Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION <br />Approval of Agricultural Conservation Easement between <br />Orange County and Carl and Elizabeth Walters <br />WHEREAS, Orange County has an adopted goal promoting the preservation of farmland in <br />the County; and <br />WHEREAS, agriculture in Orange County is an important facet of the economy and way of <br />life in the County; and <br />WHEREAS, one component of the Lands Legacy Program is the acquisition of conservation <br />easements on prime or threatened farmland within water supply watersheds; and <br />WHEREAS, the Walters farm includes 223.13 acres in the Back Creek protected watershed, <br />consists of a majority of prime soils, and is adjacent to 71 acres of family farmland already <br />protected by an agricultural conservation easement with Orange County; and <br />WHEREAS, a grant in the amount of $338,150 was awarded to Orange County from the <br />federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program to protect the future of this farm with an <br />agricultural conservation easement; and <br />WHEREAS, a conservation easement on this farm provides awin-win scenario -ensuring the <br />preservation of this farmland far future generations and providing return on the property for <br />the Walters family: <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />does hereby 1) accept on behalf of Orange County the farmland preservation conservation <br />easement in the property owned by Carl and Elizabeth Walters that is described in the <br />conservation easement agreement; 2) approve the execution of this conservation easement <br />agreement with Carl and Elizabeth Walters, in accordance with the terms of the attached <br />easement agreement, subject to final review by staff and the county attorney; and 3) <br />authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign the easement agreement on behalf of the Board, <br />with a closing to occur on or about December 15, 2003. <br />BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board accepts the grant award of $338,150 from the <br />federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, and authorizes the Chair to sign the grant <br />agreement. <br />This the 15f day of December, 2003. <br />Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board <br />