A strategic planner says local commissions need to involve farmers in the zoning process to preserve farmland across rural landscapes.
Paul Sachs, director of strategic impact with Ottawa County, tells Brownfield community planning should consider future development and farmland preservation simultaneously.
“The need to balance that growth and support the ag industry is critically important, and local zoning is an instrumental piece of that equation for effective land use planning,”
He says regulations and permanent conservation easements can be used to preserve farmland, but economic viability also needs to be supported.
