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<br />qualifications. These funds can be combined with certain federal <br />conservation funds listed below, 25 <br />c. Division of Soil and Water Conservation Agricultural Cost-Share. This <br />program is administered by the Division of Soil and Water Conservation <br />in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It is delivered <br />at the local level by 492 elected and appointed volunteer District <br />Supervisors who are assisted by a cadre of experts. Participating farmers <br />receive 75% of predetermined average costs of installed best management <br />practices (BMPs) with the remaining 25% paid by farmers directly or <br />through in-kind contributions. Some applicants may be eligible to receive <br />as much as $75,000 per year. Also the program provides local Districts <br />with matching funds (50:50) to hire personnel to plan and install the <br />needed BMPs, including Riparian Buffers, Strip cropping, and Grassed <br />Waterways26. <br />d. Natural Heritage Trust Fund. Like the FPTF and CWMTF, this fund may <br />be available to purchase development rights on properties with <br />outstanding natural or cultural values,27 <br />e, North Carolina Conservation Tax Credit. North Carolina law allows a <br />credit against individual and corporate income taxes when real property is <br />donated for conservation purposes. Interests in property that promote <br />specific public benefits may be donated to a qualified reciRient, Such <br />conservation donations qualify for a substantial tax credit. 8 <br />5. Federal Conservation Funding Tools <br />Below are some of the voluntary federal programs that are part of The Farm <br />Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (commonly known as the 2002 Farm <br />Bill) and administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) <br />and Farm Services Agency (FSA) of the United States Department of Agriculture <br />(USDA). They are designed to compensate farmland owners for the conservation <br />value of their land, Like local PACE programs, they have the dual effect of <br />safeguarding the environmental benefits of farmland as open space while injecting <br />dollars into the local economy via the farmland owner. 29 <br />a. Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP). The Farm and <br />Ranchland Protection Program provides federal funds to help purchase <br />development rights, keeping productive farmland in agricultural use while <br />compensating the farmland owner for the conservation value of his or her <br />land. The FRPP program matches state and local PACE programs up to <br />50% of the easement purchase price, working through state, tribal and <br />local governments and land trusts. <br />b, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The Conservation Reserve <br />Program reduces soil erosion, protects the nation's ability to produce food <br />and fiber, reduces sedimentation in streams and lakes, improves water <br />quality, establishes wildlife habitat, and enhances forest and wetland <br />resources, It encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or <br />other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame <br />or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filter strips, or riparian buffers, <br /> <br />8 <br />\-\ - 3 <br />