APB agenda 032101 - Laserfiche WebLink

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■ Allow supplemental grant funding for building capacity to protect more land and to educate landowners about conservation options and tax incentives through the existing Conservation Grant Fund. ■ Allow some part of matching grant funds to be applied for operations. ■ Authorize the NC Attorney General to enter into agreements to defend and enforce conservation lands and easements held by land trusts. • Amend statutes to allow direct grants to qualified land trusts from the NC Natural Heritage Trust Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, as is already the case with the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. ■ Make low- interest loans available to qualifying land trusts to acquire, protect and manage open space. C. PRIVATE LAND OWNERS Objective 2C.1: Encourage private property owners to protect open space. ■ Provide incentives to secure state funding for easements and other protection measures. ■ Improve publicity for, and dissemination of, information for landowners on open space protection strategies. Objective 2C.2: Include private property owners in planning. ■ Farmland and open space plans should be crafted through a public process that specifically includes participation by affected property owners. D. BUSINESS COMMUNITY Objective 2D.1: Encourage private - public partnerships. Develop an Adopt- A- Green space program, similar to the existing Adopt -A- Highway program. ■ Encourage the banking industry to provide revolving /low- interest loan funds to qualified land conservation organizations to acquire and protect important open space lands. E. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Objective 2E.1: Coordinate protection efforts with existing federal facilities. ■ Encourage the federal government to develop plans to protect significant natural areas on its properties within North Carolina.