Quick contact:
PATS
427 Lorch St. #202
Henry Taylor Hall
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608)-265-2908
FAX (608)-265-6399
Page last modified:
10 Jan 2007
A depressed farm economy and growing pressure from nonfarm development have led to increasing conflicts over the use of agricultural land in Wisconsin in recent years. Central to these conflicts is the demand for rural housing and recreational land development, which has resulted in a dramatic acceleration in the rate of farmland conversion to non-farm uses over the last 15 years.
Non-farm growth pressures have led the state legislature to pass a "Smart Growth" law in 1999, which encourages municipalities to write and use comprehensive plans by 2010 to guide land use decisions. One element of the comprehensive plans will be an assessment of agricultural resources and a plan for their future use or protection. In anticipation of such plans, PATS has assembled a detailed data set (by counties and towns) to examine spatial patterns associated with agricultural land use.
2002 Land Use Data CD-ROM:
Published in June of 2004, this CD-ROM contains all of the statewide and district factsheets, the county data spreadsheets, and the 2002 land use maps, arranged for your convenience. To obtain a copy of this resource, please contact PATS:
e-mail: Nancy Carlisle
phone: (608) 265-2908
Click title for abstract, or click the PDF icon or HTML link to read entire article (where available.)
The Status of Working Lands in Wisconsin:
Current Trends and Future Policies
PATS Research Report No. 18 . October, 2006. 
Black & White [632 KB] | Color [646 KB]
Local Government
& Animal Feeding Operations: A Program for Local Government Officials.
UWEX
Land Use and Agriculture Team Report. 2/3/2001.
Limitations of
Agricultural Land Use Planning Tools in Rural Wisconsin.
PATS
Staff Paper No. 3. July, 2000.
Strategies for Managing
Conflict Over Agricultural Land Use.
Proceedings from the
2000 CALS Issues Forum. PATS Special Report No. 1. July, 2000.
Paying for Local
Services: The Cost of Community Services for Nine Wisconsin Municipalities.
Wisconsin Land Use Research Program (WLURP) Research Report No.
2. May 2000.
Community Guide
to Development Impact Analysis.
Wisconsin Land Use Research
Program (WLURP). March, 2000.
| WLURP's
HTML
The Cost of Community
Services for Three Dane County Towns: Dunn, Perry, and Westport.
Wisconsin
Land Use Research Program (WLURP) Research Report No. 1. August, 1999.
Center for Community Economic Development
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/
Check out the Center's web page for updates on seminars and educational programs related to planning and Smart Growth. The Center for Community Economic Development works on issues of community change.
University of Wisconsin Extension Land Use and Agriculture Team
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/teams/landuse/
This programatic team provides local decision makers and landowners with the
knowledge, tools and skills needed to make wise choices in the use of their agricultural land resources. This site also provides an extensive listing of land use links.
University of Wisconsin's Local Government Center
http://www.uwex.edu/lgc/
The mission of the Local Government Center is to provide focus, coordination, and leadership to UW System educational programs for local government, and to expand the research and knowledge base for local government education.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URPL)
http://www.wisc.edu/urpl/
The URPL website includes publications, papers, handbooks and information about upcoming conferences and workshops on planning.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility
http://www.lic.wisc.edu/
The Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility (LICGF) provides research, training, and outreach on the use of land and geographic information systems (LIS/GIS). LICGF works on land records modernization, land and natural resource management applications, and the use of information for land-use decision-making.
Wisconsin Land Use Research Program
http://www.pats.wisc.edu/wlurp/wlurp.html
Although the Wisconsin Land Use Research Program is no longer operational, this site has useful information on publications, research projects, and links for land use planning, including Smart Growth.
League of Wisconsin Municipalities
http://lwm-info.org/
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities is a not-for-profit association of municipalities, which acts as an information clearinghouse, lobbying organization and legal resource for Wisconsin municipalities. Its membership consists of 378 villages and all of the 190 cities in the state.
Town of Dunn
http://town.dunn.wi.us/
This town, located at the edge of Madison in Dane County, has saved farmland through Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR).
Verona's Planning Resource Center
http://www.lic.wisc.edu/shapingdane/resources/resources-home.htm
Verona's planning resource center offers an on-line bibliography of planning resources and several tools to assist in planning exercises.
WI Counties Association
http://www.wicounties.org/
The Wisconsin Counties Association was created in 1935 when the Wisconsin legislature authorized county boards to participate in an association of county boards of supervisors. The association protects county interests and pursues better county government.
Wisconsin Land Information Program
http://www.doa.state.wi.us/section.asp?linkid=133&locid=9
The State Department of Administration's site provides information on Smart Growth, comprehensive planning, and grant programs. The Wisconsin Land Information Program is a voluntary, statewide program that provides financial support to local governments for land records modernization efforts. All seventy-two Wisconsin counties voluntarily participate in the Program.
Wisconsin State Legislature
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/
This web page provides up to date information on what the legislature is up to and contacts for each legislative district.
Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office
http://www.geography.wisc.edu/sco/
This site includes all kinds of maps and other resources to help people better make better decisions in the land use planning arena.
Wisconsin Towns Association
http://www.wisctowns.com/
Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA) is a non-profit, non-partisan statewide organization formed to protect the interests of the state's 1,266 towns and to improve town government.
American Farmland Trust
http://www.farmland.org/
The American Farmland Trust is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to protect the nation's farmland. AFT works to stop the loss of productive farmland through policy initiatives and to promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment.
American Planning Association, WI Chapter
http://www.wisconsinplanners.org/
WAPA is the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). The web site has information on comprehensive planning and the Smart Growth law.
Gathering Waters, Inc.
http://www.gatheringwaters.org/
Gathering Waters is a land conservation organization formed in 1995 to assist land trusts, landowners and communities in their efforts to protect Wisconsin's land and water resources. Gathering Waters serves as an education and technical assistance center for land trusts and landowners alike.
Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook from the APA
http://www.planning.org/growingsmart/
This report by APA presents a report card on the status of state planning enabling statutes and statutory reform efforts in the United States. The report contains a detailed analysis of the planning statutes of all 50 states.
On Common Ground
http://www.oncommonground.org/
On Common Ground Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1997 dedicated to public involvement in the development of rational land-use policy. The organization seeks to improve public access to and participation in land-use discussions.
1000 Friends of Wisconsin
http://www.1kfriends.org/
1000 Friends of Wisconsin's web page includes an overview of the Smart Growth law and a good page of links on land use.
Wisconsin Stewardship Network
http://www.wsn.org/
The Wisconsin Stewardship Network is a network of conservationists and environmentalists working cooperatively on select issues. The network includes more than 100 environmental, conservation and sporting groups from around the state - working together to restore Wisconsin's conservation tradition.
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