ECONOMIC ELEMENT POLICIES

ECONOMIC ELEMENT POLICIES

ECONOMIC ELEMENT VISION

Our economic visions maintain the integrity of the rural character of the valley while recognizing the benefits of our close proximity to the urban areas. We continue to serve the urban areas in the region with a wide variety of locally grown products, recreational opportunities, and a chance to experience our rural community. Residents continue to access the majority of their goods, services, and employment from the surrounding urban areas. The development and promotion of viable agricultural activities and markets emerges as an aspect of our rural economy. It is our aim to write, design, and implement a plan that will make our community attractive to new farmers and ongoing farm investments.

GOAL

The goal of the agriculture policies is to preserve and protect productive agricultural lands and to identify and implement actions to improve the viability of agriculture by ensuring family wage incomes and profitability for local farmers and their families for generations to come. In order to make this goal a reality the County must make a commitment, fund, and act upon policies and recommended actions that will allow for increased incomes and decrease barriers for local farmers.

OBJECTIVES, PRINCIPLES, STANDARDS

General Policies
Agricultural Economy
IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS FOR ECONOMIC ELEMENT

General Policies

Objective 22.            Agricultural enterprises and activities are an important sector of the County economy and the County shall foster and promote a diverse and sustainable agricultural economy as an integral part of its strategies to conserve and preserve agricultural lands in the County.

Principle 1.            The County shall foster and encourage varied activities and strategies which encourage a diverse and sustainable agricultural economy and utilization of agricultural resources.

Principle 2.            Productive agricultural land is a limited resource of both environmental and economic value and shall be conserved and preserved.

Principle 3.            Prohibit the creations of roads, subdivisions, or other development that cuts across, drains to, or otherwise impedes farm management and operations.

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Agricultural Economy

Objective 23.             Create permanent ongoing demand for Alderton-McMillin plan area farm products – create the market.

Principle 1.            Enact programs and take actions that increase awareness of and demand for local agriculture products.

Standards

23.1.1             Adopt and promote an agricultural policy to:

a.      Commit the County to programs and actions that support and improve agricultural sales and activities;

b.     Raise awareness of local farm resources and products;

c.      Place agricultural needs and importance in front and center of public discussion;

d.      Coordinate and communicate information and programs with various organizations and other jurisdictions within the County;

e.       Create urban area demand for local farm products;

f.      Recognize the agriculture sector as an engine for economic development;

g.      Use political opportunities and leadership influence to work with local agencies, businesses, and employers to promote farm products and link the local products to the market.

23.1.2             Develop connections and formal programs with local institutions to purchase local food supplies. Institutions that would benefit from an established program include schools, universities, military bases, hospitals, prisons, major employers, and convention events.

a.      Inventory farm produce, available quantities, and market schedules.

b.      Inventory needs of entities receiving food – quantities, timing, products, etc.

23.1.3             Increase demand for local produce through professional advertising to the urban market.

a.      Establish a marketing and promotion team.

b.      Market local farm products through television commercials, radio ads, bus signs, logos or slogans, etc.

c.      Market directly to local, urban population, especially new residents through programs such as welcome baskets containing information on the importance of buying local, what, where, and when to buy.

23.1.4             Promote public outreach and awareness; market through education.

a.      Work with WSU and the Health Department to develop a curriculum or information for use in local schools.

b.      Develop a weekly or monthly television feature on the government channel to feature stories of local farmers, farm history of Pierce County, and the importance of our connection to the land.

c.      Place signs identifying crops being grown along agriculture parcels.

Principle 2.            Link local farmers to the local urban market.

Standards

23.2.1             Support a farmers’ market in a commercial center in Alderton-McMillin and/or a commercial center in South Hill.

23.2.2             Assist with development of a farm cooperative where many farms operate as one for purposes of getting goods to market, buying materials in bulk, marketing products, and, regulatory purposes.

23.2.3             Grow a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) market through coordinating produce and deliveries.

23.2.4             Develop an agriculture tourism program and route for Alderton-McMillin.

Objective 24.       Reduce barriers to agriculture.

      Principle 1.            Remove redundant regulatory restrictions; reduce paperwork and costs.

Standards

24.1.1             Conduct a comprehensive regulatory review of federal, state, local requirements for various farming activities.

a.      Hold a forum with local farmers to identify all regulatory obstacles and concerns.

b.      Where permitting and review is required at state or federal levels, reduce requirements at local level.

c.      Implement methods to simplify the regulatory framework and streamline the approval process for farm activities.

d.      Develop a set of pre-approved base plans for common farm facilities in order to streamline permit process.

24.1.2             In reviewing applications or considering any type of new construction or development, the County shall consider potential impacts on existing adjacent agricultural uses and shall use its regulatory authority to mitigate those impacts which would be detrimental to the continuation of existing agricultural operations and activities and the establishment of new agricultural operations and activities. New development should be sited in such a way so as to minimize and/or prevent future conflicts.

24.1.3             Identify ways to keep the regulatory burden on various agricultural activities to the minimum necessary for identifying, addressing, and mitigating potential impacts in the areas of health, safety, and welfare.

Principle 2.            Provide technical assistance to farmers in order to adjust to the changing market.

Standards

24.2.1             Assess the type of assistance most needed by the farming community.

24.2.2             Hire or connect with experts to provide knowledge and direct assistance in:

a.      Economic decisions; e.g., where there are needs in the local market not being filled thus providing opportunities;

b.      Business improvement; e.g., marketing products locally or how to increase value-added production opportunities;

c.      Technical farming; e.g., how to cost effectively convert to another product, become an organic farm, or comply with environmental and other regulations.

24.2.3             Coordinate with and increase the role of Washington State University and the Pierce Conservation District in providing assistance.

24.2.4             Coordinate assistance efforts to reduce confusion and fragmentation of programs.

24.2.5             Assign a “Farmbudsman” as a single point of contact on agriculture permits, zoning, and environmental regulation to assist local farmers through the regulatory process.

24.2.6             The County shall provide technical assistance to farmers to help avoid conflicts over wetland and riparian management and the management of other sensitive or diminishing environmental resources as listed and periodically updated in the Critical Areas regulations.

Principle 3.        Provide direct financial assistance to local farmers.

Standards

24.3.1             Provide property tax relief to Pierce County farms.

a.      Update and enhance tax incentives to include all working farm properties.

b.      Work to revise tax assessments to value productive agricultural lands at agricultural value rather than ‘highest and best use’ based on location and proximity to non-agricultural uses parcels.

24.3.2             Establish a Farm Emergency Fund to provide assistance:

a.      When farms are diversifying products in order to improve sales;

b.     To maintain agriculture land when fields are inactive;

c.      When farming practices are updated and the net benefit reduces impacts on the environment.

24.3.3             Establish a Revolving Loan Fund to provide assistance to farmers for business improvement.

24.3.4             Explore opportunities to assist local farmers through creative programs providing secure farm incomes.

24.3.5             Investigate and implement a variety of methods to provide funding for agriculture viability:

a.      Consider issuing a bond;

b.      Seek to maximize grant opportunities to fund agriculture preservation.

Objective 25.       Commit resources to improving the viability of agriculture.

Principle 1.            Establish a single place of contact for coordination and promotion of agricultural issues.

Standards

25.1.1             Continue to support the WSU Farm Assistance, Revitalization & Marketing Program responsible for:

a.      Coordinating and promoting information on agricultural issues and programs;

b.      Serving as a single point of contact and overseeing needs and improvements for the agriculture community;

c.        Implementation of all policies, programs and actions;

d.        Establishing connections to and markets within the urban area;

e.       Grant writing for agriculture;

f.        Developing funding sources for agriculture improvements;

g.        Developing effective partnerships to promote agriculture;

h.      Communicating from, with, between farmers, the farming community, WSU, Conservation District, etc.;

i.      Providing a voice and lobby regarding national and state policies impacting farmers;

j.      Monitoring the health of the agriculture sector and successfulness of policies, programs, and actions; and

k.      Develop GIS tools to monitor distribution, production, conversion, fragmentation.

25.1.2       Continue support and funding for the Farm Advisory Commission.

25.1.3             Pierce County shall develop a monitoring program to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural policies and programs.

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IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS FOR ECONOMIC ELEMENT

The following list of actions needs to be completed in order to implement the policies contained within this plan. They are arranged according to the timeframe within which each should be completed: short, medium, or long term. Short-term actions should occur within one year of plan adoption. Mid-term actions should be completed within 2-5 years. Long-term actions should be completed within 5-10 years of plan adoption. The entity or entities responsible for leading the effort to complete the action item is listed in parenthesis following the action. Actions are assigned to the Land Use Advisory Commission (LUAC), Pierce County Planning and Land Services (PALS), Pierce County Economic Development (ED), Pierce County Parks and Recreations (Parks), Pierce County Public Works & Utilities (PWU), and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD), WSU Extension, Pierce Conservation District (PCD), Farm Assistance Revitalization & Marketing Program (FARM).

Short Term Actions (Upon plan adoption to 1 year)

Amend Title 18A, Zoning to allow farm related sales and uses in the ARL and Rural Farm zones. (PALS, Farm Advisory Commission, Alderton-McMillin LUAC)

Adopt an agriculture policy that coordinates various agencies and activities for sustaining Pierce County farmers. (PALS, Farm Advisory Commission, WSU Extension, Pierce Conservation District, Pierce County Council)

Work with the Pierce County “Farmbudsman” to promote cooperative marketing and purchasing of agricultural products, subscription farms, public education and outreach on locally produced agricultural products, and provide technical assistance to farmers. (PALS, WSU Extension Office, Pierce Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission)

Initiate a study to compile a comprehensive regulatory review of federal, state, and local requirements for farming related activities including identification of regulatory barriers to farming practices. The study results should suggest proposed regulatory amendments at the local level to streamline the approval process for farming activities. (WSU Extension Office, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission, Pierce Conservation District)

Mid-Term Actions (1-5 years)

Continue work with the Pierce County “Farmbudsman” to promote cooperative marketing and purchasing of agricultural products, subscription farms, public education and outreach on locally produced agricultural products, and provide technical assistance to farmers. (PALS, WSU Extension Office, Pierce Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission)

Provide technical business and financial assistance to farms adjusting to the changing market. (PALS, WSU Extension Office)

Provide technical assistance to farmers in addressing critical area issues related to farming activities. (WSU Extension Office, Pierce Conservation District)

Work with local agencies and groups to promote the Current Use Assessment Program for productive farm and agricultural lands. (PALS, A/T Office, WSU Extension Office, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission)

Work with the Assessor/Treasurer’s Office to research possible changes to tax structure so properties are assessed at current use rather than “highest and best use.” (PALS, A/T Office, WSU Extension Office)

Develop a set of pre-approved base plans for common farm facilities. (WSU Extension Office, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission, Pierce Conservation District)

Long Term Actions (5-10 years)

Work with local agencies and groups to develop a farmers market within a nearby commercial center. (PALS, ED, Graham Business Association, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission, and WSU Extension Office, Alderton-McMillin LUAC)

Develop a farm cooperative and enhance the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) market. (PALS, WSU Extension Office, ED, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission)

Develop an agricultural tourism program and route for the Alderton-McMillin plan area. (PALS, WSU Extension Office, ED, Farm Bureau, Farm Advisory Commission)

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