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NORTH CAROLINA FARMLAND PRESERVATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM GRANTS AWARDED FROM NC FARMLAND PRESERVATION TRUST FUND 1999 through 2001 The NC Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has received three successive annual appropriations from the NC General Assembly to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, beginning in late 1998 and under provisions of the Farmland Preservation enabling statute of 1986 (NCGS 106 -735 to 744). Appropriations to the program by the General Assembly have been: $250,000 for FY 1998 -99, $500,000 for FY 1999 -2000, and $1,500,000 for FY 2000 -01. The appropriations were used to make grants for qualified local governments and non -profit land trusts to acquire agricultural conservation easements and for program development, education and promotion, administration. These grants have leveraged over $10 million in local funds and equivalent values of donated development, rights (i.e., a 1.4 grant ratio of $1 state: $4 local funds /donated value). Grant expenditures have satisfied the legislative intent to demonstrate . protection of critical farmlands located in urban fringe growth areas and in sensitive watersheds or other important environmental resource areas. The Department of Agriculture has contracted the private, non -profit Conservation Trust for North Carolina to administer the program. Program Results to Date Total Grants Awarded: Farms Protected: Acres Protected: $2,037,500 in three annual grant cycles [7 grants to reimburse transactional costs for donated agricultural conservation easements; 14 grants to match other local or private funds or equivalent donations by landowners for the purchase of non -farm development rights at or most often (11) substantially below fair - market appraised values] 20 2,869 Other Program Activites: promotion of farmland protection options through publications, news media articles, public presentations and forums; provision of guidelines for forming county farmland protection programs and establishing voluntary agricultural preservation districts; representation of farm preservation interests to legislative study commissions and other task forces. Farmland Protection Grants Awarded in 1999 [$250,000 State appropriation] Grantee Grant . Farm County Easement Size 1. LandTrust for Central NC $ 15,518 d Daltonia Iredell 198 of 615 ac. and bequested easement donated over remainder 2. LandTrust for Central NC $ 50,390 b Karriker Farm Rowan 81 of 400 ac. 3. Blue Ridge. Rural LT /SAHC $ 10,500 d Richardson Alleghany 298 ac' 4. Piedmont Land Conservancy $ 67,000 b Newlin - Hickory Alamance/ 122 of 160 ac. Grove Dairy Chatham 5. Forsyth County SWCD* $ 44,092 m Blackburn Forsyth 59 ac. 1999 758 acres total 07