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The Implementation Recommendations section of the report uses the direction <br />provided by the Board to propose a means of formalizing this program. Using <br />four operating principles as a guide, this section recommends that the Lands <br />Legacy program have the following linchpins: <br />The Lands Legacy program would be coordinated and administered as a <br />County program, under the existing statutory authority held by counties in <br />N.C. The Soil and Water District Board could be invited to participate in <br />the holding of agricultural conservation easements, if desired. The other <br />land management options that are multi jurisdictional or more-complex <br />(County local government land trust or Open Space Authority) will <br />continue to be evaluated over the next few years, and will require lengthy <br />future discussion among multiple parties along with inter-local agreements <br />and resolution of other complicated issues. <br />A number of funding options are laid out for the Board's consideration, <br />with the understanding that aggressive application for outside (grant) <br />funding will be pursued. Opportunities for joint ventures with other local <br />governments, authorities and land trusts would also be explored whenever <br />possible. <br />• An Annual Action Plan is proposed as the mechanism for generating <br />annual priorities and reporting on activities in the previous year. This <br />Action Plan, to be prepared each December for the Board's retreat, would <br />• involve input from the relevant advisory boards into priorities, which <br />would then be decided by the Board. The role of advisory boards in the <br />Lands Legacy process is also addressed. An Interim Action Plan to cover <br />the period from the present through June, 2001 is proposed to be <br />developed. <br />Policies for land stewardship, use and access and public outreach are also <br />addressed in the proposal. <br />Two sections of the document remain incomplete. The exploration of potential <br />resource land acquisitions through the development process is underway between <br />the ERCD and Planning Departments, and a report on this method of land <br />acquisitions is anticipated to be completed in May. Anew set of criteria for <br />farmland acquisitions is being developed by staff, using a points system based on <br />programs in Durham and Forsyth Counties, and is also expected in May. <br />A resolution that would implement the Lands Legacy program along the lines in <br />the proposed report is attached. Since the first Annual Action Plan would not be <br />developed until December, the Board could also direct staff to develop an Interim <br />Action Plan for the period from the present through June, 2001. <br />• <br />