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CABARRUS COUNTY <br />1 4' BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />REGULAR MEETING <br />I f <br />SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 <br />• P.M. <br />AGENDA CATEGORY: <br />Consent Agenda <br />SUBJECT: <br />Planning and Development - Soil and Water Conservation District -- <br />Approval of Cooperative Agreement for Federal Funds to Purchase <br />Agricultural Conservation Easement on Porter Farms. <br />BRIEF SUMMARY: <br />A $456,225 federal grant proposal approved by the Cabarrus County <br />Board of Commissioners on February 17, 2014 for submission by <br />Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District was successful. The <br />attached Notice of Grant and Agreement Award and draft cooperative <br />agreement were received on August 7, 2014 from the state -level <br />administrators for the Agricultural Land Easement component of the <br />federal Conservation Easement Program. This is a Farm Bill program <br />administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the US <br />Department of Agriculture. The NC Department of Agriculture previously <br />awarded Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District up to <br />$228,112.50 from the Agricultural Development and Farmland <br />Preservation Trust Fund. <br />The county match on this application is limited to an in -kind match. These <br />funds will be used to purchase development rights and place a permanent <br />agricultural conservation easement on an estimated 182.49 acres of <br />farmland on Porter Farms. This is the second conservation easement on <br />Porter Farms funded by state and federal grants as well as the <br />landowners. <br />Farmland preservation supports goals of both the Board of <br />Commissioners and the Conservation District Board by improving the <br />quality of life for Cabarrus County citizens. Permanently protecting <br />farmland provides the land base necessary for the county's agricultural <br />F -7 Page 149 <br />