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1 <br />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 />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />19 <br />OR <br />Have been actively used in agricultural, horticultural or forestry operations as <br />defined by N.C.G.S. §105-277.2 (1,2,3) during each of the five previous years, <br />measured from the date on which the determination must be made as to whether the <br />land in question qualifies; <br />4. Be managed, if highly erodible land exists on the farm, in accordance with the <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service defined erosion - control practices that are <br />addressed to said highly - erodible land; and <br />5. Be the subject of a conservation agreement, as defined in N.C.G.S. §121 -35, <br />between the County and the owner of such land that prohibits non -farm use or <br />development of such land for a period of at least ten years, except for the creation of <br />not more than three lots that meet applicable County zoning and subdivision <br />regulations. <br />ARTICLE VIII <br />APPLICATION, APPROVAL, AND APPEAL PROCEDURE <br />Application and Certification Procedures <br />A farmland owner may apply for either certification as qualifying farmland or for qualifying <br />farmland designation. For a farmland owner to receive the benefits provided by this <br />Ordinance, the farm must be certified as qualifying farmland (Certified Qualifying Farm) by <br />the Board and approved and designated as within a Voluntary Agricultural District by the <br />Board of Commissioners. <br />1. Applications for qualifying farmland certification shall be made to the County <br />Environment and Resource Conservation Department on forms provided by the <br />Department. <br />2. The Environment and Resource Conservation Department shall review each <br />application for completeness. When complete, the application shall be forwarded to: <br />a. The tax supervisor's office; and <br />b. The local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United <br />States Department of Agriculture. <br />Within 30 days of receiving an application, the offices stated in this subsection shall <br />evaluate the application for compliance with the requirements of this subsection A.2. <br />and return their findings to , the Environment and Resource Conservation <br />7 <br />