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s 53 1. FOR SALE APRRO7L 100 ACRES 919�490w6430 Pefirsd goal of are i � te en t an e er is to save all the pieces . " Aldo Leopold , The Land Ethic In the first half of 1999 , department officials asked each Using money from a local-option sales tax and a advisory board with a role in preservation in the county statewide farmland preservation fund, the county to help develop a set of criteria for selecting the land recently purchased its first farmland easement of 71 - - _ acres on Back Creek . Because of its location in a critic most critical for acquisition . These were divided among t' critical wildlife habitat areas , prime farmland , historic watershed and the owner's strong history of responsible ` . and cultural sites , parkland, and riparian buffers in conservation practices , the land was considered a high - ` . a1� watersheds . General criteria incluvv ded variables such as a priority for preservation . 4-.-� . checklist of what was present on the site , whether the -� KEEPING FARMS AS A VIABLE PART OF THE ECONOMY property was imminently threatened by development, tw how the surrounding land was being used and what the Orange County began working to keep farmland open and vital even before the passage of the Lands Legacy possible future use of the property might be , Pm ` - Program . In 1987 , the Board of Commissioners forme The Lands Legacy Program outlines various methods of the Agricultural Preservation Board (APB) , made up of land acquisition available to the county. For lands where citizens . The APB drafted an ordinance to encourage long-term maintenance is needed, such as critical farmers to register their land in voluntary agricultural wildlife habitat, fee-simple purchase of the land is rec- districts . These non-binding, ten-year contracts currently ommended. This involves the outright purchase of the protect about 1 , 400 acres in the county. Areas are land itself and can be expensive , but it also ensures that marked on county maps and anyone wishing to develop no conflicts over responsibility for the land will arise. within a half-mile of one of these districts is informed Land might also be offered to the county as a donation ; that they will be close to a functioning agricultural area . in return, landowners could receive tax breaks . This is intended to cut down on nuisance complaints from anyone choosing to live near one of the districts . A conservation easement is a third option that is often Other benefits include eligibility for farmland preserva- applicable to farmland . Owners can sell or donate the tion funds and an exemption from water and sewer development rights of their land to the county and still assessments . While they do not assure protection of the retain ownership of the land. Specific details such as land should a farmer wish to sell, they do provide an what types of uses will be permitted on the land in the area of focus for the possible acquisition of conservation future can be worked out between the owner and the easements . Perhaps most important, participation in county. Landowners receive income tax benefits as well these voluntary districts symbolizes a landowner's as federal and state estate tax considerations that reduce commitment to keeping his or her farm in operation . the financial burden of land ownership on heirs . When a farmer is considering selling his land for devel- Easementsare often cheaper than a fee simple purchase opment, he may be encouraged to keep it as a farm and allow the land to remain in agricultural production . when he sees his neighbors are committed to preserving Thus far, the county has protected some 600 acres of their community. open space — 526 through acquisition .