Dane County Executive Falk Announces Land Preservation in the Town of Roxbury

April 21, 2005
Lesley Sillaman, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606
County Executive

Madison – Tonight’s County Board agenda includes the purchase of development rights for 80 acres of land in the Town of Roxbury to preserve farmland and open space as part of the $5 million agreement Falk reached with then Governor Thompson. The farmland is near the improved Highway 12 between Middleton and Sauk City. The purchase, announced last August, is the first “purchase of the development rights” with the money from the agreement. “This program is a win-win, we both protect our beautiful land and keep farmers farming in the future,” said Falk. “Future generations will enjoy this.” The program is voluntary and fully funded with reimbursements from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) and the USDA Farm and Ranch Protection Program (FRPP). The DOT funds are available to Dane County through the USH 12 reconstruction project as a result of the negotiations Falk conducted with then Governor Tommy Thompson, representatives from the National Park Service, DOT and others. The agreement that Falk reached during this process resulted in DOT providing $5 million in funding to Dane County over 5 years to ameliorate the sprawl impacts of the USH 12 project and help area farmers continue to farm and to preserve the scenic beauty and natural resources of the area. To stretch the DOT funds further, the County successfully applied for the FRPP funding that will pay for 50% of the total purchase price of $225,316. The county is purchasing the rights from Bob and Monica Ziegler, whose family (grandparents, parents and siblings of Bob Ziegler) has been farming in Dane County since 1952. Bob and Monica raised four children on the farm over the past 30 years. ###