Mills River staff outline land‑preservation program, urge committee appointments to use $500,000 ARPA seed fund

Planning staff told the council the town’s land preservation program — seeded with $500,000 in ARPA funds — is almost ready to launch and recommended appointing members to a five‑member Land Preservation Committee to begin accepting applications.

Staff recounted work done by a temporary steering committee in 2023 that drafted program guidelines and a scoring sheet prioritizing active farmland at high risk of development, parcels near utilities or major roads, and projects that leverage state or federal matching funds. Staff explained municipalities cannot directly hold some state agricultural preservation easements, so the town will partner with a conservation nonprofit and serve as a gap funder for costs such as surveys and appraisals required by grant programs.

Council was asked to consider appointment processes for the committee (one planning board member, one ag advisory member, one parks & rec member, one council member and one at‑large town resident) and whether to advertise an at‑large opening or accept internal nominations. Staff proposed a target schedule to appoint the committee in spring, publish application materials in summer, and accept applications so council would consider projects during the next budget cycle.

Council discussed monitoring pending state legislation that could affect land‑use authority and asked staff to prepare analysis and recommended next steps should new laws be enacted. No formal action was required at the meeting; council gave staff direction to move forward with outreach and to return with appointment recommendations.