(Spirit Lake)– It’s been more than two years in the making, but Dickinson county now has an updated Comprehensive Land Use plan on the books.
The board of supervisors voted five-to-nothing Tuesday to adopt the plan following a public hearing.
The plan spells out the most likely intended future use of land in the county.
Supervisor Paul Johnson called on fellow board members to incorporate a statement into the document that says “Dickinson county has unique natural resources and as such is considered to be an environmentally sensitive county. Any use of this land that compromises these natural resources and the quality of life of those who live upon it shall be considered to be contrary to this Dickinson County Land Use Plan”.
While the supervisors stopped short of incorporating that statement into the comp plan or the county’s mission statement, they did agree to keep that possibility open for future consideration.
Among those speaking at Tuesday’s hearing was Wahpeton City Council member Jim Keck, who’s also serving on a committee of ag and environmental representatives that’s addressing the issue of animal confinements in the county. Keck said the group is going to request a similar land use plan be developed for agricultural areas in the county. He says that plan would identify areas best suited for residential areas and those that are best suited for ag operations, such as livestock confinements.
