Agenda - 12-04-2000-8i - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 comprehensive farmland protection plan that are designated "enterprise tier four or five" counties must provide a fifteen percent (15%) match to a state farmland preservation grant award. (See the attached list of current County Enterprise Tiers as dewed by the NC Department of Commerce.) According to the legislative. history of the amendment, the iuo~terrt of the General Assembly is for donated value of a conservation easement to count toward the applicant's match requirement. Thus, if the conservation easement is conveyed for less than the full appraised vaLre of the restricted development potential., the donated value will wont for the match requirement. UNLESS GRANT' APPLICANTS CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THF~Ili COUNIY HAS ADOPTED A COUNTYWIDE FARN1LArID PROTECTION PLAN, NO STATE FARMLAND PRESERVATION GRANT WILL BE AWARDED IN THIS CYCLE FOR MORE THAN 70% OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE CONSERVATION EASENIEN'r. HOWEVF,>~ THE MODEST AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDS AVAn ABLE THI5 YEAR W1ZL t ?Nt 1~t'-Y ALLOW FOR ANY GRANT AWARD IN EKCESS OF 50°/v OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE EASEM~NT- Eerdosed are instructions, guidelines, and application forms by which your agency or organiz~.tion, if eligible, may apply for grant funds from the North Carolina Farmland Preservation Program. These guidelines and the enabling statute, as amended, define the qualifications of eGgrbility to receive a grant. Also enclosed is additional resource information. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE 5UBNIITTED TO THE CONSERVATION TRUST AND POSTMARI~D NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 10, 2000. The Conservation Trust will make recommendations to the Commissioner of Agriculture, who will make final decisions on grant awards in January or February, 2001. If the entire sum of available great funds for the 2000-0 l fiscal year is not exhausted by that set of awards, applications submitted later than December 10 will then be considered. If you have questions, please contact the Conservation Trust at 919-828-4199 or ctrrc~~rtrindspring. com . Enclosures: (1) Guidelines for the NC Farmland Preservation Grant Program (2) Application Instructions and Application (3) Enabling statute and 2000 amendment, NCGS 106-735 through 744, Article 61 "Preservation of Farmland" (4) "Protecting Your Legacy: Conservation Options for Agricultural Lands" pamphlet (available in quantities from the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, instructions on back Page) (5) "Preserving Famnland Through Voluntary Agricultural Districts: Guide for Citizens and Local O1~cials" CTNC pamphlet (6} `~rotectir-g F~ ~ Farmland ~ ~ Triangle" Region T]COG pamphlet (~ Sample Agricultural Conservation Easement adopted :6rom the American Farmland Trus~- model. easement for use in North Carolina. (which maybe downloaded from the CTNC vnternet web site: RESOURCES)