land and housing values to increase. The amount of farmland preserved will not limit development in appropriate areas of the County.  As noted earlier, the PDR program would follow adopted community land use plans.

Is this program a blank check for farmers without limits or controls?
All PDR purchases are based on certified professional appraisals based on comparable sales in the area.  The limitations and controls are clearly described in a Land Preservation Easement, which is recorded on the property deed through the County Register of Deeds office. 

Will it be more expensive to farm here?
Development pressures in our rural areas currently make less farmland available, create land use conflicts, drive away farm services and ultimately drive up the costs of farming.  When development rights are removed from a property through PDR, it reverses all of these trends, making land more affordable for young farmers and encouraging investment in established farm operations.

How can PDR preserve land in perpetuity when nobody knows what the future will bring in the way of land needs?
While the program intent is to ensure development rights are removed from the property permanently, there are usually some very restrictive provisions built into the easement language that maintains the County’s right to sell the development rights in the future if conditions change to the extent that the easement no longer serves the intended purpose.  This is described in the PDR Task Force Report (Appendix A).

What can I do to help?
Spread the word to friends and neighbors about land preservation, and urge them to get involved. For information on ways that you can help >

 

Other References

• PDR Fact Sheet (stand alone 2-page flyer that covers many of these questions)

• PDR Task Force Report (prepared for the Washington County Board in March 2006 and contains additional details on many questions listed above)