The Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Committee will make a presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 7:30 pm in the auditorium located at 414 N. Main Street, Madison. According to the draft PDR Ordinance, the purpose of the Purchase of Development Rights program is to:

Establishing a program by which the County can acquire permanent conservation easements voluntarily offered by owners as one means of assuring that the County's resources are protected and efficiently used;

2. Preserving the farm and forest land base by minimizing the fragmentation of working farms and forestland and by
providing family farms an alternative to developing their land to get the "highest economic value";

3. Conserving and protecting the County's water resources;

4. Protecting and enhancing the County's rural character and quality of life;

5. Promoting agritainment and agricultural support services such as education, animal care; wineries; services such as haymaking, brush hogging, crop storage, hauling, fencing, barn construction; direct marketing of products produced on-site, equestrian facilities, farm co-ops; farm based tourism events; farm and wayside markets; farm machinery repair; commercial nurseries; petting zoos; stables; and
similar uses that allow for agricultural education, recreation, entertainment and tourism in conjunction with on-going agricultural activity on-site.

The committee is composed of a broad spectrum of county farmers, foresters, civic leaders, extension and several non-profit conservation organization representatives, including PEC. Hopefully the Board will move forward with a public education program in early 2010. Please visit the Madison County website to view the draft PDR ordinanace, or call Beth Pastore, PEC's Madison County Land Conservation Officer at 540-948-3854.