For Immediate Release:                                                              Contact:    Joe McQueen

November 12, 2015                                                                                      (518) 388-4772

Schenectady County Announces Annual 30-Day Review Period to Enroll Property in County Agricultural District

(Schenectady County, NY)  Schenectady County officials today announced that applications from land owners interested in becoming part of the County’s agricultural district will be accepted during the month of December.  Under New York State Law, the County is required to establish an annual review period to give land owners an opportunity to request inclusion in the Agricultural District.  The Schenectady County Legislature has established December 1^st to December 30^th as the annual application period.

Anthony Jasenski, Chairman of the Schenectady County Legislature said, “Schenectady County is committed to our agricultural industry and actively encourages local farmers and growers to request inclusion in the agricultural district.  This helps us to preserve local farms and maintain green space in Schenectady County.”

The goal of the district is to encourage the growth of the agricultural industry within Schenectady County. The district provides a combination of landowner incentives and protections, all of which are designed to forestall the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses.

The Schenectady County Agricultural District consists of 18,764 acres. This represents approximately 13 percent of the total land area in the County.  The Agricultural District has grown by 2,159 acres since 2004.  The majority of the County’s agricultural district is located within the Town of Duanesburg (57%), followed by Princetown (17%), Glenville (14%), Rotterdam (11%), and Niskayuna (1%).

After the thirty day review period is completed, applications will be reviewed by the County’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board.  A public hearing will be held by the County Legislature and a final vote taken by the Legislature to include additional parcels in the Agricultural District.   The application may be found at www.SchenectadyCounty.com/agdistrict.   More information can be obtained from the County Department of Economic Development and Planning at 518-386-225 ext. 226.

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