CFE 050800 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

As North Carolina works toward this million acre goal, the state can conserve either a patchwork of lands or lands that are related to each other in a logical way . A statewide plan cannot be prescriptive about which objectives should be most important to a community, and thus , priorities for open space acquisition need to be set at the local or regional scale . For example, coastal communities may be most concerned about flood mitigation, piedmont communities may be most concerned about urban greenspaces , and mountain communities may be most concerned about scenic beauty. Priorities may also differ between urban and rural communities . Unlike other trust funds and conservation programs , the farmland preservation program is relatively undeveloped . Thus , Governor Hunt and the NC Smart Growth Commission have afforded farmland preservation special attention. A proposal to expand the farmland preservation infrastructure for North Carolina is currently being jointly developed by DENR, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services , and Cooperative Extension . The Farmland Preservation Trust Fund should fund the conservation of both farmland and forestland . State Role The Million Acre Initiative depends on widespread participation by numerous parties inside and outside of government to be successful . The State ' s role in the Million Acre Initiative should be as follows : • Encourage Private Stewardship . The state should work with local governments , private land trusts , and others to educate landowners on the environmental and financial benefits of conserving their lands . • Support Existing Programs and Facilitate Coordination. Many state and federal agencies , local governments , private organizations , and individuals have already initiated creative and productive efforts to TT , , ,; � . preserve open space and farmland . The State ' s first priori.,, v should be to 7 � yam} �, V support,L enhance accelerate, pp celerate, . and coordinate these successful ` programs , rather than to create new Apr programs . • Infuse Capital int o to Existing Y PL f A Programs . The State should take a k.. s r .. leadership role in conserving open * - space by increasing funding to k A existing natural resource trust funds ` and by supporting the operational costs for management and coordination . However, the acquired lands should not be entirely state - funded . All parties must seek and use many sources of public and private funding as well as financial incentives . Also , North Carolina has a tremendous , and often untapped, financial resource i n the potential for donations of lands -and easements as a result of the stewardship ethic held by many landowners across the state . 4