Buncombe County board approves VAD application to protect 600 acres at Warren Wilson College

The Buncombe County farmland preservation board voted unanimously to approve applications to enroll 600 acres of Warren Wilson College land in the county's Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) program to improve the project's competitiveness for state and federal grant funding.

The measure covers four separate conservation easements on the college's property; county staff and conservation partners said they are submitting four separate grant applications so each easement can compete independently. Jess Lagos, representing Southern Appalachian Highlands (SHC), said the organization has prioritized Warren Wilson for decades and that college leadership and funders are now aligned to pursue permanent protection. "Warren Wilson has been a top priority for SHC for protection for decades, and, we're kind of just now at this point where the stars have aligned," Lagos said.

Why it matters: being in the VAD or the enhanced EVAD program…