There is hereby established within the Township of Mansfield an Agricultural
Advisory Committee, which will serve as an advisory committee to the Township
Committee for the purposes of discussion of matters of interest to the farming
community, current and pending Township ordinances affecting the farming community,
farmland preservation planning, and other issues of interest to the farming
community which will have an impact upon the Township as a whole.
The Agricultural Advisory Committee shall meet on no fewer than six
occasions per year or as needed for the following purposes:
A. To assist the Township Committee in carrying out its
duties and responsibilities by informing it of developments in the farming
community that should be considered when using municipal regulatory and land
use powers.
B. To assist the Township Committee in development of ordinances
by reviewing them for impacts upon the farming community, including all ordinances
affecting land use in the Agricultural Development Area (ADA).
C. To assist the Planning Board in the development for adoption
of a farmland preservation plan element pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-28b(13)
and/or an agricultural retention plan. This plan shall include at a minimum:
(1) An inventory of farm properties in the entire municipality
and a map illustrating what the community considers significant areas of agricultural
land;
(2) A detailed statement showing that municipal plans and
ordinances, such as a Right to Farm Ordinance and other agricultural viability
ordinances, support and promote agriculture as a business;
(3) A plan for preserving as much farmland as possible in
the short term by leveraging monies made available by the Garden State Preservation
Trust Act, N.J.S.A. 13:8C-1 et seq., or other farmland preservation funding
programs through a variety of mechanisms outlined in N.J.A.C. 2:76-17.6(a)3;
(4) A statement of farming trends characterizing the types
of agricultural production in Mansfield Township; and
(5) A discussion of plans to enhance the agricultural industry
in Mansfield Township.
D. To assist the Planning Board and the Township Committee
in adjustments and amendments to the Farmland Preservation and/or Agricultural
Retention Master Plan Element and the list of farms to be included in the
easement purchase acquisition program.
E. To assist the Planning Board in developing and considering
amendments developed through master plan re-examinations and any other changes
that would have an effect on the viability of farms within the Agricultural
Development Area of the Township.
F. To provide educational opportunities for residents to
learn about the history of farming in Mansfield Township, how to support the
local farming community, and how to become involved in the agricultural industry.
This could include development of farm tours to promote the preservation of
farms and public education about farming operations.
G. To provide information to the Township's Open Space
Committee on farmland preservation opportunities in Mansfield Township.
H. To review and recommend any changes to the Agricultural
Development Area (ADA) to the Planning Board and CADB.
I. To review and recommend any changes to existing farmland
preservation Planning Incentive Grant (PIG) project areas or recommend new
project areas to the Township Committee and Open Space Committee.
The Agricultural Advisory Committee shall meet with the Township Committee
at least once a year to report on its activities and discussions and provide
the Committee with a summary of the issues it has discussed and the positions
it believes should be advanced on behalf of the farming community as a whole
in the municipality.