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Home>Rural Resources
 Rural Resources
Many of the issues addressed in the Jobs and Business section of this website, and in the County’s economic development strategy, are applicable to both urban and rural areas. Outside of the traditional farming and forestry sectors very little data are available about how much rural economic activity specifically contributes to the regional economy. However, many resource- and home-based businesses have added to the traditional economic pillars of agriculture and forestry, and self-employment and entrepreneurship have become staples of the rural economy.
Although the primary organization in Tompkins County that is charged with addressing county-wide rural resource issues is Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, the Tompkins County Planning Department is currently actively involved in several projects addressing rural resources.
Agricultural Resource Focus Area Plan
The Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan identifies a need for establishing “a program to protect and manage land for agricultural and forestry use in the focus areas using tools appropriate to the functions of those resources.” The Agricultural Resource Focus Area Plan is being developed to meet this need, highlighting the critical agricultural resource areas in the County where there is a significant concentration high quality soils, actively-farmed parcels, and land within an agricultural district. There are six identified Agricultural Resource Focus Areas (ARFAs) in the County.
Tompkins County Forest Management Plan
The Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan identified a need to sustainably manage the 558 acres of forest lands owned by Tompkins County. It was also thought that a high-quality sustainable forest management plan could serve as a model for other forest owners in Tompkins County looking to obtain income generation over the long-term through sustainable harvesting practices. Tompkins County intends to make this management plan available for public review, track the economics of the plan over time, and conduct periodic outreach to forest owners about the plan’s performance and content. The overarching purpose of this plan is to provide for the sustainable management of Tompkins County’s forest lands. A secondary purpose is to use the plan to achieve Forest Certification through the Forest Stewardship Council.
 Management Plan (pdf 30 MB)
Appendices of the Management Plan (pdf 6MB)
Purchase of Development Rights
Tompkins County is an active partner in assisting farmers in applying for and receiving State assistance payments that cover up to 75% of the total costs for implementation activities to protect viable farmlands. These grants, administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, are awarded pursuant to eligibility guidelines and criteria by which all projects are scored and ranked for funding.
Tompkins County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan
The Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan provides an overview of existing agriculture in Tompkins County and identifies specific strategies and actions for supporting agriculture and protecting farmland. The Plan was first prepared by the Tompkins County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board in 1996 and is currently in the process of being revised and updated. It is expected that the plan will be finalized in 2007.
For more information about this program, contact the Tompkins County Planning Department at (607) 274-5560 or E-mail us, or Cornell Cooperative Extension at (607) 272-2292.
Agricultural Districts
Agricultural Districts seek to encourage the continued use of farmland for agricultural production through a combination of landowner incentives and protections. These incentives and protections include preferential real property tax treatment (agricultural assessment and special benefit assessment) and protections against overly restrictive local laws, government funded acquisition or construction projects, and private nuisance suits involving agricultural practices. The boundaries of the two agricultural districts in Tompkins County are reviewed every eight years. In addition, every year during the month of November landowners can submit a request to add viable agricultural land to one of the agricultural districts.
 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Cornell Cooperative Exension provides programs and information to Tompkins
County residents on agriculture, the environment and many other aspects of family
and community development. It is not a division of the Planning Department, but has
been linked here for your convenience.
For more information about this program, contact the Tompkins County Planning Department at (607) 274-5560 or E-mail us, or Cornell Cooperative Extension at (607) 272-2292.
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