Orange County NC Website
9 <br />Hill CE Draft 11/16/2017 <br />(2) North Carolina General Statute 139 -2 et seq., which provides that "it is hereby <br />declared ... that the farm, forest and grazing lands of the State of North Carolina are among the <br />basic assets of the State and the preservation of these lands is necessary to protect and promote <br />the health, safety and general welfare of its people... it is hereby declared to be the policy of the <br />legislature to provide for the conservation of the soil and resources of this State;" <br />(3) North Carolina General Statute 106 -583 et seq., which states that "It is declared to be <br />the policy of the State of North Carolina to promote the efficient production and utilization of the <br />products of the soil as essential to the health and welfare of our people and to promote a sound <br />and prosperous agriculture and rural life as indispensable to the maintenance of maximum <br />prosperity;" <br />(4) The Uniform North Carolina Conservation and Historic Preservation Agreements Act, <br />North Carolina General Statute 121 -34 et seq., which provides that conservation agreements are <br />"interests in land" which may be effective "perpetually;" which provides for the enforceability of <br />restrictions, easements, covenants or conditions "...appropriate to retaining land or water areas <br />predominantly in their natural, scenic, or open condition or in agricultural, horticultural, farming <br />or forest use...;" and which provides for tax assessment of lands subject to such agreements "on <br />the basis of the true value of the land and improvement less any reduction in value caused by the <br />agreement;" <br />(5) The establishment of the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland <br />Preservation Trust Fund established in 1986 (N.C.G.S. 106- 744(c) as amended) to preserve <br />important farmland in North Carolina; <br />(6) the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, authorized by NCGS § 113A -251 et seq., <br />which finances projects to acquire land and interests in land, including conservation easements <br />for the purposes of providing environmental protection for surface waters and urban drinking <br />water supplies; <br />(7) the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act, authorized by NCGS § 139 -1, et seq., <br />which provides for the preservation of farm, forest and grazing lands; <br />(8) the special use assessment of farm and forestland as set forth in NCGS § 105 -277.2 et <br />seq., which allows for lower property tax rates for land enrolled in active agricultural uses; <br />(9) the Land Use Element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan (adopted November <br />18, 2008) with its goal of "Land uses that are appropriate to on -site environmental conditions and <br />features, and that protect natural resources, cultural resources, and community character. "; <br />(10) The Orange County Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan, <br />adopted November 17, 2009, which recommends that the County acquire agricultural <br />conservation easements to help protect farmland as a valuable natural resources; and <br />Page 3of18 <br />