Part Three - Procedures
The Henderson County Agricultural Advisory Board shall adopt procedures, based upon the model procedures promulgated by North Carolina State University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, for both voluntary and enhanced voluntary agriculture districts for the following:
- Application
- Approval of Agriculture Easement and Conservation Agreement terms. Such agreement to sustain, encourage, and promote agriculture must be executed by the landowner and recorded with the Advisory Board and with the Henderson County Register of Deeds. Permitted uses for the land subject to such Easement and Conservation Agreement include agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and outdoor recreation. The Easement and Conservation Agreement for the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District shall be binding upon all successors in interest to the landowner according to its terms, except for successors in interest resulting from the exercise of rights under a security interest or lien that preceded the Easement and Conservation Agreement.
- Enforcement, including methods for determining compliance and for revocation by the County for non-compliance.
- Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §106-740, Henderson County may not formally initiate any action to condemn any interest in qualifying farmland within a District until it has requested the Henderson County Advisory Board to hold a public hearing on the proposed condemnation.
- Procedure
- Upon receiving a request, the Henderson County Advisory Board shall publish notice describing the proposed action in the newspaper of record within Henderson County within 5 business days of the request, and will in the same notice notify the public of a public hearing on the proposed condemnation, to be held within 10 days of receipt of the request.
- The Advisory Board shall meet to review:
- Whether the need for the project has been satisfactorily established by the agency or unit of government involved, including a review of any fiscal impact analysis conducted by the agency involved; and
- Whether there are alternatives to the proposed action that have less impact and are less disruptive to the agricultural activities of the District within which the proposed action is to take place.
- The Advisory Board shall consult with the County Agricultural Extension Agent, the Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist, and any other individuals, agencies, or organizations deemed by the Advisory Board to be necessary for its review of the proposed action.
- Within 5 days after the hearing, the Advisory Board shall make a report containing its findings and recommendations regarding the proposed action. The report shall be made available to the public prior to its being conveyed to the decision-making body of the agency proposing the acquisition.
- There will be a period of 10 days allowed for public comment on the report of the Advisory Board.
- After the 10 day period for public comment has expired, the Advisory Board shall submit a final report containing all of its findings and recommendations regarding the proposed action to the decision making body of the agency proposing the acquisition.
- The total time period, from the day that a request for a hearing has been received to the day that a final report is issued to the decision making body of the agency proposing the acquisition, shall not exceed 30 days. If the agency agrees to an extension, the agency and the Advisory Board shall mutually agree upon a schedule to be set forth in writing and made available to the public.
- Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §106-740, no State or local agency may formally initiate any action to condemn any interest in qualifying farmland within a voluntary agricultural district or an enhanced voluntary agricultural district until such agency has requested a public hearing.
