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991ft imam iiarmliatid I ' Coverrrg the policies, practices and Initiatives that save farmland NNPW P AW IM Flo %J rt Since 1990 — Deborah Bowers, E&tor 1: 1101 REPORT BY NEW JERSEY FUTURE Bustling NJ economy masks big troubles TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey's high- octane economy may not be what it seems, according to New Jersey Future, a smart growth advocacy organization that studies land use and urban issues. The state's apparent wealth, the group states in a report released Oct. 18, masks underlying prob- lems that will cripple towns and cities unless changes are made in housing, transportation and land use. Release of the report, titled "Four Ways to Genuine Prosperity," was announced at a confer- ence by New Jersey Future executive director George S. Hawkins Oct. 18. According to the group, farmland and open space preservation is threatened by outdated and inflexible land use laws, lack of effective municipal- level planning, rising land costs, and eroding tax bases that would eventually make open space acquisition and maintenance a low priority. Towns should be required to base zoning on carrying capacity, the report states. More restrictive zoning in agricultural areas and increased density in areas suitable for growth should be pursued, and towns should be allowed to mandate clustered development in conjunction with a farmland preser- vation plan, according to the report. Continued on page 2 Iowa County offers tax rebate to go organic SIOUX CITY, IA— Last spring when he was hired program. Marqusee was told by the Organic Farm - as rural economic development director for ing Research Foundation that Woodbury County Woodbury County, Iowa, Rob Marqusee figured there were two things that could be done about the decline of small towns and unprofitable farms. The farm economy could either become more service oriented, or, farms could get smaller. The only way smaller farms could make money, he thought, was to go organic, and so there needed to be some incen- tive to get farmers to check out that option. That's when he thought of the county offering a property tax rebate to any farmer willing to take the plunge. Marqusee was hired in March. The tax rebate of up to $10,000 per farm over five years was enacted in June. The county has committed $50,000 annually for the next five years to the was the first to offer such an rebate. "We're a county without tons of cash lying around... I just stumbled into this thing. It wasn't like `I am going to do something no one has done Continued on page 6 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 1 OCTOBER 2005 LTA to select accreditation commission- p. 4 Winners, losers under Williamson Act - p. 4 Green payments AFT's top priority - p. 5 Spotlight: Bob Berner - p. 6 Jobs digest /Conferences - p. 8