Advance Planning

Southwest Agricultural District Undergoing Its Fourth Eight-Year Review

Cattaraugus County Agricultural District #3, locally known as the Southwest Agricultural District, located within the Towns of Coldspring, Conewango, Little Valley, Mansfield, Napoli, Randolph, Red House, Salamanca, and South Valley, was created on April 10, 1975 pursuant to Article 25-AA of the Agriculture and Markets Law and currently encompasses 35,957 acres.

Under Section 303 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, the Cattaraugus County Legislature is required to review a district eight years after its creation and every eight years thereafter. The purpose of the eight-year review process is to determine the economic viability of the district, as well as to decide on boundary changes including the addition of viable agricultural land or the removal of non-agricultural land or areas targeted for development. The eight-year review process for the Southwest Agricultural District will officially begin on September 12th, 2006, with the start of the 30-day public comment period. During this 30-day period, any municipality whose territory encompasses the Southwest Agricultural District, any State Agency, or any landowner within or adjacent to the District, may propose a modification to the existing district. Any proposed modification must be submitted in writing to the Cattaraugus County Clerk or the Clerk of the Cattaraugus County Legislature, 303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755 within the thirty days specified (September 12, 2006 to October 12, 2006).

At the end of the 30-day period, the Southwest Agricultural District Eight-Year Review proposal and any proposed modifications will be submitted to the Cattaraugus County Planning Board and the Cattaraugus County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board for their review and recommendation. A public hearing will be held by the Cattaraugus County Legislature on the District review proposal (date to be determined) and any proposed modifications received from individual landowners, involved municipalities, and the County Planning and Agricultural and Farmland Protection Boards.

There are three possible outcomes of the Agricultural District Eight-Year Review process: The district can be continued as originally adopted or as most recently approved; the district boundaries can be modified by the addition of parcels, the deletion of parcels, or a combination of both; or the district can be terminated.

The purpose of Agricultural Districts is to provide a means by which agricultural lands can be protected and enhanced as a viable segment of the economy. Agricultural districting is designed to encourage the continued use of farmland for agricultural production. The Agricultural Districts Program is based on a combination of landowner incentives and protections, all of which are designed to hinder the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses. The benefits of having agricultural property included in an Agricultural District include:

A map of the current District is on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism at the County Center, 303 Court Street, Little Valley, New York.

For further information on Agricultural Districts in Cattaraugus County go to www.CattCo.org click on Advance Planning, Agricultural Districts and Farmland Protection, Agricultural Districts Status Report (PDF, 443 KB). To propose a modification or change to the Southwest Agricultural District, contact James H. Isaacson, Senior Planner at 938-9111 Ext. 2320 or by email at: JHIsaacson@cattco.org.