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47 through its designated staff. Typically, the Soil & Water Conservation District, Cooperative Extension Service, or county planning department will perform this function. After receiving the application, a report must be prepared for submittal to the Board of Commissioners. The report should include: ■ Statement of Certification as Qualifying Farmland from the District Conservationist ■ Statement from Tax Assessor verifying participation in the use -value program ■ Location map showing the public roads nearest the property and the proposed district boundary. ■ Draft conservation agreement between the County and the landowner ■ Draft ordinance for district designation Certification as Qualifying Farmland is the first step in the process. The county's District Conservationist can determine if the farmland soil qualifies for certification. The Conservationist can also verify that the farm is practicing accepted erosion control techniques. The county tax assessor can provide a statement for the report, certifying that the land described in the application is enrolled in the farm use -value program. The assessor can also confirm the length of time that the land has been enrolled in the program. The conservation agreement between the County and the landowner is a voluntary, non- binding instrument that prohibits non farm use for at least 10 years, except for the creation of three lots that meet county subdivision regulations. Both parties may renew the agreement after the 10 -year period. The landowner may revoke the agreement at any time by simply submitting a letter of revocation to the Agricultural Advisory Board. (A model conservation agreement for Voluntary Agricultural Districts is available from the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.) The VAD report and draft ordinance are reviewed by the Agricultural Advisory Board, which then makes a recommendation of adoption to the County Board of Commissioners. Adoption of the ordinance occurs with an affirmative, majority vote of the Commissioners. The ordinance creating a Voluntary Agricultural District provides a formal document that legally establishes the district. Upon adoption, the County Register of Deeds records the ordinance. The District may also be delineated on County tax maps or other map records, including geographic information system data. Orange County, for example, identifies voluntary agricultural districts as 'primary conservation areas' on a comprehensive map of natural and open space resources. Because the Voluntary Agricultural District is specifically documented in the land records system, the county may require that a notice be made to anyone searching the title of any tract of land that is located with one -half mile of the district. This notification requirement is one of the most important benefits of becoming a Voluntary Agricultural District. It alerts persons buying land within one -half mile of the district that a bonafide farming operation exists. This provision grants some measure of protection to farmers from potential nuisance lawsuits that might be initiated by persons moving into close proximity to an Agricultural District.