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so Enhancements to the Voluntary Agricultural Districts program would require an amendment to the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act by the General Assembly. Encourage your state senator or representative to explore this idea. There are new State and Federal initiatives on the horizon that could provide an impetus for promoting and expanding the Voluntary Agricultural Districts program. The Million Acres Initiative. Governor Hunt has recently announced the Million Acres Initiative, which calls for North Carolina to preserve one million acres of land over the next 10 years. In addition to conserving open space for parks and wildlands, this initiative will also focus attention on farmland preservation. The success of this initiative will depend on participation by numerous parties inside and outside of government. The State foresees having two major roles in the Million Acres Initiative. First, it will encourage private stewardship, by working with local governments, land trusts, and others to educate landowners on the environmental and financial benefits of conserving their lands. An enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District program could be an important element in encouraging the voluntary preservation of farmland. Secondly, the state will seek to support existing programs and facilitate coordination. The state's first priority will be to fund, support, and enhance successful partnerships and programs, rather than to create new programs. A Voluntary Agricultural District program that is already'on the books' is a prime example of a fledgling, existing program that is worthy of increased funding and support. Federal Farmland Protection Program The 1996 Farm Bill established a $35 million Farmland Protection Program (FPP), a voluntary program that provides matching funds to State, local, or tribal entities with existing farmland protection programs to purchase conservation easements or other interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been designated as the lead agency in implementing this program. The Farmland Protection Program has been enormously popular. In 1998, when the remaining funds of $17.2 million were allocated, the USDA received requests from 20 states totaling over $61- million. The FPP has helped to permanently protect more than 120,000 acres of prime farm and ranch lands nationwide. Currently, there is no funding for the FPP. However, the Secretary of Agriculture recently announced the Conservation Initiative, which would provide nearly $1.3 billion in FY 2001 to several USDA farm conservation programs. Should Congress approve this budget request, it would include $65 million for the FPP. Qualification for FPP funding bears some similarity to eligibility for the Voluntary Agricultural Districts program. Namely, the land offered must be prime, unique, or other productive soil, and be large enough to sustain agricultural production. Enrollment in a state or local farmland preservation program (such a VAD) would be advantageous should the State or a county seek funds from the Farmland Protection Program.