Agricultural District 7

Chautauqua County has designated the month of March as the Agricultural District public review period.

Per New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, the County Legislature is required to review an Ag District eight years after its creation and every eight years thereafter.

The eight-year review of Chautauqua County Agricultural District 7 will take place in the Towns of Clymer, French Creek, Harmony, Mina, North Harmony, and Sherman encompassing 94,444 acres.

During this 30 day period, any municipality, land owner, or State Agency whose territory is within the Agricultural District may propose a modification to the Agricultural District. Land owners may submit requests to add parcels of predominantly viable agricultural land or remove parcel(s).

The Agricultural District 7 Review Worksheet, current Agricultural District Maps, and additional information can be found on the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development website at planningchautauqua.com.

A map of District 7 is on file and open to public inspection at the Clerk’s Office of the Chautauqua County Legislature in Mayville, N.Y. Please call 716-753-4215 to schedule an appointment.

The Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development will accept requests from March 1st through March 31st. Requests should be submitted to the Department of Planning and Development located at 201 West Third Street Suite 115 in Jamestown or emailed to sharpl@chqgov.com on or before 4:30 p.m. on March 31, 2023.

Pictured, a successful streambank restoration project on Candaway Creek that was co-funded by the 2% Occupancy Tax Grant Program for Lakes and Waterways.

Grant applications are being accepted for funds to improve local lakes and waterways.

The 2024 Round of the County’s 2% Occupancy Tax Grant Program is open until April 1, 2023.

The Occupancy Tax Grants for Lakes and Waterways are funded through the county’s 5% occupancy or bed tax for the rental of lodging units within the county. Two-fifths or 2% of the bed tax is used solely for the enhancement and protection of lakes and waterways in Chautauqua County.

These grants provide $500 to $40,000 in funding for projects to be implemented from January 1 through December 31, 2024.

The 2% Program has a variety of projects in its portfolio, including streambank and lakeshore stabilization projects, municipal stormwater, and agricultural projects aimed at reducing nutrient laden runoff. Projects located within the Lake Erie, Bear Lake, Cassadaga Lakes, Findley Lake and Chautauqua Lake watersheds are eligible.

Applications may be submitted by various groups and organizations including: not-for-profits, governments, businesses and corporations, public and private schools, and all landowners of Chautauqua County.

Applications are available online on the Chautauqua County Legislature’s page of the county website at https://chqgov.com and on the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development’s website at www.planningchautauqua.com.

Applications are also available at the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development, 201 W. Third St., Suite 115 in Jamestown, N.Y.

For more information or assistance with the application process, please contact Dave McCoy at (716) 661-8915 or by email at McCoyD@chqgov.com.

From January 2 until January 31, land owners may submit written requests for inclusion into the Agricultural District. Parcels requesting inclusion must meet the definition of “viable agricultural land” as defined in Agriculture and Markets Law § 301, subdivision 7. Lands already included in the district need not submit a request.

An agricultural district is a geographic area which consists predominantly of viable agricultural land. Agricultural operations within the district are the priority land use and afforded benefits. These agricultural operations receive protections to promote the continuation of farms and the preservation of agricultural land.

Land owners must complete the Agricultural District Inclusion Worksheet, which includes a written description of the land, the tax map identification number, and be accompanied by a copy of the relevant portion of a tax map showing the location of the property you would like included into the Agricultural District.

This worksheet, current Agricultural Districts Map, and additional information can be found on the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development website at: planningchautauqua.com

All inclusion requests should be submitted to the Department of Planning and Development, Attn: Lauren Sharp, 201 West Third St., Suite 115, Jamestown, N.Y. 14701; or by email to sharpl@chqgov.com on or before 4:30 p.m. on January 31, 2022.

At the end of the 30-day period, the proposed parcels for inclusion will be reviewed by the Chautauqua County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board (AFPB). Based on the Protection Board’s recommendations, a report will be prepared for the Planning & Economic Development Legislative Committee’s review. These recommendations will be forwarded to the County Legislature for a public hearing, before being voted on. The County Legislature will then send the resolution to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to certify the inclusion of lands or not. If the Commissioner certifies the inclusion of the parcels, the land becomes part of the Agricultural District.

The Welch Trail in Westfield

New recreational trail, The Welch Trail, is nearing completion in the Village of Westfield.

The non-motorized, shared-use trail is approximately 1.25 miles long. It’s being developed along a former historic trolley bed and will provide the public with an access point to Chautauqua Creek, which was previously inaccessible.

Once completed, the trail will include an overlook area and other amenities along the trail such as benches and picnic tables. The primary uses for the trail include: walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, snowshoeing, and cross-county skiing.

The project cost is $312,250 with the Town of Westfield receiving a $200,000 grant in 2015 from the State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Office. Additionally, they received financial assistance from the Westfield Development Corporation and the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank also assisted by leveraging the cost of demolishing the dilapidated Portage Inn as the local match. The Village of Westfield was also able to provide in-kind contributions to assist with the demolition of the Portage Inn.

The Town of Westfield was able to provide the property for this joint venture as well as the expertise of the Highway Department to construct the scenic walkway

Interested groups or organizations have until October 1, 2022 to submit applications.
The application link can be found at: https://bit.ly/CHQTourismGrants2023. Hard copies of the application are also available at the offices of the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development located at 201 West Third Street, Suite 115, in Jamestown, N.Y., during normal business hours.

The Tourism Product Development Grant Program is funded through the County’s 5% occupancy or “bed tax” for the rental of lodging units within the County. Three-fifths (3%) of the revenue that is generated from this tax is used to increase tourism, conventions, trade shows, special events, and other directly related or supporting activities including businesses in the county. The two-fifths (2%) occupancy tax is utilized solely for the enhancement and protection of lakes and streams in Chautauqua County. A portion of the 3% occupancy tax is intended to provide grants for projects that will achieve and/or support special tourism product and event development initiatives.

After tourism declined in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, the 2021 occupancy tax revenues exceeded expectations by nearly 40% with revenues exceeding budget by more than $500,000. Revenues exceeded 2019 levels, before the pandemic, by 5.4%.

According to recent travel industry studies, in addition to eco-tourism, wellness activities or wellness-centric travel was a priority. Wellness can be immersive cultural experiences, mental, physical, or spiritual growth such as lifelong learning opportunities, reunions of families and friends, and food and beverage experiences.

Those applying for funding should have programs and initiatives that help create destination awareness of Chautauqua County as a place to visit and/or improve the likelihood of repeat visits to the area. A key concern for the future of Chautauqua County’s tourism industry is to create and promote products and experiences that will attract more visitors, particularly for overnight visits and in the pre- and post-summer seasons.

Grant funds are not intended for facility maintenance or long-term operational costs.

Applications for the 3% Tourism Product Development Grant Program may be submitted by various groups and organizations, including: not-for-profits, governments, businesses/corporations, public or private schools, and all landowners of Chautauqua County.

For more information, please contact Nate Aldrich at (716) 363-3672 or aldrichn@chqgov.com.

The template gives recommendations for developing and, or, updating local municipal laws specific to decommissioning utility-scale solar facilities.

The County’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board requested the template be created in order to better protect priority farmland and support agriculture in the county. Some of the concerns the board had in relation to large solar projects included that soils be restored to their original productivity after the lifespan of these projects, and that developers and operators be held responsible for the financial and physical removal of projects.

The Planning Department said the template provides municipal leaders with recommendations based on research, best practices, and guidance documents. The department also developed an online municipal resource mapper. Data layers include municipal boundaries, soil types, transmission lines, wetlands, and more.

The solar decommissioning template and online municipal resource mapper is available on the CCDPD website at https://planningchautauqua.com/resources/municipal-resources/

Lakeshore and Streambank Stabilization projects

The Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development has announced applications for Chautauqua County’s 2% Occupancy Tax for Lakes and Waterways Grant Program are now available.

The Occupancy Tax Grants for Lakes and Waterways are funded through the county’s five percent occupancy or bed tax for the rental of lodging units within the county. Two-fifths or two percent of the bed tax is used solely for the enhancement and protection of lakes and waterways in Chautauqua County.

These grants provide $500 to $40,000 in funding for projects to be implemented from January 1 through December 31, 2023.

Chautauqua County Watershed Coordinator Dave McCoy said they anticipate that approximately $225,000 will be available for grant funded projects in 2023. He encouraged projects that leverage additional investment from land owners and other grant programs such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Program, where each local dollar leverages three state dollars. McCoy added that to date, the program has leveraged over $3 million for water quality improvement projects in Chautauqua County.

Successful projects funded under this program include but are not limited to streambank, shoreline, or ditch stabilization; sediment retention basins; buffer strips; and green infrastructure projects.

Applications are available online on the Chautauqua County Legislature’s website at www.chqgov.com and on the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development’s website at www.planningchautauqua.com. Hard copies of the applications are also available at the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Economic Development, 201 W. Third St., Suite 115 in Jamestown, N.Y.

Completed applications are due by April 1, 2022 and should be sent electronically to the link provided on the application form.

For more information, contact Dave McCoy at (716) 661-8915 or by email at mccoyd@chqgov.com.

The Chautauqua County Agricultural Development & Enhancement Strategy, also known as the Farmland Protection Plan, is in the process of being updated.

The County received a $50,000 grant in 2019 from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets and a $30,000 grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to update the Chautauqua County Farmland Protection Plan. This update is intended to provide a roadmap for the future success and economic viability of agriculture the county. The plan will identify challenges and devise strategies to increase the economic viability of the agricultural industry, encourage farmland protection, and increase public interest and awareness of local agriculture.

Agricultural and Community Development Services was hired as a consultant in partnership with the County and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County to do the update.

The County Planning Department also has completed the State mandated Agricultural District eight-year review and consolidation. The department is also working on the approaching Agricultural District Inclusion Period.

Under State Agricultural and Markets Law, the County Legislature is required to designate an annual thirty-day period within which a landowner may submit a request for inclusion of land which is predominantly viable agricultural land.
Chautauqua County’s upcoming inclusion period will be January 2, 2022 to January 31, 2022. Any landowner interested in adding land to an Agricultural District must submit a completed Agricultural District Inclusion Worksheet and provide a tax map depicting the location of the property to the Chautauqua County Planning Department during the designated 30-day annual review period.

For more information on the Agricultural District Inclusion Process, contact Lauren Sharp at (716) 661-8245 or sharpl@chqgov.com.

Round Eleven of the funding process through the Regional Economic Development Council was launched in May.

It includes core capital and tax-credit funding that will be combined with a wide range of existing agency programs totaling approximately $750 million dollars. The core funding includes $225 million dollars in grants and tax credits to fund high-value regional priority projects.

An emphasis will be placed on project readiness and alignment with each region’s strategic plan. Additionally, projects within each region will also be eligible for a share of $75 million in Excelsior Tax Credits to help attract and grow business in the region. Projects from all 10 regions submitted through the CFA will be eligible for over $525 million in other state agency funds, which are available on a set timeline. Regional Economic Development Councils will review these projects and provide scores that reflect how well a project aligns with a region’s goals and strategies.

The CFA applications must be submitted online, with most programs having an application deadline of 4pm, July 30th.

Those interested in applying can contact County Economic Development Coordinator Nate Aldrich at aldrichn@chqgov.com with questions.

“If they choose to continue, then the next steps would be forming a work plan, developing a work plan, but before we can even do that we’ve got to figure out how much would it cost, where’s the money come from and what’s the scope of the work for that work plan?”

Geise said there’s a lot to be determined in the work plan on how lake district fees could be used,

“We’re talking about, you know, weed harvesting, more studying of the lake, understanding the science better, the use of herbicides, preservation, all of those things that possibly that we’re talking about and to improve the quality of the Lake.”

63% of the survey respondents support the charging of fees for boats on the Lake if all legal impediments to such fees were resolved.

A full summary of the survey results can be found on the County Department of Planning and Development’s website at planningchautauqua.com.