Durham County moves to acquire three conservation easements totaling 342 acres

The Durham County Board of County Commissioners included, on its consent agenda, approval to acquire three conservation easements covering 342 acres at an estimated county cost of $1,800,000.

Deputy County Manager Jones read the consent item as "Approve acquisition of 3 conservation easements" naming the parcels and asking the board to approve the funding. The easements were listed as: Sandra and Jerry Berri (119 acres); Francis Cook (147 acres); and Tom Washington (76 acres), with the county estimate of $1,800,000 for acquisition.

Commissioner Jacobs praised staff for the work and asked whether the county formally recognizes easement landowners. "Well, I just wanted to acknowledge the staff for this amazing, 3 other conservation easements," Jacobs said during the meeting. Celeste Burns, the county's Open Space and Real Estate division manager, told the board that the county already marks some closings with announcements and that easement closings often take about three years: "They take about 3 3 years to close. So we come to you a couple of times for these approvals." She said staff will explore additional recognition (farm tours, farmers dinners) for willing landowners while preserving privacy for those who prefer it.

The acquisition was presented on the consent agenda; the consent agenda also included several other land‑use and public‑health budget items. The Open Space office said partnership with the Farmland Protection Advisory Board and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service helped secure streamlined approval processes tied to the county's certification for the NRCS Agricultural Land Easement Program.

County staff did not provide a detailed timeline for closing each easement at the meeting beyond the general estimate and noted that some landowners prefer limited public visibility. The county will publish final closing dates and recorded instruments when each transaction is completed.