Springfield Landowner Agrees to Sell Development Rights to Dane County

September 08, 2006
Joanne Haas, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606

Dane County efforts to protect agricultural lands from the pressures of urban sprawl got another boost this month as the family of the late Hubert Brabender agreed to sell the “development rights” on their 118-acre family farm on County Highway K near Ashton. County Executive Kathleen Falk says the Brabender farm is a key parcel in the Pheasant Branch Springs Recharge Area less than a mile north of Middleton. The county and the family have settled on a purchase price of the appraised value of $892,000. The Brabender family said in a statement they are pleased to know the land will remain a family farm forever – a wish of their parents and ancestors. “We’re grateful that the county had the foresight to create this Conservation Easement program to help us and other farmers maintain the rural nature of this area for generations to come,” the family said in its statement. “This is just a first step. We look forward to completing the process and hope other neighbors will join us.” The dollars the county will use to match the federal funds will come from the $5 million provided by the state to Dane County for the recent Highway 12 renovations between Middleton and Sauk City. It is also approved for matching funds from the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program. “Preserving our farmland is a top priority and necessary in the efforts to protect our food supply and nurture our economy,” Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said. “In addition to preserving the land, it also serves as a recharge area for our ground water.” The county’s goal is to purchase the development rights to guarantee the lands are preserved from any development, she said. “Protecting prime farmland, like these high quality agricultural soils in Dane County, is one of the goals of the Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program,” said Pat Leavenworth, State Conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services. “We are pleased to support Dane County’s vision of farmland protection.” # # #