Sauk County Farmland Preservation Plan

A productive, secure agricultural land base in Sauk County is vital to our ability to maintain agriculture as a dominant part of our culture and preserve agriculture as a viable industry which helps society to secure necessary food, fiber, and fuel supplies. Agriculture, a significant economic driver in Sauk County, has over 1,900 working farms with over 358,900 acres either under production or reserved for future production.  The future success of agriculture requires maintaining land areas for future production while assuring favorable and expanded markets for agricultural commodities.  A well-crafted and implemented farmland preservation plan cannot necessarily preserve all of our agricultural lands, nor can it provide stable and growing markets for agricultural commodities, but it can provide policy guidance when choosing what initiatives to implement as a county, when and where to implement them, and in what capacity.      

In 2009 the Wisconsin Legislature enacted Wisconsin Act 28 (2009-2011 Budget Bill) to create what is commonly referred to as the Working Lands Initiative.  This law changes Chapter 91 of the Wisconsin State Statutes and sets forth technical specifications for programs that further the physical preservation of farmland, provides a means of economic support and opportunities to the state’s agricultural producers, and connects production to markets.  The new law continues Sauk County’s tradition of maintaining the farmland preservation plan and zoning certification, conservation compliance, and leading policy implementation efforts that result in measurable outcomes which support a vibrant agricultural economy.

Under the new law, Sauk County must have updated the Farmland Preservation Plan by December 31, 2013.  The law also specifies that Sauk County must maintain a certified zoning ordinance in order for landowners to qualify for farmland preservation income tax credits, Agricultural Enterprise Areas, or Purchase of Agriculture Conservation Easement.  The updated plan is an integral continuation of Sauk County’s previous planning efforts to support the agricultural industry, which first began with the adoption of the first farmland preservation plan in 1979. 

The adopted plan can be found at the link below.    If you have any questions on the plan, please contact Brian Simmert, Senior Planner, @ 608-355-4834 or bsimmert@co.sauk.wi.us.