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IN <br /> � 1 <br /> ORANGE COU14TY <br /> BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting [date : September 17 , 200 <br /> Action Agere a <br /> Item No . -� - <br /> SUBJECT : Cooperative Agreement - Acceptance of USDA Grant for Farmland Easements <br /> DEPARTMENT : Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING; (YIN ) N � <br /> Conservation <br /> ATTACHMENT INFORMATION CONTACT , <br /> 1 ) GooperaItive Agreement David Stanci1 , 245=2590 <br /> Farmland Protection Program release Rich Shave , 245 - 591 <br /> Brent Rogue , 45 - 7 !50 <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS . <br /> Hillsborough 78 -8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 9684501 <br /> Durham 6884331 <br /> Mebane 336-2 7 -2031 <br /> P V RP0 E ; To consider entering into a cooperative agreement wKh the United States <br /> Commodity Credit Corporation (which administers the U IDA Farmland Protection Program ) <br /> for purposes of ac pting grants totaling $ 784 , 155 for the purchase of farmland oonser aflo n <br /> easements , <br /> BACKGROUND : In April of this year, the 2002 Farm Bill was signed into law . Included In <br /> the Farm BlII was an appropriation ofv 48 million to the USDA Farmland Protection Program <br /> ( FP P ) , to be administered at the state Jovial by th a U DA Natural Resource Conservation <br /> Service ( NRCS ) . The Farmland Protection Programs t nd. s up to a 50 % ranch of the <br /> purchase. of ag riou ltu ral conservation easements , <br /> On June 27 ' , the Board authorized County staff to submit a grant applioativn for the <br /> acquisition of conservation easements , and staff ( with assistance from the District <br /> onservaborilst and Soil and Water 0istriot staff) submitted a grant applioatien in the amunt <br /> of $ 788 ,900 in Juiy for this purpose . <br /> Staff received confirmation on Friday, September 13 that the aunty ' s grant had been <br /> approved In the amount of $ 784 , 155 ( 99 .4 % of the total requested ) . <br /> USDA is required to encumber the funds for the grant prior to the end of the Federal fiscal <br /> year on September 30 , and . a signed cooperative agreement must be received by the State <br /> Conservationist by September 20 . The County will than have two years from the data of the <br /> agreement to complete . the negotiation of easements . <br />