Monday, April 29, 2024

The future remains uncertain for a one-quarter percent sales tax earmarked for acquisition of agricultural and conservation easements for farmland preservation in Medina County.

Look for more legislation dealing with farmland preservation issues to be introduced this session.

Low-impact logging technology has made its way into Ohio and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wants it to become the way of the future for Ohio woodland owners.

Just in case Buckeye Egg has hatched any plans to abandon its mega egg production facilities in Ohio, the Ohio attorney general's office has asked the local court to seize the Ohio assets of both the company and its principal owner.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has found that neither Independence Pipeline Company nor ANR Pipeline Company has adequately proven there is market demand for the gas to be shipped along the proposed Independence Pipeline.

Ohio Reps. Gene Krebs and Sean Logan were unable to get a comprehensive preservation bill passed last year, but they're back with seven separate bills that comprise the basics of a new comprehensive package.

A series of public meetings across Ohio and Pennsylvania coordinated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission aired comments regarding the proposed Independence Pipeline.

The Voluntary Farmland Protection Act would permit farmers to donate or sell a "protective easement" for fair market value and still retain private ownership of the land for farming or business directly related to marketing farm products.

The joint USDA-EPA "Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations" was unveiled last week, but skeptics doubt the USDA has the funds or the manpower to make it work.

If an agricultural easement is granted in perpetuity as a charitable gift, income tax and federal estate tax advantages usually accrue.