Orange County NC Website
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2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />farming operation, and public hearing before <br />condemnation of farm property by eminent <br />domain. On March 24, 1992, Orange County <br />passed a VAD ordinance to implement a <br />voluntary farmland protection program with the <br />associated incentives and protection measures. <br />Also pursuant to the ordinance, an Agricultural <br />Districts Advisory Board was appointed by the <br />Board of County Commissioners to represent <br />agricultural interests in the county.i' This board <br />was renamed the Agricultural Preservation <br />Board in 2000. While the VAD ordinance <br />encourages investment in agriculture, it does <br />not represent a permanent land protection <br />measure; districts rely heavily on voluntary <br />enrollment and the program allows for <br />withdrawal.18 As of January 2009, thirteen <br />farmers had enrolled more than 2,700 acres in <br />the VAD program--demonstrating a commitment <br />to farming for at least ten more years. The <br />County should continue to look for ways to <br />make this program more visible; posting <br />Voluntary Agricultural District Maps in key office <br />buildings such as the Register of Deeds and the <br />Planning and Inspections Department would be an <br />of participating farms. <br />easy way to notify residents of the location <br />Agricultural Conservation Easements <br />The North Carolina Farmland Preservation Enabling Act outlines provisions for counties to <br />purchase agricultural conservation easements on qualifying farmland with the voluntary consent <br />of the landowner. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a <br />landowner and a land management agency that limits some of the owner's uses of the property <br />in order to achieve conservation purposes. It is an individually tailored legal agreement by <br />17 NCGS §106-735, outlines provisions for voluntary agricultural districts. NCGS §106-739 outlines the <br />authority the county may confer on it. The Board may have the authority to: 1) Review and make <br />recommendations concerning the establishment and modification of agricultural districts; 2) Review and <br />make recommendations concerning any ordinance or amendment adopted or proposed for adoption <br />under this Article; 3) Hold public hearings on public projects likely to have an impact on agricultural <br />operations, particularly if such projects involve condemnation of all or part of any qualifying farmland; 4) <br />Advise the board of county commissioners on projects, programs, or issues affecting the agricultural <br />economy or way of life within the county; and 5) Perform other related tasks or duties assigned by the <br />board of county commissioners. <br />is Participants sign an agreement with the County, filed with the Orange County Tax office and the local <br />office of Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA. A landowner may withdraw from the <br />program, however, by submitting written notice to the Board of County Commissioners. In 2005, the <br />County reduced the minimum farm size for participation in the VAD program from 80 acres to 20 acres <br />and divided the County into seven districts: Cedar Grove, High Rock/Efland, Cane Creek/Buckhorn, White <br />Cross, New Hope, Schley/Eno and Caldwell. (See Map) Instead of designating each farm as its own <br />individual district, participating farms are now assigned to a district based on location. <br />Draft 6!1/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 26 <br />