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Commissioners approve Conservation Easement Trust Fund with $100,000 seed and $50,000 annual cap
Summary
Cleveland County approved a Conservation Easement Trust Fund, seeded with $100,000 and capped at $50,000 annually from properties leaving Present Use Value, to help acquire perpetual easements and bolster state funding for farmland preservation.
Cleveland County Commissioners on Aug. 5 approved a new Conservation Easement Trust Fund intended to help preserve agricultural land and reduce land-use conflicts. County Manager David Cotton presented the proposal, which calls for an initial $100,000 allocation and an annual cap of $50,000 drawn from proceeds of properties exiting the Present Use Value program.
Soil and Water Director Jamie Bridges told the Board that state funding is limited — the state funded five of 115 applications in the most recent cycle — and the county fund is designed to improve local applicants' competitiveness for state agricultural preservation dollars. Chairman Kevin Gordon clarified that placing land into a conservation easement is perpetual and is separate from Present Use Value and tax calculations. The Board adopted the program unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Doug Bridges, seconded by Commissioner Johnny Hutchins.
The program recommendation came from the Agriculture Advisory Board and proposes that the Agriculture Advisory Board and Cooperative Extension help identify qualifying properties and easements for Commissioner consideration. Commissioners did not set specific purchase or acquisition criteria at the meeting; staff will return with implementing details and eligibility guidelines before funds are expended.
