Planning staff outline Franklin County agricultural land preservation program, announce public dashboard

Colleen Ted of the Franklin County planning staff presented the county’s agricultural land preservation program and a new public dashboard showing preserved farms and acreage.

Ted said program eligibility requires enrollment in a municipal Agricultural Security Area, predominately prime soils and either at least 35 acres or 10 acres adjacent to preserved land, an active conservation plan and recorded legal access if landlocked. Applications are accepted year-round with an annual December 31 deadline; the county ranks farms using a combined score made up of a 40% land-evaluation score (based on the USDA NRCS soil survey) and a 60% site-assessment score that considers development pressure, farmland productivity and clustering potential.

On appraisal and payment, the presenter said the ag board will offer no more than 85% of the easement value with a cap of $3,000 per acre; Franklin County typically provides about $2,400 per acre. Ted said 170 farms totaling 20,689 acres have been preserved so far, 12 farms (1,213 acres) are pending, five farms (479 acres) were selected in 2026 and 31 farms remain on the ranking list. The planning team announced a public dashboard on the county website to display preservation status and maps.

During discussion, commissioners noted solar-lease payments can exceed easement offers and clarified that the easement payment reflects the difference between agricultural and development value, not the total sale price of land. Planning staff said the program prioritizes parcels with development risk and those that maximize long-term agricultural productivity.