The 1500 members in the region are being asked to make a donation of $50 each to raise $75,000 in additional money to help fund the federation's court action.
The proposed plan was notified in September 2010 and since appeals have been lodged and a mediation process gone through.
With all these options exhausted, the unresolved issues will be left to the Environment Court to decide.
Manawatu/Rangitikei president, Andrew Hoggard, is a dairy farmer who has been deeply involved in the One Plan process.
He estimates he's personally spent three months of full time work over the years on trying to get a One Plan that farmers could live with.
"What we are hoping to do by taking court action is to keep the One Plan as close to the version put out by the independent commissioners. We could live with the commissioners' version, but most of the parties are trying to get back to the original plan promoted by Horizons staff and we feel that we need to be there to stop this happening," he says.
Hoggard says one key aspect to the Feds' appeal is to ensure farming in the region remains a 'permitted' rather than a 'controlled' activity.
They have talked to Fonterra and are very close in what they both want.
Up until now, Hoggard says the main cost of fighting the One Plan has been time. However he says there's been a price to pay for this as well.
"It's meant that local policy staff haven't been able to focus on other local issues. They have devoted most of their time to the One Plan so other issues have been put on the back burner," he says.
In addition to the $75,000, the Feds hope to raise locally, they will also get some funding from head office and the national 'fighting fund'.
"Actual cash wise, it's the Environment Court that going cop the money through the need to hire expert witnesses, a lawyer and planner and all that stuff," he says.
Meanwhile Fonterra says it is also appealing the One Plan. Like Federated Farmers, it could have lived with the One Plan put out by the commissioners.
Sustainability production manager, John Hutchings says the fact that other parties have opted to appeal this in an attempt to get back the original One Plan promoted by staff has forced Fonterra to appeal part of the plan.
Horticulture New Zealand is also appealing parts of the One Plan.
