Fall 2013 Voluntary Agricultural Districts &

Farmland Preservation Workshops

Presented by:

Welcome!

9:15 am VAD-EVAD- County

Farmland

Protection Program

Updates

Evan Davis ADFP Trust Fund Document

Specialist

NCDA&CS

9:30 am Federal, State &

Local Farmland

Assistance

Including TVA

Settlement Grants

& Programs

Services

Dewitt Hardee Farmland Preservation Program

Director

NCDA&CS

Julie Henshaw Soil & Water Conservation NPS

Section Chief

NCDA&CS

Alan Walker ASTC-FO

USDA – NRCS

10:30 am Break Presented by:

10:40 am Federal, State &

Local Forestry

Resource Programs

Sean Brogan Director of Forest Management and

Development

NCDA&CS

11:30 am DOT Long Range

Planning with VAD

Tris Ford Community Planner

NC DOT

11:55 am Lunch Break Presented by:

12:50 pm Taking Advantage of

Mapping and GIS Systems

Daniel Madding ISS Director

NCDA&CS

1:50 pm Break- Sponsored by:

NC Farm Bureau

2:00 pm PUV Tax Issues &

Assessments, VAD Myths

& Realities, and Appraisal

Issues

Theodore A. Feitshans Extension Associate Professor

NCSU Agricultural & Resource

Economics

Jonathan Lanier Assistant General Counsel

NCDA&CS

2:30 pm Tax Updates, Legal Issues,

and Legislative Updates

Theodore A. Feitshans Extension Associate Professor

NCSU Agricultural & Resource

Economics

Jonathan Lanier Assistant General Counsel

NCDA&CS

3:30 pm Ask the Pro Panel Session All Event Speakers

VAD, EVAD & County Farmland

Protection Program Updates

-VAD Contacts -Updating VAD Statistics -Monitoring Closed Grant Projects

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Farmland Preservation / ADFP Programs Staff

NCDA&CS Administrative Staff:

-Dewitt Hardee: Farmland Preservation / ADFP Programs Director

-Elizabeth Heath: Farmland Preservation / ADFP Programs Office Manager

-Jonathan Lanier: Assistant General Counsel

-Janine Owens: Paralegal II

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NCDA&CS ADFP Trust Fund Staff:

-David Mitchell: ADFP Trust Fund Budget Officer

-Evan Davis: ADFP Trust Fund Document Specialist

-John Ray Davis: Field Staff (Temp)

-Sim DeLapp: Field Staff (Temp)

-Paul Walker: Field Staff (Temp)

-Lester Weaver: Field Staff (Temp)

Mission and Responsibilities of the ADFP Trust Fund Staff

-Assist in the preservation of N.C.’s agricultural economy by providing grants to county governments and non-profit organizations for conservation easements, agricultural agreements and programs.

-To encourage the preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forestlands to foster the growth, development and sustainability of family farms.

-Prioritize grant funding for maximum match resource

utilization from private, local and federal constituent partners.

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Why preserve farmland in North Carolina?

According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, North Carolina

is among the leading states in farmland acreage loss at an

estimated rate of 10.3% over a 10 year period. North Carolina

lost more than 970,000 acres of farmland from 1997 to 2007

or approximately 100,000 annually. 19

Why preserve farmland in North Carolina?

•$77 Billion of North Carolina’s $440 billion gross state product comes from

agriculture and agribusiness, accounting for 17.5 percent of the total gross

state product.

•Agriculture and agribusiness, including the food, fiber, and forestry industries

employ 642,000 of North Carolina’s 3.8 million employees. Prepared by Mike Walden, Professor, North Carolina State University. April 2013.

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Agriculture and Agribusiness is North Carolina’s #1

Industry

Why preserve farmland in North Carolina?

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County-wide Economic Benefit

An American Farmland Trust survey showed that for every dollar in taxes received

from working lands only 34 cents in services is paid by the government.

However, services paid to residential development are an average of $1.15 per

dollar of taxes received.

Therefore, it is a net gain of revenue for the tax base and thus an economic

benefit for any county to preserve working lands.

Why preserve farmland in North Carolina?

Quality of Life

Environment 22

Who is eligible to submit a proposal to the ADFP Trust Fund?

North Carolina counties

Non-profit conservation groups

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To Fund Agricultural

Plans & Development

Projects

To Fund Term

Easement

Purchases

To Fund Perpetual

Easement

Purchases

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• Water Rights

• Hunting Rights

• Development Rights

• Farming Rights

• Mineral Rights

• Timber Rights

Development Rights

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ADFP Trust Fund Easement Requirements

• Working Land Use

– Agriculture

– Horticulture

– Forestry

• Must Remain In Private Ownership

• North Carolina Only

• Monitoring of Easement on Land Required

– County

– Non-Profit Conservation Organization 26

Grant Match Requirements

• Non-Profit Conservation

– 30%

• County

– 30% (No Approved FLP)

– 15% (Approved FLP, Tier II & III)

– 0% (Approved FLP, Tier I)

• Monitoring Fees Capped @ 3% of Development Rights Value

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The ADFP Grant Process

Proposals

• Request for Proposals (RFPs)

• RFP open until December 16, 2013

• Application available at www.adfp.org

Proposal

Evaluation

• ADFP Trust Fund Staff Evaluation & Recommendation

• ADFP Advisory Committee Review & Recommendation

• Commissioner of Agriculture Review & Approval

Contract

• Signed Contract Between NCDA&CS and Grantee

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Cycle VII RFP Preference Categories

• TVA: – Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood,

Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey.

• Military: – Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chatham,

Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrell, Wake, Washington, Wayne, Wilson.

• Other: – Includes counties outside of the previously mentioned regions.

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Current Resource Funds For 2014-15

• Legislative

– $1 million (TVA)

– $616,922 (General Appropriations)

– Additional Legislative Funding????

• Military

– $284,710 (MCIEAST)

– Other interested

• Air Force

• Army

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Time Required To Disburse Funds

Contracts For 2 Years

• Easements

• Projects

• Plans

One Year Extension Option Based

Upon Hardship

• Funding Partner Issues

• Permits / Inspection Issues

• Death or Ownership Change (Easements)

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Our Partners

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ADFP Trust Fund Partnering Agriculture & Military

Questions?

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NCDA&CS ADFP Trust Fund

1001 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-1001

919.707.3071 ncadfp@ncagr.gov

www.ncadfp.org