Bossier Parish, LA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- R-A residence-agriculture (Sec. 126-716)
- By-right uses
- Farming, truck gardening, livestock/poultry raising
- Also by right
- One-family dwelling, home occupation
- Requires planning approval
- Kennels, golf courses, mineral extraction
- Coverage
- Unincorporated area within five miles of Benton
Summary
Bossier Parish's R-A residence-agriculture district protects farming, truck gardening and livestock raising as permitted-by-right uses on unsubdivided land near Benton, while keeping out scattered business and industrial uses unrelated to the area's development. It is the parish's closest zoning equivalent to a right-to-farm protection.
(a)Purpose; intent. The R-A residence-agriculture districts are composed mainly of unsubdivided lands that are vacant or in agricultural or forestry uses, with some dwelling and accessory uses. The regulations set forth in this section are designed to protect the essentially open character of such districts by prohibiting the establishment of scattered business, industrial and other uses that are unrelated to any general plan of development and that might inhibit the best future urban utilization of the land. ... (b)Permitted uses. Only the following uses are permitted in R-A districts:(1)Uses by right. The following uses are permitted, subject to the conditions specified: ... Farming and truck gardening, which need not be enclosed within a structure. ... Livestock and poultry raising, including dairy and horse raising exercise tract, which need not be enclosed within a structure.
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Sec. 126-716(b)(1) lists farming and truck gardening, which need not be enclosed within a structure, and 'livestock and poultry raising, including dairy and horse raising exercise tract,' also open-air, as uses permitted by right alongside a one-family dwelling, home occupation, and extraction of oil and gas. Land is expected to stay in the R-A district only until it is subdivided into urban building sites, at which point Sec. 126-716(a) anticipates it will be rezoned to a residential or commercial category through the article's amendment procedure.
Uses like animal shelters, mineral extraction, golf courses, kennels and riding academies require planning commission site plan approval rather than being automatic, and are not open by right the way farming and livestock raising are (Sec. 126-716(b)(2)).
Violations & Fines
Operating a use in the R-A district that is not listed as permitted by right or approved by the planning commission, such as commercial racetrack betting or strip mining, which the section expressly excludes, is a Code violation under Sec. 126-815(1). Without a specific fine for that violation, Sec. 1-13's parish-wide default applies: a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with each day continued a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I raise livestock on R-A zoned land in Bossier Parish?
Does the R-A district allow commercial or industrial uses?
What happens to R-A zoning when land is subdivided?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bossier Parish
Compare Bossier Parish to another location·View the Louisiana right to farm overview
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