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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date : March 1 , 2022 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No . 8 - e <br /> SUBJECT : Approval of Revisions to Orange County Voluntary Farmland Protection Program <br /> Ordinance ( Code of Ordinances Chapter 48 ) and Boundary Adjustment for the <br /> New Hope VoluntaryAgricultural District <br /> g <br /> DEPARTMENT : Environment , Agriculture , Parks <br /> and Recreation ( DEAPR ) <br /> ATTACHMENT ( S ) : INFORMATION CONTACT . <br /> 1 ) Ordinance With Proposed Revisions Peter Sandbeck , ( 919 ) 245 -2517 <br /> 2 ) Maps Showing Proposed District Jessica Perrin , ( 919 ) 245 -2753 <br /> Boundary Adjustment <br /> PURPOSE : To : <br /> 1 ) approve minor technical adjustments to the language in the Orange County Voluntary <br /> Farmland Protection Program Ordinance ( Chapter 48 , Orange County Code of <br /> Ordinances ) to update the Ordinance to make it consistent with revisions made by the <br /> North Carolina General Assembly in 2021 ; and <br /> 2 ) approve an adjustment to the boundary line of the New Hope Voluntary Agricultural District , <br /> BACKGROUND : Orange County ' s Voluntary Farmland Protection Program provides a range of <br /> benefits to encourage the preservation and viability of the County ' s farms . Authority for this <br /> program was established by the State in 1985 ( North Carolina General Statutes 106 - 735 to 106 - <br /> 744 ) . In 1992 , the County adopted its own ordinance ( Chapter 48 — Voluntary Farmland <br /> Preservation Program ) to help encourage the County ' s farm owners to protect their farm <br /> operations through a program of short-term voluntary conservation agreements . Farms enrolled <br /> in the program enjoy certain benefits and protections as allowed by State law . To date , 138 farms <br /> have enrolled in the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD ) program , totaling 16 , 845 acres within <br /> the seven districts comprising the non - urban portions of the County . The Agricultural Preservation <br /> Board oversees this program . <br /> In 2021 , the North Carolina General Assembly amended the underlying General Statutes for the <br /> program to clarify certain program definitions and requirements needed to qualify for the program . <br /> DEAPR staff collaborated with the County Attorney ' s Office to incorporate these revisions into <br /> existing Ordinance , last updated in 2015 . The Agricultural Preservation Board voted unanimously <br /> at its regular meeting on January 19 , 2022 , to recommend the approval of these technical changes <br /> to the County ' s Voluntary Farmland Protection Program ordinance . The proposed changes will <br /> bring the Ordinance and program into alignment with the revised State legislation . <br />