Agritourism Bill

General Assembly

“Earlier this week, the House approved HB 268, which expands various agritourism activities and additional value-added sale, preparation and processing opportunities. While a number of localities have successfully worked with agricultural operations to expand such opportunities while maintaining local authority, this bill creates a one size-fits-all land use policy regarding agricultural operations and creates inflexibility at the local level. It allows all “usual and customary” agritourism activities unless the activity causes substantial impact on the health, safety, or general welfare of the public, while putting restrictions on local tools such as special permits and exceptions that can be beneficial in assuring proper balance of activities among various land use types. On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture Committee followed suit by approved a nearly identical, substitute version of SB 51. It will be on the Senate floor for a vote next week.”

~Writes David Blount TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Bus loop eyed for Freezeland Road area

Warren County:

“A rural part of Warren County may soon get a place for parents to drop off and pick up school-aged children. The Board of Supervisors last week voted to accept a deed of a gift from the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries for approximately 3.19 acres of land on Freezeland Road. The county proposes to build a commuter parking lot with a bus loop for students. The facility would serve primarily the Shenandoah Farms and Blue Mountain communities.

County Administrator Douglas Stanley said Thursday that construction of the facility may not happen for another one to three years. The county needs to set aside funds to build the facility that Stanley said would compare to one it operates in Linden Park. Once the transfer of the property goes through, Stanley said the county would move forward on designing the facility. The county would need approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation for the design. The Planning Commission also would need to approve the site as a park.”

~Writes Alex Bridges of Northern Virginia Daily

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Virginia Awards Grant For Purcellville Viticulture Center Study

Town of Purcellville:

“The Town of Purcellville has been awarded $17,000 in matching grant funds to continue planning to establish a viticulture and enology center. Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the award of the first planning grants of his administration from the Governor’s Agriculture & Forestry Industries Development Fund. Essex County also was awarded grant funding.

The town partnered with the Loudoun County government in making the grant application last year.

In a statement announcing the grants, McAuliffe applauded Essex County, Loudoun County and the Town of Purcellville ‘for exploring how their agricultural assets can be better utilized and grown for future job creation opportunities.’”

~Writes Margaret Morton of the Loudoun Business

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Clarke County Among Beneficiaries of State Farmland Preservation Grants

Clarke County

“Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced the recipients of fiscal year 2014 farmland preservation grants.  Eight localities have been awarded just over $1,058,000 from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).  Localities must use the grant monies to preserve farmland within their boundaries through local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs. PDR programs compensate landowners who work with localities to preserve their land permanently by voluntarily placing a perpetual conservation easement on it.

VDACS allocated almost $149,678.46 each to the counties of Albemarle, Clarke, Fauquier, Isle of Wight, James City, and Stafford, as well as the City of Virginia Beach.  Rappahannock County will receive an $11,000 grant.  These allocations total a little more than $1,058,000, bringing the total allocation of state matching funds to $8.68 million since 2008, when PDR funds were first distributed.

This is the seventh time that the Commonwealth has provided state matching funds for certified local PDR programs.  Of the 22 local PDR programs in Virginia, 18 have received local funding over the past few years. To date, more than 6,700 acres on 49 farms in 12 localities have been permanently protected in part with $6 million of these funds.  Additional easements are expected to close using the remaining funds over the next two years.  Future new appropriations will help preserve additional working lands as well.”
~Writes the Winchester Daily-Monitor

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Fauquier landowners protect another 1,140 acres

Fauquier County

“Fauquier County landowners placed 1,140 acres in conservation easements last year. That brings the total conserved land in Fauquier to approximately 97,748 acres — almost one-quarter of the county, according to the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council’s annual tally.

‘Fauquier County has long been a leader in recognizing the importance of protecting its natural, scenic and cultural resources,’ PEC Land Conservation Officer Maggi MacQuilliam said. ‘It’s also important that while Fauquier is a statewide leader in land conservation, the conservation done here is complementary to the service districts which are planned for development and will allow our community to grow and thrive well into the future.’”

~Writes Fauquier Now

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Rapp granted $11K more for farmland preservation

Rappahannock County

“Rappahannock County was among the eight jurisdictions statewide that Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced this week would receive fiscal-year 2014 farmland preservation grants. The eight localities to receive the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) grants must use the funds to preserve farmland within their boundaries through local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs, which compensate landowners who work with localities to preserve their land permanently by voluntarily placing a perpetual conservation easement on it.

VDACS allocated $149,678 each to the counties of Albemarle, Clarke, Fauquier, Isle of Wight, James City and Stafford, and the city of Virginia Beach. Rappahannock County will receive an $11,000 grant. The allocations total a little more than $1.058 million, bringing the total allocation of state matching funds to $8.68 million since 2008, when PDR funds were first distributed.

Rappahannock’s fiscal-year 2014 distribution follows a $50,000 PDR grant the county received last year; the grant funds for both last year and this year have already been matched by the Rappahannock County Conservation Alliance (RCCA), says county administrator John McCarthy.

This is the seventh time that the state has provided state matching funds for certified local PDR programs. Of the 22 local PDR programs in Virginia, 18 have received local funding over the past few years. To date, more than 6,700 acres on 49 farms in 12 localities have been permanently protected in part with $6 million of these funds.”

~Writes Rappahannock News

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