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~E S - ao~ ~- o~ 3 A-li-achmen+ 2 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION <br />Approval of Agricultural Conservation Easement <br />between <br />Orange County and William Breeze, Sr. <br />WHEREAS, agriculture in Orange County is an important facet of the economy and time <br />honored way of life in the County; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County has an adopted goal promoting the preservation of farmland in <br />the County; and <br />WHEREAS, one component of the Lands Legacy Program is the acquisition of conservation <br />easements on prime farmland within water supply watersheds; and <br />WHEREAS, the Breeze Farm includes approximately 153 acres in the Little River protected <br />watershed, consists entirely of prime agricultural soils, and is located in an agricultural <br />community with good access to farm markets; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County intends to accept an agricultural conservation easement that <br />would help to conserve the natural and scenic values of this farmland; and <br />WHEREAS, matching grants of $172,000 and $150,000 were awarded to Orange County <br />from the Federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program and the North Carolina <br />Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, respectively, to help <br />purchase the conservation easement; and <br />WHEREAS, a conservation easement on these approximately 153 acres would ensure the <br />preservation of this farmland for future generations and help to compensate the owners for <br />this long-term commitment; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />does hereby 1) accept on behalf of Orange County the agricultural conservation easement to <br />protect prime farmland owned by William Breeze, Sr.; 2) approve the execution of this <br />conservation easement agreement with William Breeze, Sr., in accordance with the terms of <br />the proposed easement agreement, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney; <br />3) authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign the easement agreement on behalf of the Board, <br />with a closing to occur on or about September 30, 2011; and 4) authorize County staff to sign <br />any and all closing documents upon consultation with the County Attorney. <br />This the 21St day of June, 2011. <br />Bernadette Pelissier, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board <br />