How we define rural character in Forsyth County can help us develop a strategy for what we want to preserve. 
How strongly does our community support the concept of agri-tourism and active farming? How can viewsheds be identified and preserved in a way that is fair to property owners in the Rural Area?
Are there additional recreational opportunities that could be developed?
What is the role of parks in Forsyth County’s Rural Area?
Give us your thoughts -- click "comments" below:
3 comments:
I think that the wine growing industry and farms in general need to be supported and preserved. The movement for eating locally grown foods is growing all the time and our farmers are having a hard time supplying enough for the demand for this now. Farms and farmer's markets and food cooperatives should be encouraged. Tax productive farmland at a lower rate. Encourage backyard ( and frontyard) gardens by not having so many zoning restrictions. Keep large areas of forest intact, as these are animal habitats and should not be fragmented without loss of animal habitat and problems for people who have to deal with displaced animals. Quit encouraging urban sprawl.
Parks are not so important in rural areas as in suburban and urban areas. I would prefer to see forest and wetlands preserved as is.
The City\County could facilitate\encourage conservation easements in the rural areas of the county that provide landowners a tax free incentive for preserving their land. Encouraging conservation easements along major streams (aka buffers) could also prolong the effectiveness of existing water treatment facilities by reducing pollutant runoff. I thought productive farms were taxed at a lower rate but if they are not, this should be considered.
Most communities in Forsyth are triad/urban and have lost sight of how the land is capable of producing a lot of our food needs, restoring polluted soils/waters, and acting as simple and almost no-cost recreational areas. A convenient way to connect the general public back to the soil is to teach a little more agriculture in the school system. We are fortunate enough to still have a lot of farm land, and a lot of unused land, but both are being quickly replaced by poorly-planned urban sprawl. Taxing farmland at a lower rate would help keep the agri-culture alive.
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