Ulster County committee adopts Ag & Farmland Protection Plan, continues Ag District 3; contract resolution withdrawn after Soil & Water board vote

The Ulster County committee voted on June 3 to adopt the Ulster County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan and to continue Agricultural District No. 3, which covers parts of Hardenburgh, Marbletown, Olive, Rochester, Rosendale and Wawarsing.

The committee’s agenda also recorded that Resolution 127—a contract for $100,000 involving the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, Department of Environment, and Department of Planning—was withdrawn after the Soil & Water Conservation District board voted against the contract. Committee leadership said the best course was for the resolution’s sponsors to withdraw the item and return when the parties reach agreement.

A staff summary read that the Ag & Farmland Protection Plan had been approved by the Ulster County Farmland Protection Board on Jan. 6, 2024, and that the legislature held a public hearing on March 18, 2025 with three speakers who supported adoption. The resolution to adopt the plan was moved and approved by the committee on a voice vote.

The continuation of Agricultural District No. 3 was presented as a planning action by the Department of Planning and likewise moved and approved by voice vote. The transcript lists the district and the towns included in the continuation request.

Why it matters: Adoption of the county’s Ag and Farmland Protection Plan and continuation of a state agricultural district preserve eligibility for farmland protection programs and guide county planning and conservation priorities. The withdrawal of Resolution 127 indicates ongoing negotiation between the county and the Soil & Water Conservation District on contract terms and requires further coordination before funding or programs tied to that contract proceed.