7.1 AE: AGRICULTURE EXCLUSIVE ZONE

The Agriculture Exclusive or AE Zone is intended to be applied in fertile areas in which agriculture is and should be the desirable predominant use and in which the protection of this use from encroachment from incompatible uses is essential to the general welfare. The following regulations shall apply in all Agriculture Exclusive or AE Zones. (Former Section INL#314-15; Ord. 1085, Sec. 5, 7/13/76; Amended by Ord. 1848, Sec. 8, 9/13/88; Amended by Ord. 2214, 6/6/00)

==> picture [482 x 185] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
314-7.1 AE: AGRICULTURE EXCLUSIVE
Principal Permitted Uses
All general agricultural uses, including accessory agricultural uses and structures listed at subsections
314-43.1.3 (Permitted Agricultural Accessory Uses) and 314-69.1.1 (Permitted Agricultural Accessory
Structures), except those specified in the following subsection, Uses Permitted With a Use Permit.
(Amended by Ord. 2189, Sec. 1, 2/9/99; Amended by Ord. 2214, 6/6/00)
Timber production.
Single-family residence.
----- End of picture text -----

The Humboldt County Code is current through Ordinance 2784, passed March 10, 2026.

Page 495 of 1183

Title III Land Use and Development | Humboldt County Code

314-7.1

AE: AGRICULTURE EXCLUSIVE

Accessory dwelling unit. On lots forty (40) acres or larger in size, two (2) single detached dwellings are permitted within the same contiguous two (2) acre building envelope containing the primary residence. (Amended by Ord. 1949, Sec. 1, 12/4/91; Amended by Ord. 2189, Sec. 1, 2/9/99)

Manufactured homes.

Uses Permitted With a Use Permit

Hog farms, turkey farms, frog farms and fur farms.

Aquaculture.

Animal feed yards and sales yards.

Agricultural and timber products processing plants.

Agriculture-related recreation, resource-related recreation.

Agriculture-related visitor-serving: cheese factories and sales rooms, wineries and wine tasting and sales rooms, produce sales, etc., which do not change the character of the principal use.

Public recreation and public access facilities.

Rental and sales of irrigation equipment and storage incidental thereto.

Animal hospitals.

Stables and kennels.

Farm employee housing, labor camps and labor supply camps (Table 4-G in the General Plan), (if unable to be principally permitted as small-scale or large-scale employee housing or with a Zoning Clearance Certificate as Eligible Agricultural Employee Housing Development).

Fish and wildlife habitat management, watershed management, wetland restoration.

Utilities and energy facilities: the erection, construction, alteration, or maintenance of gas, electric, water facilities, and wind or hydroelectric solar or biomass generation, and other fuel or energy production facilities.

Metallic mining, surface mining.

Any use not specifically enumerated in this division, if it is similar to and compatible with the uses permitted in the AE Zone.

The Humboldt County Code is current through Ordinance 2784, passed March 10, 2026.

Page 496 of 1183

Title III Land Use and Development | Humboldt County Code

==> picture [482 x 650] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
314-7.1 AE: AGRICULTURE EXCLUSIVE
Other Regulations
Subdivisions may only be approved by official map, record of survey or
recorded subdivision, for the managed production of resources, where
No Subdivisions
parcels are subject to a binding and recorded restriction prohibiting the
development of residential structures or residential accessory structures.
Conditionally permitted uses that would convert zoned agriculture
exclusive or AE Zone land to nonagricultural uses shall not be approved
unless the Planning Commission makes the following findings:
A. There are no feasible alternatives that would prevent or minimize
conversion;
B. The facts support an overriding public interest in the conversion; and
C. For lands outside of designated urban development boundaries,
sufficient off-setting mitigation has been provided to prevent a net
reduction in the agricultural land base and agricultural production. This
requirement shall be known as the “no net loss” agricultural lands policy.
“No net loss” mitigation is limited to one (1) or more of the following:
Agricultural Land
Conversion 1. Replanning of vacant agricultural lands from a nonagricultural land use
designation to an agricultural plan designation along with the recordation
of a permanent conservation easement on this land for continued
agricultural use; or
2. The retirement of nonagricultural uses on lands planned for agriculture
and recordation of a permanent conservation easement on this land for
continued agricultural use; or
3. Financial contribution to an agricultural land fund in an amount
sufficient to fully offset the agricultural land conversion for those uses
enumerated in subsections (C)(1) and (C)(2). The operational details of the
land fund, including the process for setting the amount of the financial
contribution, shall be established by ordinance.
Development on agriculture exclusive or AE Zone land shall be designed
to the maximum extent feasible to minimize the placement of buildings,
impermeable surfaces or nonagricultural uses on land as defined in
Conversion of Prime Government Code Section 51201(c)(1) through (c)(5) as prime agricultural
Agricultural Land lands.
Except for the construction of the primary single-family residence or a
second residence within the same contiguous two (2) acre building
envelope containing the existing primary residence, prime agricultural
----- End of picture text -----

The Humboldt County Code is current through Ordinance 2784, passed March 10, 2026.

Page 497 of 1183

Title III Land Use and Development | Humboldt County Code

==> picture [482 x 491] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
314-7.1 AE: AGRICULTURE EXCLUSIVE
land shall not be converted without provisions for mitigation offsets, as
specified in the “no net loss” agricultural lands policy above.
Sixty (60) acres.
Exceptions to the minimum parcel size for the purpose of historic
preservation may be approved, where the following findings are made:
A. The site or structure qualifies and is included on a local, State or
Minimum Lot Area
Federal historic registry; and
B. The viability of continued agricultural operations is not inhibited; and
C. No additional density beyond what would be permitted as part of the
existing agricultural operations is created.
Minimum Lot Width One hundred (100) feet.
Maximum Lot Depth (None specified.)
Minimum Yard Setbacks*
Front Thirty (30) feet;
Rear Twenty (20) feet;
Side Ten percent (10%) of the lot width on each side but not more than twenty
(20) feet shall be required.
Farm Outbuildings Farm outbuildings shall not be less than twenty (20) feet from any
dwelling on the premises.
Maximum Ground Coverage Two (2) acres maximum.
Maximum Building Height (None specified.)
----- End of picture text -----

*** Note:** Setbacks may be modified by other provisions of this Code or State law. For example, see subsection 314-22.1, “Alquist-Priolo Fault Hazard” and the “Fire Safe” Regulations at Division 11 of Title III.

(Former Sections INL#314-15(a)(1-3); INL#314-15(b)(1-6); INL#314-15(c)(1-6); INL#316-2.1(1-10); Ord. 2189, Sec. 1, 2/9/99)