Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oconee County Council approves $20,000 conservation easement grant for Stevenson Century Farm
Summary
Council approved a $20,000 grant from the Oconee County Conservation Bank to support a conservation easement on Stevenson Century Farm; the Conservation Bank Board approved the award Dec. 10, 2024 and agenda materials state funds will come from the Local Government Investment Pool.
Oconee County Council voted 5–0 on Jan. 21 to fund a $20,000 conservation easement for the Stevenson Century Farm through the Oconee County Conservation Bank.
Agenda materials state the Oconee County Conservation Bank Board approved the grant request on Dec. 10, 2024, and that the funding will come from the board’s Local Government Investment Pool balance (listed in the packet as $359,590). The bank’s review followed Policy No. 003 (Grant Procedures) and the application scored above the minimum threshold for farmland; the materials described the farm as a fourth‑generation family property in an area designated for agricultural preservation in the county’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan.
Councilmember John Elliott, who moved approval, said the requested funding would come from private sources and not taxpayer money; that statement was recorded in the meeting minutes. Council approved the recommendation of the Conservation Bank Board and authorized the $20,000 grant for the conservation easement.
