Agenda - 03-17-1998 - 9g - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

2 Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board MEMORANDUM L TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners FROM: Dolly Hunter, Chair Agricultural Districts Ad isory Board SUBJECT: Farmland Preservation Program: Goals for 1998-99 Fiscal Year DATE: February 10, 1998 COPIES: Gene Bell, Acting Planning Director Donald R. Belk, Preservation Planner On behalf of the Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board (ADAB), I want to thank the Board of County Commissioners for its continued commitment to farmland preservation. Over the last three years, the ADAB has carefully considered numerous ideas and proposals that could help protect our diminishing farmland resources. Our driving philosophy has been that farmland preservation works best when the property rights and property values of the farmland owner are protected. As stated in the 1996 Economic Development Strategic Plan, the goals of rural preservation are best served when farming remains profitable. Our Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program will combine private landowner initiative with financial incentives to preserve greater areas of farmland at far less cost than previously thought possible. Furthermore, we believe this program can be a modeF for other rapidly growing counties in North Carolina. By enhancing our existing Voluntary Farmland Preservation Ordinance, Orange County can create an innovative and far-reaching farmland protection program that will preserve valuable open space, boost the agricultural economy, and protect one of our most precious assets -our splendid rural character. Our current Voluntary Agricultural Districts Program can provide the basis for farmland protection efforts in Orange County. By enhancing the benefits of Agricultural District enrollment and increasing the number of participating farms, we can begin to achieve our farmland preservation goals. For our Fiscal Year 1998-99 goals, we urge you to consider the following recommendations that will help preserve Orange County farms: Recommendation #1: Orange County should allocate $200,000 for a Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements, or PACE program. This ~ dollar figure represents approximately one-third of one cent on the tax rate, but more importantly, represents the average annual amount of deferred taxes the County receives when farmland is removed from the use-value taxation program. Over the last 5 years, nearly 5.1,000,000 has been do Orange Cortnry Planting ~ lrespeuions Dcparusxrst 306F Revere Road Hillsborough, NC 27178 Hillsborough • 732-8181 Chapcl HiU • 967-92SI Durham •688-7331 Meba~+e • 227-2031 ..