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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 6, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~{- - 1 <br />SUBJECT: Operational Agreement -Orange Soil and Water District <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, <br />Parks and Recreation <br />(DEAPR) <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Final Draft Operational Agreement <br />Soil and Water Board of Supervisors <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2510 <br />Brent Bogue, 245-2750 <br />PURPOSE: To approve an Operational Agreement regarding the role of federal, state, County <br />and Orange Soil and Water District staff, including administrative practices and a Partnership <br />Initiative between the District and County. <br />BACKGROUND: Each of North Carolina's counties has, by North Carolina General Statute, an <br />associated Soil and Water District. Soil and Water Districts were formed during the Great <br />Depression to help address soil conservation and cropland erosion issues with agricultural <br />operations. Over the decades, Soil and Water Districts have worked with farmers and rural <br />landowners to address a variety of issues, such as best management practices, federal cost- <br />share programs, farm conservation plans, and design and monitoring of animal waste lagoons. <br />The Orange District consists of four staff persons, two State/County funded and two County <br />funded. A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) District Conservationist is also <br />assigned to the office and serves both Orange and Person counties. District staff reports to an <br />elected/appointed five-member Board of Supervisors. <br />Over the past decade in particular, the District has broadened its scope of activity to address <br />other areas within its charter from the State, including such functions as well abandonment, <br />environmental education, agricultural drought response and agricultural conservation <br />easements. Since 2002, the District, USDA and the County's Department of Environment, <br />Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) have partnered to leverage more than $3.5 million <br />in USDA grant funds for conservation easements on 11 County farms, conserving over 1,200 <br />acres of Orange County prime and threatened farmland in perpetuity. District and DEAPR staff <br />regularly collaborate on environmental education, drought education, watershed protection and <br />groundwater quality and quantity programs. <br />