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+5 <br /> In Voluntary Agricultural District Application-Don Johnson <br /> Farm <br /> Stanch reviewed the application and supporting materials for the Johnson <br /> Voluntary Agricultural District Application. Staff recommended that the 10 acre <br /> trap (TMBL#5.12..1 SA) be excluded from the VAD since it is not contiguous with <br /> the larger acreage. It was noted that the other two contiguous parcels totaled <br /> 160 acres and met the criteria for a Voluntary Agricultural District. <br /> MOTION: Walters motioned approval of the Johnson VAD application and to <br /> be forwardetl to the Board of County Commissioners for <br /> establishment of a VAD. <br /> Seconded by Ranells. <br /> VOTE: Unanimous <br /> C. Recommendation on Triangle GreenPrint <br /> Stencil reviewed the February 25th presentation on the Triangle GreenPrint <br /> Report. The APB supports Greenprint's effort to coordinate regional open space <br /> planning across the Triangle <br /> After discussion the members decided tc forward a memo to the BOCC including <br /> the following concerns: <br /> 1. The Greenprint should be developed using a broad set of agricultural <br /> stakeholders to develop priorities for farmland preservation. We suggest <br /> using Agricultural Preservation Boards where they exist (Orange, Durham <br /> and Chatham counties all have beams), as wall as other organized <br /> agricultural support groups to identify critical farmland areas. From our <br /> understanding of the process to date, only a few representatives or a <br /> limited number of groups have been involved in the identification of these <br /> areas. <br /> 2. There is a need to develop common definitions and criteria for the <br /> categories of land in the Greenprint,and to identify lands of regional value <br /> with enough specificity to enable voluntary protection and preservation of <br /> apacigc critical lands when opportunities arise. The existing Greenprint <br /> document is somewhat vague in its identification of these areas for <br /> farmland and forestland, and the definitions and criteria for farmland and <br /> forestland are not clear. <br /> 3. We concur with the goal of the Greenprint to encourage each County to <br /> become aware of critical areas and to take steps to protect such areas as <br /> they deem appropriate, However,future mechanisms or <br /> recommendations from the Greenprint should not work to diminlsh any <br /> individual counry's own efforts to be proactive in identifying and protecting <br /> these sites—as some counties (like Orange)already have active and <br /> successful programs toward this end. <br />