AG 2008 06 16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Memo To: Jay White, Chairman, Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners From: Ned Hudson, Chairman, Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District CC: Rich Koch, County Attorney Jonathan Marshall, Director, Commerce Department Dennis Testerman, Sr. Resource Conservation Specialist, Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District Date: April 30, 2008 Re: Conservation CooperatorAgreements on County Property BACKGROUND Historically, when landowners have approached Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for financial and/or technical assistance, the SWCD board has entered into cooperator agreements (template attached) with these landowners. In many cases, these agreements are the initial step leading to development of a conservation plan. These cooperator agreements, used by conservation districts throughout North Carolina, are a way to enter into formal relationships with landowners. While our traditional focus has been on private working (ands since the organization of conservation districts in North Carolina over fifty years ago, in recent decades we have applied conservation management principles on public lands such as parks and school campuses. The state Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts has adopted an official policy in support of conservation plans on school campuses. Cabarrus SWCD staff serves on the Cabarrus County Schools land committee. Conservation plans have been developed on public properties/ projects including Camp Spencer, Frank Liske Park and Wolf Meadow Elementary School. As Cabarrus County landholdings have increased in recent years, so has the need-and opportunity-for conservation activities on these properties. Three initiatives in particular are creating many of these opportunities. First, the Inventory of the Significant Natural Areas of Cabarrus County, North Carolina includes two sites that are partially or wholly owned by Cabarrus County: the reservoir on Coddle Creek and Cox Mill Elementary School. This inventory report, wnducted by Cabarrus SWCD with Cabarrus County and state funding, was adopted by your board on January 22, 2007. Sewndly, in 2004 Cabarrus SWCD was designated by a local inter-governmental ad hoc committee as the lead agency on conservation easements, exeroising statutory authority granted by the state through the enabling legislation that created conservation districts in 1937. And finally, in 2006 the state legislature established a Community Cost Share Assistance Program to be administered at the local level by conservation districts. Cabarrus SWCD Vice-Chairman Bob Ritchie has provided leadership to the development of this program as chairman of the Community Conservation Committee of the state Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Page 1 of 2 ~-~