A. Agricultural lands support a locally important and nationally unique agricultural industry that includes; dairy, livestock, food from grains, vegetables, fruit, forestry, and greenhouse crops. Wellsville's climate, topography and accessibility make it uniquely suited to the production, processing and distribution of agricultural products on a regional and national scale. The natural resources, productive farmland and rural character, has made Wellsville and Cache Valley a desirable place to live and work. Farm land is an irreplaceable natural resource with soil and topographic characteristics that have been enhanced by generations of agricultural use. Loss of this resource to development is a permanent reduction of a critical resource. The economic base of the City is also supported by a variety of agriculturally related businesses including: farm equipment and supply, dairy products processing, grain dealers, packaging plants and other professional services. Critical agricultural lands shall be governed by the following:
1. All lands identified as critical agricultural lands shall be designated and mapped by the City. The City may utilize existing mapped agricultural lands from other sources to satisfy this requirement.
2. Any proposed development within identified critical agricultural lands shall be governed by the uses allowed in the respective zones in which the highly productive agriculture exists.
3. Critical agricultural lands should be preserved through means of one or more tools including, but not limited to:
a. Limitations placed on development on highly productive agricultural lands;
b. Land set aside requirements as in Chapter 10-35;
c. Substitutions for Open Space, Section 10-35-5;
d. Use of conservation easements;
e. Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs);
f. Private land trusts. (Ord. 2019-04, 10-16-2019)