The near-total loss of dairy and tobacco from 1974 to 2017 caused Mason County’s annual farm revenue to plummet by $60 million (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars). Farmers responded by expanding annual cash grain by 16,000 acres. These acres increased soil erosion, ag chem pollution even as the reduction in sod increased stormwater flows.
Mason County lost 17,960 acres of land in farms between 1987 and 2017 even as row crop acres increased.
To address these facts, the proposed Maysville Mason County Comprehensive Plan includes “Objective 6C: Encourage additional land uses that protect farmland from development but provide supplemental income to landowners.”
With the strategy ‘Permit owners to make “Best Value” use of land without onerous restrictions. Ex. (trees, solar, recreation, hiking, mountain biking, water sports, RVs, ATV, Remote Control Vehicles, mini-home resort, destination marketing center, etc.’
Mason County must encourage the “Best Use” of our land resources to protect our precious topsoil and fund the community services, infrastructure, and cultural activities citizens expect in the twenty-first century.
Considering just one of the alternative land uses listed demonstrates why our community will benefit from encouraging each landowner to pursue their best-value land uses.
Large Scale Solar can benefit our community in these ways:
- Increase the real estate tax base to support local infrastructure and services
- Protect our topsoil for future generations.
- Reduces chemical pollution in local watersheds
- Help replace the $64 million of lost tobacco and dairy income
- Help control stormwater
- Increase the number of local high-value job opportunities.
- Place little load on local services or public infrastructure.
- Safeguard the land from encroaching urbanization
- Generate Payments in Lieu of Taxes to local municipalities
Please attend one of these public hearings and support encouraging “Best Value” land uses.
- Tuesday, August 13th, 2024 @ 6 p.m. – The Cox Building
- Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 @ 6 p.m. – May’s Lick Fire Hall
Unless we encourage new opportunities for an influx of new revenue, Maysville and Mason County will be forced to keep raising taxes to provide essential services and infrastructure
