Orange County NC Website
9� <br />Page 3 <br />types. One approach might be to designate those watersheds as the priority <br />agricultural areas and then make provisions for farms that split the boundary. <br />Classifying them in the watershed where the larger acreage is located might be a <br />way to go. <br />The APB continued discussing the farms and their locations in the potential four <br />priority areas of Cane Creek, Upper Eno, Back Creek and Little River. Other <br />important active farm units were identified and marked on the map. Strayhorn <br />noted that they had not identified farms that were likely to be lost within the near <br />future. Morrow noted that there are farms that aren't in a watershed which meet <br />the other criteria such as soils, and that the economic vitality is important in <br />regards to promotion of culture heritage. These farms should be included in <br />some way. Including farms that are assets to the entire community was <br />suggested. <br />Stancil summarized the APB's ideas toward agricultural priority areas. One <br />approach is to target efforts toward farms in the county's water supply <br />watersheds. Another approach is to consider economic vitality, value to the <br />community, and potential threats. These categories were labeled Geographic <br />and Objective areas. <br />Kleese suggested going with the general areas as identified at this time pending <br />on further information. We see the northern third of the county as a high priority <br />and also the critical watersheds of Cane Creek, Upper Eno. Maybe the <br />northern /western area of the county should also be included. Mandell asked to <br />include farm activity regardless of location. Other farms within the objective <br />criteria economic vitality, environmental water quality areas, threatened areas <br />were also identified on the map. Staff to create map of the identified areas for <br />APB review. Mandell asked for a small map to use while viewing the county <br />farms (while on the road). <br />Stancil distributed and reviewed two resolutions adopted by the BOCC on March <br />6th: Deferral of Accrued Use Value property taxes — Farmer to Farmer Transfers <br />in Voluntary Agricultural Districts and Promote Viable Agriculture /Alternative <br />Farming & Agricultural Practices. <br />ITEM #5: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS <br />Draft 3/21/2001 <br />a. Farm and Open Space Preservation Work Group: Final <br />Report <br />Stancil reported that Commissioner Jacobs is likely to come <br />to the April meeting to discuss this report. <br />b. Farmland Preservation Report <br />C.. "Farmers head to Raleigh" <br />