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MINUTES <br />CABARRUS SWCD <br />CALLED BOARD MEETING <br />MONDAY, April 28, 2008 <br />Supervisors Present: Ned Hudson, Louis Suther, Bob Ritchie, Tommy <br />Porter Jr. and Jeff Goforth <br />Staff Present: Amy Griffith, Dennis Testerman, Daniel McClellan and <br />Nathan Lowder, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) <br />Others Present: Mary Combs, State Conservationist, Natural Resources <br />Conservation Service (NRCS) and Angela Hill, NRCS Assistant State <br />Conservationist for Field Operations (Area 2) <br />(1) Call to Order <br />The meeting was called to order by Ned Hudson at 1:05 p.m. He <br />stated the purpose of the meeting was to gain clarification on the <br />NRCS restructuring and declared that the meeting to be a closed <br />meeting. He then turned the meeting over to Mary Combs. <br />(2) NRCS Restructuring <br />Mary Combs thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak on the <br />restructuring issue. She said she was here to answer questions and <br />listen to concerns. Ms. Combs stated NRCS is well into the <br />restructuring process at this time. Other groups have been consulted <br />on this process, including the N. C. Farm Bureau. She said Cabarrus <br />has been grouped with Mecklenburg and Gaston counties since the sum <br />total of their Field Office Rating Tool (FORT) scores equaled a single <br />work unit. NRCS can not support a work unit comprised of Cabarrus, <br />Stanly and Montgomery because the workload is too great at this time. <br />Most district conservationists that are eligible for retirement are <br />located in the eastern part of North Carolina. Ms. Combs further said <br />that Nathan Lowder has been selected as the District Conservationist <br />for Stanly and Montgomery counties. <br />Ned Hudson displayed a map showing the distribution of farms with <br />federal farm tract numbers in Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Stanly <br />and Montgomery counties. He noted most farms are in the eastern part <br />of Cabarrus County, close to Stanly County. Mr. Hudson expressed <br />concern that the travel distance for the incoming District <br />Conservationist from his home in Cleveland County to Cabarrus will be <br />too far. Mr. Hudson also discussed the proposed livestock kill <br />facility in the Cabarrus County Rimer community and the Cabarrus <br />County Central Area planning process that is underway. He noted the <br />kill facility will likely also serve farmers in Stanly and neighboring <br />counties. Dennis Testerman reported that a portion of the Central <br />Area Plan focal area may be rezoned from "Countryside Residential" to <br />