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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: November 17, 2009 <br />1 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~- - a <br />SUBJECT: Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan --~ <br />DEPARTMENTS: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Conservation, Soil and Water <br />Conservation ,Farm Services <br />Agency, Cooperative <br />Extension <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1) Revised Resolution for Adoption <br />2) Draft Document <br />3) List of Changes <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, ERCD, 245-2590 <br />Brent Bogue, Soil and Water <br />Conservation Director, 245-2750 <br />Phyllis Ruth, Farm Services Agency <br />Director, 732-4301 x2 <br />Joey Knight, Interim Cooperative <br />Extension Director, 245-2050 <br />PURPOSE: To consider adopting an Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan <br />(FPP) for Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: At the November 5, 2009 Board Meeting, Environment and Resource <br />Conservation Department (ERCD) staff presented a proposed Agricultural Development and <br />Farmland Protection Plan (FPP) for Orange County. The Board approved, by consensus, the <br />general principles outlined in the FPP but requested a number of grammatical and stylistic <br />changes within the body of the document. The Board also requested minor modifications to the <br />resolution. Staff has revised the FPP and resolution for approval in accordance with the <br />Board's comments. (Attachments 1 and 2.) <br />In 1986, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act, <br />which provided counties with the authority to establish farmland preservation programs <br />including voluntary agricultural districts (VADs) and agricultural advisory boards. In 2005, the <br />General Assembly amended the program with an expanded focus. The new Agricultural <br />Development and Farmland Preservation Enabling Act and the Agricultural Development and <br />Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund support agricultural development programs such as <br />business planning and incubator programs as well as agricultural conservation easements and <br />other traditional farmland preservation programs. Counties with adopted countywide <br />farmland protection plans receive preference and lower match requirements for Trust <br />Fund monies. In the last two years, creation of these plans has become. a priority for many <br />County-level farmland programs in the State, with several currently underway. While Orange <br />County has approved a number of different farmland preservation reports and programs over <br />the past two decades, some components of the new state-recommended Farmland Protection <br />