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24 that farmland costs government less in public services than does residential development. Development — particularly in the rural -urban fringe areas- - requires more expense in public services, such as roads, schools, water and sewer, and fire and police protection. As farmlands are lost to development, the cost for these services places a strain on local government budgets. This has made local governments more aware of the need to preserve their agricultural and forest lands. Finally, farmland maintained in good stewardship provides many additional benefits related to habitat for wildlife, water quality and recharge of water supplies, and open and green spaces for public enjoyment. What has North Carolina done in recent years to preserve farmland? North Carolina enacted the Farmland Preservation statue, G.S. 106 -744 in 1986. This legislation allows the state to set up a fund for receiving monies and administering a statewide farmland preservation program. Legislative amendment in the 2000 session of the General Assembly altered the local match requirements to receive state grants for farmland protection. The North Carolina legislation also allows counties to set up agriculture preservation districts. But these statutes are inadequately funded and promoted. At present only 12 counties in NC have established agriculture districts (defined agriculture protection areas where intensive development is discouraged). The North Carolina Farmland Preservation Trust Fund was first funded in 1998 at $250,000 in non - recurring funds. The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA), which is the administering agency for the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund,- contracted with The Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) to administer the grant program. CTNC used the $250,000 to help local land trusts arrange the donation of agriculture easements and other land trusts and one county to accept bargain sales of agriculture easements on farmland. Due to the limited funding, easements could not be purchased at full value. CTNC secured agriculture easements on 5 farms and 758 acres of farmland through this allocation. In 1999, the General Assembly funded the Farmland Trust Fund at $500,000, again in non - recurring funds. Again, CTNC administered the funds for the Department of Agriculture to help defray the costs of donated agricultural easements and bargain sales of conservation easements. With this money, CTNC secured agriculture conservation easements on 1,154 acres of farmland on 6 different farms.