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• Earlier this year Leelanau County's Kasson Township
strengthened its zoning ordinance by directing that 70% of any
parcel under development be preserved in open space and forest.
• Three other rural townships -- Elmwood in Leelanau, and
Acme and Whitewater in Grand Traverse -- are considering
new land use measures that would slow sprawl and protect
farmland.
• The Grand Traverse region also is experimenting with
programs to increase farm incomes. Last spring an alliance of
growers, processors, and state agriculture officials launched
"Project Greenfields" to promote and market the region's
cherries, peaches, apples, maple syrup, wine, fruit pies, and
jams much like Vermont has done to distinguish its maple syrup,
ice cream and cheddar cheese.
Lew Coulter, administrator of the Grand Traverse
Conservation District, said one goal is to provide farmers with
more opportunities to sell directly to consumers, restaurants, and
food stores. Another goal is to encourage the development of
new food products sold by regional marketers.
"Falling incomes are the main reason that farmers are forced
to sell their land for development," said Mr. Coulter, who also is
a cherry farmer in Peninsula Township. "Ultimately, we hope to
increase demand for what we sell here, and push prices up."
Other regions in Michigan also are embarking on innovative
farmland preservation projects:
• Outside Petoskey, the local governing boards in Bear
Creek and Resort townships are opposing a new $70 million
highway bypass that would cut through hundreds of acres of
prime crop land and pasture. Farmers in the region also established a Historic Agriculture Preservation District to protect
themselves from major construction projects.
• The North Kent Townships Association is working on new
farmland protection policies and coordinating the land use
efforts for seven townships outside Grand Rapids.
• Since 1982, sprawl around Ann Arbor and other areas of
Washtenaw County has consumed 44,000 acres of farmland. In
1996, the county board appointed a 28-member task force of
local government leaders, developers, and conservationists to
study the problem and recommend solutions.
Last year the panel proposed an array of actions to slow
sprawl through public education, technical and financial
assistance to townships for planning, and by establishing a tax-
funded program to acquire development rights to farmland and
to buy environmentally-sensitive land. The goal is to preserve
40,000 acres of crop land, pasture, and forests by 2020.
Advocates point out that increasing property taxes slightly
now to pay for the program will prevent much higher property
taxes in the future to pay for the roads, schools, and expensive
services that come with sprawl.
"The plan will be embraced by the county board," said Barry
Lonik, executive director of the Potawatomi Land Trust, who
played a central role in devising it. "As far as increasing property taxes to pay for purchasing development rights, I think we have
a great chance for that too. People here care about the place they
live, and are disturbed by the changes they see in the landscape." CONTACTS:
Lew Coulter, 616-941-0960; Al Foster, 616-347-0592; Rich
Harlow, 517-335-3466; Jack Laurie and Scott Everett, 517-323-
7000; Barry Lonik, 313-449-7229; Bill Rustem, 517-484-4954;
David Skjaerlund, 517-335-4560; Sharon Steffen, 616-784-
1262. |
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Facts About Michigan Agriculture
Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture
•Food and agriculture is Michigan's
second leading industry, after automo-
tive and ahead of tourism, contributing
$40 billion to the state's economy
each year.
•As Michigan's second largest
employer, the food and agriculture
industry employs one out of every 15
citizens.
•Michigan produces more than 120
commercial agriculture products, sec-
ond in diversity only to California.
•Corn, hay and soybeans account
for nearly 62% of the value of
Michigan's crops.
•Each year Michigan exports agri-
cultural commodities valued at nearly
$2 billion, ranking the state sixth in the
nation for agricultural exports.
•More than 150,000 acres of
Michigan are dedicated to commercial
fruit operations.
•Currently, the state produces 25%
of the beef, 60% of the pork, 25% of
the lamb and mutton, 60% of the
turkey, and 66% of the eggs pur-
chased by Michigan residents.
•Michigan has a larger variety of
commercial tree species than any
other state. Forest production con-
tributes about $1.5 billion annually to
the economy. |
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