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Buncombe conservation board advances slate of farm easements, prioritizes state match and bond funds
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Summary
The Buncombe County land conservation board reviewed multiple farmland easement projects, approved two cost-share EVAD applications and set a schedule for farm visits as staff focused on using a recently awarded agricultural growth zone grant plus open-space bond funds to close projects before a 2027 deadline.
Buncombe County land conservation board members on a regularly scheduled meeting advanced a slate of proposed conservation easements, approved two Emergency Voluntary Agricultural Development (EVAD) applications and directed staff to schedule farm visits and return recommended funding requests to the board for final action.
The board’s farmland preservation staff told members the county has a nearly $2,000,000 agricultural growth zone (AGZ) award that must be matched with open-space bond funds; combined with the county match, staff said there is about $4,200,000 available to spend within the county’s conservation focus areas. Staff said meeting the state contract deadline of 2027 for those matching dollars is the primary reason the program will prioritize AGZ-matched projects now rather than applying first to other competitive state grants.
Board members reviewed detailed maps and project summaries for a group of proposed easements across parts of the county — including multiple Morgan Branch parcels, a Slocum property approved for AGZ funding, and projects in the Newfound, Sandy Mush and Lower Brush Creek areas — and discussed using the AGZ award and the county bond match to accelerate more closings. Staff said some parcels that are outside the AGZ conservation-focus areas could still be advanced using bond-only funds when staff or partner organizations judge them to be high priorities.
Two EVAD applications approved Staff presented two EVAD applications — for Janet Peterson and Diane Rossner — describing them as cost-share projects now entered into the EVAD program. The board voted to approve both applications; the motion to approve was seconded and the chair announced the motion carried. (The meeting record does not show individual vote tallies.)
Funding strategy and timeline Staff said the AGZ award was allocated to Buncombe County in the past year and that the county requested a bond-fund match at a commissioners’ meeting earlier this year. Staff described the combined available funding as roughly $4.2 million and said the county must allocate and close projects with the state match by 2027 or risk losing the state dollars. Staff also summarized the AGZ review timeline: an AGZ review can take about a month from submission to notice of approval, which staff contrasted with a longer typical state grant cycle that can add roughly a year to project timelines.
Project updates and title issues Staff gave project-by-project updates: Kestrel, Herb, Battle and Standing Call are moving through surveys, environmental assessments and baseline documentation and have piece-of-purchase bond funding approved; Okoboji Farm is in final deed and title work; Southern Appalachian Farm expansion remains stalled while a landowner dispute is resolved; Splendor Valley Farm has a signed subordination agreement after a multiyear refinance; a parcel with a title defect was addressed by proposing separate easements so a potential title claim on one parcel would not jeopardize the other donated parcels.
The board heard that the Rogers Farm Trust tract (approximately 160 acres) is expected to close before an adjacent David Rogers tract that has a remaining title issue. Staff said preliminary title reviews and appraisals are underway and that attorneys have not identified impediments preventing the projects from proceeding.
Next steps and board direction Board members agreed to farm visits as the next procedural step. Staff proposed two consecutive days for site visits to meet landowners and inspect parcels; the board agreed to invite landowners to the September board meeting (noted by staff as Sept. 16) and then hold an in-board discussion and determine next steps. Staff said once board actions and AGZ submissions are complete, staff will request formal allocation of bond funding at a commissioners’ meeting.
Other business and procedural votes The board reappointed its current chair and vice chair for another term by motion and voice vote. The board also handled routine agenda and July 14, 2025, minutes approvals earlier in the meeting. Toward the end of the public portion of the meeting a member moved, and the board seconded, to go into closed session “pursuant to North Carolina general statute 143-318.11(a)(2)5” for project-specific discussions; that motion was seconded and approved.
Community outreach and volunteers During public comment, speakers asked how conservation easements work and whether volunteers can assist on conservation projects. Staff explained easements keep land in private ownership while legally protecting it from development, noted occasional reserved farmstead or house-site exclusions, and said partner organizations such as Southern Appalachian and others can offer volunteer opportunities.
The board directed staff to collect applications for a remaining vacancy (one seat reserved for a resident of the Hominy/Candler/Arden area), to follow up with potential candidates and to share applicant packets before the next meeting.
Ending Staff will return with farm-visit schedules, updated easement purchase estimates and the result of preliminary appraisals and title work; the board will consider funding recommendations at the September meeting and, where appropriate, request formal allocation from the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.
