Agenda - 08-30-1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Q 2v SLIDE PRESENTATION When the Rural Character Study Committee began deliberations on a set of strategies to reserve the rural character of the Rural Buffer ' , the Committee began by considering its four goals: Agricultural Preservation Natural Resource Protection Visual Resource Protection Growth Management. and a fifth unwritten goal of _providing rural buffer E roperty owners with more flexibility In considering these ggoats, the Committee realizes that each plays a special and vital role in the Rural Buffer portion of the County. In their product, the Conceptual Guidelines for the Rural Buffer, each goal is addressed of individually an comprehensively. Agricultural Preservation The New Hope Creek portion of the Rural Buffer, in the 30 years since 1960, has lost over 50% of its land used for i agriculture. This s a trend that is widely seen in our region and state. Nonetheless, agriculture remains a integral part of the character and resources of the buffer. Are there ways of helping to ensure that agriculture will continue to be a part of the Rural Buffer in the decades to come? In discussing this question with farmers and other interested Vio arties, it became clear to the committee that the best way enhance the viability of agriculture is to make strategies for agricultural preservation an integrahpart of the totar strategy - not a separate issue. The Committee learned that many farmers were concerned that making a livingg in agriculture was becoming more difficult, but that they ad an equal concern over a potential loss in their lifelon investment - the land itself - since this land is of en the farmers retirement and pension. Therefore, the Committee has adopted strategies that would encourage agriculture to coexist with future development - through allowing agriculture in open space set - asides. This means that a farmer who is faced with financial straits need