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4 <br />e. Entering into voluntary agricultural districts; and <br />5. A schedule for implementing the plan and identification for possible funding <br />sources for long-term support. <br />Much of this information already exists for Orange County and is incorporated into the <br />Lands Legacy Program document, Lands Legacy Action Plans, a variety of documents <br />and reports on agriculture over the years, or is a part of ongoing work in agricultural <br />economic development. <br />However, in order to meet with the spirit of these provisions, some collating and updating <br />of information is needed, specifically to address items 1-3 above and incorporate the <br />work toward item 4 and 5 into one document. <br />On a related note, the legislation from 2005 also includes a potential new category of <br />Voluntary Agricultural Districts (the non-binding, non-purchase farmland protection <br />program in existence in Orange County since 1992). As part of this, the N.C. Department <br />of Agriculture is looking at possible term conservation easements, which expire at the <br />end of a set period of time. To date, the County and other easement holders have <br />negotiated and hold perpetual easements. <br />The Agricultural Preservation Board will soon be taking up these potential new <br />"Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts" provisions, and developing <br />.recommendations regarding any suggested changes to the local Voluntary Farmland <br />Protection Program ordinance. This review is not directly related to the Lands Legacy <br />Program and its ongoing farmland conservation easements activity, but the results of the <br />review will be analyzed at a future date. <br />Recommendation <br />Staff proposes to create an Appendix to the Lands Legacy Program Policy document <br />(adopted Apri14, 2000) that coordinates the needed information in a manner that satisfies <br />the legislation's description of a Countywide Farmland Protection Plan. The appendix <br />would be reviewed by the Agricultural Preservation Board, the Soil and Water District <br />Board, and the Economic Development Commission, and then presented to the Board of <br />Commissioners for inclusion as an appendix in the Lands Legacy Program document, in <br />the first half of calendar year 2007. <br />