Warren Wilson easement package seeks county bond support as state grant awards remain uncertain

Representatives from Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Buncombe County staff presented a multi‑parcel conservation package for Warren Wilson College land to the Land Conservation Advisory Board, describing four proposed agricultural/conservation easements that together total roughly 600 acres and additional adjacent land SHC plans to purchase outright (the Berea Tract, roughly 190 acres).

Presenters said the package is structured to qualify for multiple funding sources. U.S. Department of Agriculture (NRCS) funding has been committed for parts of the project, and applicants submitted multiple North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) applications; some of the easements ranked at or near the top of the state lists, but ADFP funding is subject to the state budget process and is uncertain. The presenters said county bond funds previously approved for transaction costs (about $300,000 previously authorized by the board/commission) cover closing expenses already and that the request now is for bond funding toward purchase price gaps if ADFP or other expected funds are not awarded.

SHC requested that LCAB…