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015 <br />qualifying farms that entered into conservation agreements <br />while such ordinance was in effect. <br />F. Nothing in this section is intended to diminish the authority <br />of the County to hold assessments in abeyance under N.C. Gen. Stat. <br />Section 153A -201. <br />Section Z - LAND -USE INCENTIVES TO <br />VOLUNTARY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT FORMATION <br />[None of the provisions in this section are based on the <br />requirements of Article 61 of the General Statutes. They are <br />proposed, in part, as additional incentives for farm owners to join <br />agricultural districts. Perhaps the most significant provision is <br />B.3. below, which restricts the County from spending monies to <br />convert land to non -farm uses in voluntary agricultural districts. <br />Examples of the types of expenditures prohibited would be those <br />necessary for a landfill, a park site, and an airport.] <br />A. PURPOSE <br />The purpose of this section is to help meet the needs of <br />agriculture as an industry in orange County and prevent conflicts <br />between voluntary agricultural district participants and non -farm <br />landowners in proximity to districts. <br />B. PROCEDURE <br />1. Land -use planning decisions and ordinances affecting parcels <br />of land adjacent to any district shall take into account the <br />existence of such district and the purpose of this ordinance. <br />2. orange County shall not enact ordinances applicable within an <br />agricultural district in a manner which unreasonably restricts <br />or regulates farm structures or forestry farming practices <br />unless such restrictions or regulations bear a direct <br />relationship to the public health and safety. <br />3. The County shall not spend monies to convert land to non -farm <br />uses in voluntary agricultural districts. <br />Section ZI - NORTH CAROLINA AGENCY NOTIFICATION <br />A. The Board may consult with the North Carolina Commissioner of <br />Agriculture, the North Carolina Division of Soil and Water, and any <br />other entity the Board deems necessary to the proper conduct of its <br />business. <br />[According to G.S. 106 -743, Orange County may consult with the <br />N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture prior to the adoption of an <br />ordinance. Though not specifically stated in the statute, such <br />consultations are allowed if the County wishes technical assistance <br />in implementing its farmland preservation program. Consultations <br />with other agencies such as the N.C. Division of Soil and Water, <br />