Agenda - 12-10-2024; 8-g - Enhanced Voluntary and Voluntary Agricultural District Designation

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2 ten years, except for the creation of not more than three lots that meet applicable County zoning and subdivision regulations. The Orange County Agricultural Preservation Board reviewed the findings of the staff assessments for the attached applications for the Orange County Voluntary Agricultural District program at its regular meeting in November 2024. All farm applications were reviewed and verified to have met or exceeded the minimum criteria for certification into the program. The Agricultural Preservation Board voted to recommend approval of the certification for these two (2) farms, and their inclusion in the Voluntary and/or the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District programs. The certification documentation is on file in the DEAPR/Soil and Water Conservation District office. The farms are described briefly below: Brief Farm Descriptions: 1) Owners Judy and James Evans submitted an application to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 33 acres as qualifying farmland for a Voluntary Agricultural District in the Cedar Grove Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes the production of hay and managed forest land. 2) Owner James Gray submitted an application to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 45.17 acres as qualifying farmland for a Voluntary Agricultural District in the Caldwell Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes pasture for cattle, hay production, and woodlands. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. Voluntary Agricultural Districts are non-monetary and require a non-binding 10-year conservation agreement. Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts are non-monetary and require a binding 10-year conservation agreement. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: • GOAL 1: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE ACTION OBJECTIVE 4. Incentivize and promote sustainable agriculture and local food systems development through supportive policy, funding, farmland protection and educational outreach. OBJECTIVE 6. Protect water supply/watersheds. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) certify the two (2) farm properties noted above totaling 78.17 acres; 2) designate the Evans and Gray farms as Voluntary Agricultural District farms within the Cedar Grove and Caldwell Agricultural District Regions; and 3) enroll the lands in the Orange County Farmland Preservation Program's Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) program as designated. With approval of these farms, the Orange County Farmland Preservation program will have enrolled 155 farms, totaling 14,864 acres in the VAD and 2,714 acres in the EVAD for a total of 17,578 acres in the program.