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<br />COUNTYWIDE FARMLAND PROTECTION PLAN <br />FOR <br /> <br />COUNTY, <br />NORTH CAROLINAl <br /> <br />Adopted by the <br />Board of County Commissioners, <br />County <br />,20_ <br /> <br />ARTICLE I: <br />ST A TEMENT OF NEED FOR ACTION <br /> <br />Agriculture makes a major contribution to the well being of <br />County residents, both those living within, and outside the county's cities and towns. In <br />addition to direct contributions to the local economy in the form of product sale receipts <br />and expenditures on farm services and inputs, along with employment on farms and farm <br />support businesses, farmers also make significant contributions as stewards of the <br />remaining amounts of undeveloped land (often called "open-space") in the county. Their <br />stewardship protects the county's soil and water resources, recharges groundwater and <br />abates storm water runoff, connects wildlife habitat, and safeguards the scenic and <br />historic vistas that have defined our county's character. For these reasons, it is in the <br />county's interest to promote the local agricultural industry and protect farmland. <br />Enabling farmers who want to continue to farm to do so is a cost effective way of <br />maintaining the quality of life of everyone in County, <br /> <br />As demonstrated by data supplied below, is losing <br />farmland, Farming faces a unique set of stresses, some of which <br />County with thoughtful action can help to mitigate, To better understand these stresses, <br />and the steps the county can take to reduce them, it is helpful to first understand the <br />history, geography (including the soil resource), economic trends, and regulations <br />governing farming. It is also important to understand the values and concerns of the <br />farmers themselves, <br /> <br />ARTICLE II: <br />AUTHORITY FOR COUNTY ACTION <br /> <br />In 1986, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the North Carolina Farmland <br />Preservation Enabling Act.2 The stated purpose of this Act is "to authorize counties to <br />undertake a series of programs to encourage the preservation of farmland as defined <br />herein.,,3 In addition to enabling counties to create Voluntary Agricultural District <br />ordinances, which County adopted in [date and cite], the <br />Act also created the North Carolina Farmland Preservation Fund and enabled counties to <br />develop purchase of agricultural conservation easements (PACE) programs. By later <br />amendment, the General Assembly created a matching mechanism for distribution of <br /> <br />1 <br />\~ - ?J <br />