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V. Donation of Development Rights <br />A. General <br />25 <br />The Board of Supervisors may accept a voluntary donation or devise <br />of development rights. <br />B. Description <br />The donation of development rights is legally binding, restricting the <br />owner and future owners to agricultural and/or open space use of the land. <br />The development rights will be held in public trust by Forsyth County in <br />perpetuity. <br />C. Minimum Eligibility Criteria <br />The agricultural land must be at least ten (10) acres in size or contiguous <br />to a ten (10) acre tract for which the county holds the development rights, <br />and be in agricultural or open space use. <br />D. Application Procedure <br />An application must be submitted to the Forsyth Soil and Water <br />Conservation District Office. <br />E. Review of Applications <br />The Board of Supervisors will review the applications to determine <br />whether the minimum eligibility criteria are met or whether to waive <br />any of the criteria. <br />F. Acquisition <br />1. The Board of Supervisors will obtain two appraisals on tracts <br />considered for entry into the program. One appraisal will establish <br />fair market value of the property at its highest and best use. The <br />second appraisal will establish the value of the property for agri- <br />cultural or open space use. <br />2. Upon receiving the written appraisals, the Board of Supervisors <br />will prepare a donation Verification Statement to document the <br />value of the interest conveyed to the county. This statement will <br />be based on the difference between the appraised values. <br />10 <br />