Agenda 02-15-24; 1 - Boards and Commissions – Annual Work Plan Summaries

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17 NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Agricultural Preservation Board Report Period: January 2023 — December 2023 ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ANNUAL REPORT/WORK PLAN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Board/Commission Name: Agricultural Preservation Board (APB) Person to address the BOCC at work session- if applicable- and contact information: Kim Woods, Vice Chair: (919) 624-8035 or kdwoods(a-)-ncsu.edu Primary County Staff Contact: Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff support How many times per month does this board/commission meet, including any special meetings and sub-committee meetings? Once every other month, on the third Wednesdays of January, March, May, July, September and November. Brief Statement of Board/Commission's Assigned Charge and Responsibilities. The Board's mission is "to encourage the voluntary preservation of farmland from non-farm development, recognizing the importance of agriculture to the economic and cultural life of the county." The Agricultural Preservation Board (APB) serves as the County's advisory board for agricultural issues and administers the Voluntary Farmland Protection Program. The APB advises the Board of Commissioners on agricultural development and farmland preservation, sustainable agriculture, emerging trends in agriculture, and other initiatives to help ensure that farming continues to be a viable activity here. The APB makes recommendations on proposed Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VAD) and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts (EVAD). The APB is responsible for preparing and updating the Countywide Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan, and the implementation of the agricultural sections of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, Natural and Cultural Systems Element (in conjunction with other agricultural agencies). What are your Board/Commission's most important accomplishments? • In 2023, the APB reviewed and recommended approval for 9 additional farms as Voluntary Agricultural District and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District farms, adding 262 acres to these programs after being approved by the BOCC. This increased the total enrollment in both programs to 17,433 acres on 151 farms throughout the County (14,719 in VAD and 2,714 in EVAD). • The APB's Farmland Preservation Subcommittee continued to assess the ongoing loss of productive farmland across Orange County as documented in USDA and GIS data and is working to identify best practices and policies to support farmland preservation.