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I,, December 13, 2000 Catherine Wright, editor 18 -1050, cwright @herald-sun.com {j S Coun ne o N tY 9 tiates easement Farmer nearly ready to - sell a conservation aX easenz.ent of 70 acres By ROB SNAPARD chh@herald- sun.com; 732 -6397 HILLSBOROUGH — Although farming is no longer his livelihood, Victor Walters, at age 92, is just as likely to be outside riding his trac- tor or walking his fields as he is inside the house. He spent TLesday morning on his banged -up, red International Farmall 140, turning soil in the garden next to his home on High Rock Road, about five miles north- east of Mebane. "He loves work," said his wife, Lucille Walters, rolling her eyes and smiling. In Part because of decades of hard work improving his farm, Walters doesn't want to sell his property and see it covered up with new homes. But he also sees a point down the road, maybe in a year or so, when he and his wife are going to need more money. Walters said he and his wife want tc stays' at home. But to do so, Lucille Walters needs a home -care Victor Walters, 92, likes to walk the fields on his land north of Ffla cox worker to help her deal with sever- al ailments. And that kind of care can be expensive, certainly more expensive than Social Security can cover. A third factor that Walters is bal- ancing is his desire to pass along land to his three children. To strike the balance between preserving his land and generating income, ' Ualters is near an agree- ment to sell a conservation ease- ment on 70 acres of his property to the Orange County government. The county's Environment and Resource Conservation Depart- ment has been working with Wal- ters on the possible easement, and department Director Dave Stancil estimates it will cost the county about $215,000. The Orange County Commission- ers hope t%'_5' win a grant frolti the please see EASEMENT /PAGE 2