Agenda - 12-05-2016 - 4-a - Resolution of Approval – Conservation Easement for Persimmon Hill Farm

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8 Persimmon Hill Farm Conservation Easement(Bennett/Pelissier) (1) Sections 1238 H and 1238 I of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, which authorizes the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, administered through the United States Department of Agriculture,Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides funds for the acquisition of Conservation Easements or other interests in prime, unique, or other productive soils for the purpose of limiting conversion to nonagricultural uses of the land; (2)North Carolina General Statute 139-2 et seq., which provides that"it is hereby declared ...that the farm, forest and grazing lands of the State of North Carolina are among the basic assets of the State and the preservation of these lands is necessary to protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of its people... it is hereby declared to be the policy of the legislature to provide for the conservation of the soil and resources of this State;" (3)North Carolina General Statute 106-583 et seq., which states that"It is declared to be the policy of the State of North Carolina to promote the efficient production and utilization of the products of the soil as essential to the health and welfare of our people and to promote a sound and prosperous agriculture and rural life as indispensable to the maintenance of maximum prosperity;" (4) The Uniform North Carolina Conservation and Historic Preservation Agreements Act, North Carolina General Statute 121-34 et seq., which provides that conservation agreements are "interests in land"which may be effective "perpetually;"which provides for the enforceability of restrictions, easements, covenants or conditions "...appropriate to retaining land or water areas predominantly in their natural, scenic, or open condition or in agricultural, horticultural, farming or forest use...;" and which provides for tax assessment of lands subject to such agreements "on the basis of the true value of the land and improvement less any reduction in value caused by the agreement;" (5) The establishment of the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund established in 1986 (N.C.G.S. 106-744(c) as amended) to preserve important farmland in North Carolina; (6) The North Carolina Conservation Tax Credit Program,North Carolina General Statute 105-130.34 and 105-151.12 et seq., which provides for state income tax credits for donations of land that are useful for fish and wildlife conservation and other similar land conservation purposes; (7) the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, authorized by NCGS § 113A-251 et seq., which finances projects to acquire land and interests in land, including conservation easements for the purposes of providing environmental protection for surface waters and urban drinking water supplies; (8) the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act, authorized by NCGS § 139-1, et seq., which provides for the preservation of farm, forest and grazing lands; Page 3 of 18