Planting in the Right-of-Way Could Cost Farmers

By Gordon Hopkins Jefferson County Commissioners have been pushing hard for broadband expansion in those rural, underserved areas of the county. Having fought for funding and navigated miles of red tape, broadband expansion is now running into another obstacle: farmers planting crops in the county's right-of-way.At a meeting of the county commissioners on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Terry Blas of the Highway Department advised commissioners that a company laying fiber for broadband discovered crops had been planted in the area where the fiber was to be placed. “Diode's putting in fiber up by Plymouth,” Blas said, “They're planting in the right-of-way, their hay in the right-of-way, and they can't put their cable in there.” According to Blas, that landowner denied Diode permission to occupy the right-of-way.County Commissioner Mark Schoenrock pointed out, “It's not his private property.” Blas also said, “They're having issues with landowners telling them that the county gave them permission.”Commissioners indicated they had not given any farmers permission to plant in the right-of-way.Blas said, “Well, I better see it in writing then. That's how I'm going to be about it.” Blas noted this was not a one-time occurrence and that other farmers have also planted in the right-of-way, “You know, as well as I do, they're planning out about as far as they can.”Any crops planted in the right-of-way are subject to be cut down by the county. Blas said, “If they got it planted already, so what? Not my problem. You're planting on the right-of-way.”

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