County faces 21st century

Open space: Preservation common goal

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

What will the landscape of northern Colorado look like in 2013? According to Jim Reidhead, director of Larimer County's Rural Land Use Center, it all depends on how farmers and ranchers are treated. "It's a financial and fairness issue," he commented, one that often sees the urban population and agricultural producers on opposite sides of the fence.

Basically, Reidhead said, city residents are telling ag people that they shouldn't sell or develop their land, because the sight of open space and farmland is aesthetically pleasing. Colorado farmers and ranchers, whose most valuable resources are land and water, resent being told what to do.

But underneath the rhetoric, Reidhead said, both groups want the same thing, the preservation of agriculture and open space. Many farmers and ranchers don't want to develop their property, Reidhead noted, so the key is to figure out a way to meet their minimum financial needs so they can stay in business.

Part of the dilemma, Reidhead said, is that producers are paid for only half of what they provide. They are paid for their product, whether it's corn or cattle, but they aren't paid for viewsheds, wildlife habitat and weed control--all important values to their urban neighbors. On the flip side, urbanites are paying for only half of what they consume.

The economics of farming versus developing is pretty simple: with the Front Range growing at the same rate as many third-world countries, land and water are much more valuable for their development potential than for agriculture. A striking example is the current cost of water. At the North Poudre Irrigation Co. based in Wellington, a share of the company currently sells for about $44,000, whereas the agriculture value of that water is about $2,500, Reidhead estimated.

Tax incentives used

Because of taxpayers' desire to preserve open space, several incentive programs are in place to help farmers and ranchers stay in agriculture. Most involve placing conservation easements on the land, meaning that development rights are relinquished in exchange for a tax benefit. In addition, both Fort Collins and Larimer County have open lands taxes in place for the purchase of land and development rights.

Even with these programs, however, farmers and ranchers make a sacrifice to stay in agriculture. "The tax credit program is good," said K-Lynn Cameron, director of the county's open lands program, "but it's not the full market value of the property." Financially, it's not always feasible to stay on the land, she noted.

Cameron said there has been increased interest lately in the open lands program, due to the poor economy and the drought. "The development community is not buying land now," she said, so even farmers who might want to develop are looking at other options for staying afloat. There's also more familiarity with the program now compared to a few years ago.

The county has identified three primary areas for preservation, Cameron said. These areas, considered to have the best soils for agriculture, include some Livermore-area ranches, the Buckeye/Waverly area and the land between Fort Collins and Wellington along Interstate 25. The third target area is also of interest to Fort Collins as a community separator, so the city and county are working together to preserve it. Landowners in those areas will be encouraged to place conservation easements on their properties.

Transferable development units are a relatively new tool being used to help people stay in agriculture. With this concept, high-density development rights are transferred from one area to a more suitable area, and landowners are paid the difference in value.

RLUC offers options

Through the Rural Land Use Center, farmers may develop part of their land, provided that at least two-thirds of the land remains undeveloped. That means that on a 160-acre parcel, the corners can become building sites while the center, irrigated part remains intact as farmland. "It's a way to sell the farm and keep it, too," Reidhead said.

He's particularly proud of the fact that, of the 40-plus rural land use projects approved to date, more than half are still farmed by the landowners who developed the projects.

One reason Reidhead encourages farmers to develop their own land, through the RLUC process, is that they can get a better return on their investment. "When farmers sell to developers, they are selling wholesale," he pointed out.

When Reidhead looks into the future of Larimer County lands, he has a well-defined wish list:

• He wants urban and rural residents to see themselves in partnership, not in opposition. In particular, he wants urban folks to recognize the contribution - and the financial realities--of farmers and ranchers.
• Cities should collaborate with counties on open space policies and look at regional projects, not just local ones. "We recreate regionally," Reidhead pointed out.
• He favors more density for housing, and less sprawl.
• In 30 years, he wants to see a new matrix of clustered housing, patterns of open space and better transportation connectors.
• Reidhead wants people to look at least 50 years ahead. He routinely asks himself, "What would people be glad that we accomplished?"