NS - Grant -Grant from the Federal Farm & Ranch Land Protection Program for Agricultural Conservation

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~- 7'-05 .se... 3 Agreement No. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION and ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA for the FARM AND RANCH LANDS PROTECTION PROGRAM This Cooperative Agreement, made this day of , 2005 is entered into by and between the United States of America, acting by and through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and Orange County, North Carolina for the implementation of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), formerly known as the Farmland Protection Program. The CCC shall utilize the expertise and services of the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (MRCS) (hereinafter "the United States") to administer this program and perform the duties set forth within this Cooperative Agreement. For purposes of this Cooperative Agreement, the term "Parties" refers collectively to the United States and Orange County, North Carolina (hereinafter "Orange Count}' or "the County"). L AUTHORITY. This Cooperative Agreement is entered into by the United States under the authorities of the Commodity Credit Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.; Title II, Subtitle F, Section 2503 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171) and Title VII, Section 714 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2001 (Public Law 106-387). In addition to these authorities, this cooperative agreement will be administered in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in the FRPP regulation, 7 CFR part 1491. The CCC administers the FRPP under the general supervision of the Chief of the NRCS who is a Vice President of the CCC. II. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. Enacted on May 13, 2002, Section 2503 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to purchase conservation easements that are subject to pending offers from a State, Tribal or units of local government or eligible nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of protecting topsoil by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land. To be eligible, the farm or ranch land must contain prime, unique, or other productive soil or historical or archaeological resources. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized funding for fiscal years 2002 through 2007. On December 6, 2004, CCC published a notice in the Federal Register requesting proposals for participation from