Agenda - 08-10-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Part of the rationale for this approach is found in the definition of agriculture. It is an activity not limited to just the production of crops and the raising of livestock, but it includes the planting and production of trees and timber as well. It addresses the interests of the general public and land owners alike in seeing that farms as well as forests are preserved. Finally, the system provides a means of balancing what often seem to be conflicting interests. By defining priorities in terms of other resources (e.g., natural, historic, and scenic), it helps to achieve the broader goal of preserving our most valuable resources. Is Orange County the only jurisdiction to consider or make use of a LESA system?No.In a study conducted by Arizona State University and the Soil Conservation Service in 1991, 212 local and state governments in 31 states were identified as active or former users of LESA. Of that total, 138 local and eight state governments are currently using a LESA system,with its use much more common in east coast states (70%). Historically, the use of LESA by local jurisdictions increased sharply between 1983 and 1985, leveled off during 1985-1989, and then accelerated again in 1989-1990. The recent acceleration can be traced largely to state programs that call for the use of a LESA system (e.g., Pennsylvania, where LESA must be used to set priorities for purchase of development rights).A total of 30 jurisdictions reported that they were in the process of developing a system. In North Carolina, five counties were identified in the 1991 study as having LESA experience. Forsyth County is perhaps the most notable, using its system to identify priorities for purchase of development rights. Gaston County used its LESA for environmental impact assessment, property tax assessment, and to review the impact of land acquisition by a federal agency. Of the remaining counties, Stanly and Henderson started to develop a system but abandoned the idea principally because of insufficient funding and staffing, and Wake County was in the process of developing a LESA system. Since 1991, Durham County has actively pursued development of a T,ESA system. In addition, Burke County won an award from the N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association for its innovative use of a LESA system to evaluate land use proposals in an "Open Use" zoning district. In this section, a LESA system is proposed for Orange County. It is presented in some detail to help staff, advisory and governing member, and the public alike to understand and use the system. To assist in this effort, 12 farms were selected as "case studies" to illustrate the development and application of each aspect of the system. These farms were selected to reflect a variety of sizes, geographic locations, soil conditions, and farm types. Bingham Township is also used as a "case study" to illustrate how the system may be used to define overall preservation priorities on a broader scale. The development of the LESA system has involved reliance on many information sources,ranging from Soil Conservation Service guidebooks and soil surveys to inventories of natural areas and historic sites. Preparation of the system has not only involved the use of recent technology; e.g., a geographic information system, to assemble and analyze large amounts of data, but consideration of a variety of scoring methods. While the system has been designed to be flexible and allow its use for many purposes, it is one tool which can be used to begin sorting through competing priorities and objectively identify significant resources of the county to be preserved. 2.1.2