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Constructive changes to Ohio’s ditch petition processes will go into effect soon, marking the culmination of several years of work by Ohio Farm Bureau and others to modernize the process and improve the state’s water quality.
Ohio Farm Bureau was a member of the Ohio Drainage Law Revision Task Force, established by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in 2013, to identify problems and issues with the ditch process that landowners use to petition a county for drainage improvement projects. OFBF worked with county commissioners and engineers, OSU Extension, soil and water district representatives and others on recommendations for how to improve and modernize the ditch petition process.
Those recommendations were the basis for House Bill 340, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law Dec. 17. The bill, a key vote for Ohio Farm Bureau, goes into effect 90 days after it was signed.
“This legislation addresses long overdue revisions and modernizations needed in the petition drainage statutes. We appreciate the policy input from our members on how the process could be improved,” said Amy Milam, OFBF’s director of legal education and member engagement.
HB 340 included many modernizations, including allowing modern technology such as PowerPoint, digital maps or video/photographs via drone to be used to show the proposed drainage improvement’s location instead of requiring officials and interested parties to walk the entirety of the proposed site. The bill increased the minimum width of the required sod or seeded strip along the drainage improvement from 4 feet to 10 feet, while removing the entirety of the strip from the tax rolls. This will provide for better erosion and sediment control and aligns with Ohio Farm Bureau’s support for efforts that improve soil and water conservation efforts. The bill also ensures general property records of drainage improvements will be more accessible.
Ohio Farm Bureau was involved in helping reorganize the bill’s chapters for improved readability and replaced archaic terminology with modern terminology.
Further highlights of the bill:
- Aligning Ohio law regarding the petition drainage process to increase efficiency.
- Providing clarity when projects are multicounty by defining the lead county on the project.
- Adding flexibility for determining the benefits of the project.
- Updating several timeframes and deadlines to better reflect modern processes.
- Clarifying the definition of and timeframe for filing an amendment.
- Clarifying the permanent file of proceedings.
- Clarifying factors for determining estimated assessments.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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