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<br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 1, 2000 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. /c -q <br />SUBJECT: Ann <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Conservation <br />ATTACHMENT(: <br />Annual Report <br />VAD Brochure <br />jal Report -- V <br />District Program <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Dave Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Tina Moon, 245-2583 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732.8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To receive the annual report on the County's Voluntary Agricultural Districts <br />program. <br />BACKGROUND: I 'I 1999, an annual report on the progress of the Voluntary Agricultural <br />Districts program was initiated. Attached is the initial report on this program, designed to <br />promote keeping agricultural lands in farm production through a voluntary conservation <br />easement approach. <br />1999 was the most productive year since 1992 for this initiative, with 636 acres of qualifying <br />farmland certified and incorporated into the program. A total of 1,340 acres are now part of the <br />VAD program, with three new farms enrolled in 1999. Two farms owned by Robert Strayhorn <br />totaling 555 acres in Chapel Hill and Little River Townships were added, along with a third 81- <br />acre farm owned by Hurley and Louise Tate in Cedar Grove. <br />Interest in the program has increased since the mailing of brochures to a large farm-based <br />mailing list in the early-fall, with several new inquiries in the works. A copy of this brochure is <br />attached. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. There are no costs associated with enrollment in the voluntary <br />conservation easement program for the County or the landowner. <br />RECOMMENDATIQN(S): Receive as information.