Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: January 15, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ,3 "G <br />SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval -Conservation Easement for the Breeze Farm <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />Conservation <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />Resolution of Approval <br />Location Map <br />Site Map <br />Draft Conservation Easement <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Rich Shaw, 245-2591 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve the purchase of and acceptance by Orange <br />County of an agricultural conservation easement for the Breeze family farm. <br />BACKGROUND: The acquisition of agricultural conservation easements to protect prime <br />farmland in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners, and is a <br />priority of the Lands Legacy Program. Since completing the County's first agricultural <br />conservation easement in 2001, Orange County has protected 1,298 acres of prime farmland <br />and riparian buffers with conservation easements. Another 962 acres of important natural <br />and cultural resource lands have been protected by other means. <br />In April 2004, Orange County, in cooperation with the Orange NRCS/Soil and Water <br />Conservation District Office, applied for matching grant funds from the federal Farm and <br />Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP). A portion of those grant funds will be used to <br />purchase a conservation easement to protect approximately 141 acres of the Breeze Farm. <br />The Breeze Farm, also known as Blue Bonnet Farm, is located on the north side of Schley <br />Road, less than one mile east of NC 57 northeast of Hillsborough (Cedar Grove Township). <br />The farm is owned by Colonel William Breeze, Sr. Colonel Breeze, a retired Air Force <br />colonel, purchased the property in 1947. Over the past several years, he has leased the farm <br />for grazing beef cattle and for hay and wheat production. In 2003, Colonel Breeze and his <br />late wife, Elizabeth M. Breeze, donated another 163-acre portion of their farm to NC State <br />University to establish an agricultural extension and research facility. <br />Colonel Breeze intends to grant a conservation easement on approximately 295 acres of the <br />404-acre farm, including the family home place, a tenant house and several farm buildings. <br />The easement would be granted in two phases.. Phase I would protect a 141-acre portion of <br />Tract 1 shown on the attached Site map. About 29 acres of Tract 1 would be excluded from <br />