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County farmland value dips

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Portage County is losing its rural character in more ways than one.
As the urban area expands into the former rural area, the value of farmland in the county is sinking.

In 1980, agricultural lands accounted for 21 percent of the equalized valuation of Portage County. That percentage fell to 14 in 1990 and then dipped to 3 percent in 2000.

In 1980, residential property accounted for 46 percent of the county's equalized valuation, rising to 51 percent in 1990 and then 61 percent in 2000.

In 1980, only four towns in the county had agricultural land that represented less than 40 percent of the town's valuation, Grant at 36 percent, Plover at 30, Linwood at 19 and Hull at 10.

In 2000, only four towns had agricultural land that represented 10 or more percent of the town's valuation, Carson at 10 percent, Buena Vista at 15, Pine Grove at 16 and Almond at 17.

The figure for 2000 is skewered somewhat by a change in state law that required farmland to be assessed based on use, rather than on the basis of market value.

That law was included in the 1995-97 state budget, but Wisconsin voters had approved a state constitutional amendment in 1974, allowing agricultural and undeveloped land to be taxed differently from developed land.

But figures from 1990, before the law was enacted, indicated farmland values were declining as residential areas developed in towns. By then, only Almond, Belmont, Buena Vista, Eau Pleine and Pine Grove had agricultural land values more than 40 percent.

In 1980, the only towns with residential property valued at more than 40 percent of the town's valuation were Grant, Hull and Linwood. Grant's residential development comes from the eastward expansion of the Wisconsin Rapids urban area, while Hull borders Stevens Point on the east and Linwood borders Stevens Point on the west.

By 1990, the towns with residential property valued at more than 40 percent of the town's valuation were Alban, Amherst, Dewey, Grant, Hull, Lanark, Linwood, New Hope, Plover, Sharon and Stockton.

In 2000, the only towns with residential property valued at less than 50 percent of the town's valuation were Belmont and Pine Grove, each at 47 percent.

Stevens Point was the only other municipality in the county with residential property below 50 percent of the valuation, at 48 percent. In the city, manufacturing accounted for 40 percent of the valuation and manufacturing and personal property the other 12 percent.

"This shows Portage County is growing," said Bo DeDeker, Portage County finance director. "Land is being sold off, like the business park."

Before 2000, agricultural land around Stevens Point was subjected to higher taxes than land farther from the urban area, DeDeker said, and much of that more-expensive land has been sold in recent years.

Another factor in the decline of agricultural land values, he said, is irrigated land really dropped because the law requires that it be treated the same as other agricultural land. As a result, towns with irrigated land saw their property values drop, while towns in the northern part of the county without much irrigation dipped only slightly, especially in the towns of Eau Pleine and Dewey, he said.

"That hurt a lot of northern farmers," DeDeker said. "Theirs didn't drop much. Irrigated land really went down."

DeDeker feels the county's Smart Growth study will look at the trend of declining farmland values. "More is being sold as subdivisions than farmland," he said.

Charles Kell, Portage County planning director, agreed that the Smart Growth study would be crucial to retaining farmland in the county.

"We are losing farmland as we go," he said. "It's not the real prime land, but the more marginal, it may not be well-drained or it's hilly or sloped."

He said the towns of Sharon and Lanark are seeing that kind of development pressure, and he hopes the situation in the town of Lanark will be reduced with an ordinance to put protections in place.

"Our population expansion is at least as strong in the rural areas as the urban, probably more so," he said.

Curbing the growth isn't a decision that the Planning Department or he as a professional can make. "All we can do is educate officials and the population," he said. "They have to decide if they want to change things as they are happening. We haven't had a real good opportunity to do that on a broad base."

Kell said larger groups of people are needed to become aware of the situation and deal with it on a town-by-town basis, adding that the Smart Growth study may help.

"We'll see if people are concerned and will try to reverse these occurrences," he said.



	County farmland value dips By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette Portage County is losing its rural character in more ways than one. As the urban area expands into the former rural area, the value of farmland in the county is sinking. In 1980, agricultural lands accounted for 21 percent of the equalized valuation of Portage County. That percentage fell to 14 in 1990 and then dipped to 3 percent in 2000. In 1980, residential property accounted for 46 percent of the county's equalized valuation, rising to 51 percent in 1990 and then 61 percent in 2000. In 1980, only four towns in the county had agricultural land that represented less than 40 percent of the town's valuation, Grant at 36 percent, Plover at 30, Linwood at 19 and Hull at 10. In 2000, only four towns had agricultural land that represented 10 or more percent of the town's valuation, Carson at 10 percent, Buena Vista at 15, Pine Grove at 16 and Almond at 17. The figure for 2000 is skewered somewhat by a change in state law that required farmland to be assessed based on use, rather than on the basis of market value. That law was included in the 1995-97 state budget, but Wisconsin voters had approved a state constitutional amendment in 1974, allowing agricultural and undeveloped land to be taxed differently from developed land. But figures from 1990, before the law was enacted, indicated farmland values were declining as residential areas developed in towns. By then, only Almond, Belmont, Buena Vista, Eau Pleine and Pine Grove had agricultural land values more than 40 percent. In 1980, the only towns with residential property valued at more than 40 percent of the town's valuation were Grant, Hull and Linwood. Grant's residential development comes from the eastward expansion of the Wisconsin Rapids urban area, while Hull borders Stevens Point on the east and Linwood borders Stevens Point on the west. By 1990, the towns with residential property valued at more than 40 percent of the town's valuation were Alban, Amherst, Dewey, Grant, Hull, Lanark, Linwood, New Hope, Plover, Sharon and Stockton. In 2000, the only towns with residential property valued at less than 50 percent of the town's valuation were Belmont and Pine Grove, each at 47 percent. Stevens Point was the only other municipality in the county with residential property below 50 percent of the valuation, at 48 percent. In the city, manufacturing accounted for 40 percent of the valuation and manufacturing and personal property the other 12 percent. "This shows Portage County is growing," said Bo DeDeker, Portage County finance director. "Land is being sold off, like the business park." Before 2000, agricultural land around Stevens Point was subjected to higher taxes than land farther from the urban area, DeDeker said, and much of that more-expensive land has been sold in recent years. Another factor in the decline of agricultural land values, he said, is irrigated land really dropped because the law requires that it be treated the same as other agricultural land. As a result, towns with irrigated land saw their property values drop, while towns in the northern part of the county without much irrigation dipped only slightly, especially in the towns of Eau Pleine and Dewey, he said. "That hurt a lot of northern farmers," DeDeker said. "Theirs didn't drop much. Irrigated land really went down." DeDeker feels the county's Smart Growth study will look at the trend of declining farmland values. "More is being sold as subdivisions than farmland," he said. Charles Kell, Portage County planning director, agreed that the Smart Growth study would be crucial to retaining farmland in the county. "We are losing farmland as we go," he said. "It's not the real prime land, but the more marginal, it may not be well-drained or it's hilly or sloped." He said the towns of Sharon and Lanark are seeing that kind of development pressure, and he hopes the situation in the town of Lanark will be reduced with an ordinance to put protections in place. "Our population expansion is at least as strong in the rural areas as the urban, probably more so," he said. Curbing the growth isn't a decision that the Planning Department or he as a professional can make. "All we can do is educate officials and the population," he said. "They have to decide if they want to change things as they are happening. We haven't had a real good opportunity to do that on a broad base." Kell said larger groups of people are needed to become aware of the situation and deal with it on a town-by-town basis, adding that the Smart Growth study may help. "We'll see if people are concerned and will try to reverse these occurrences," he said.