5 Rivers, landowners and Pembroke discuss conserving a working farm under NRCS ALE program

Representatives from 5 Rivers, partnering with the landowners, presented a conservation proposal focused on permanently protecting a working farm in Pembroke through an Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) funded partly by NRCS.

A 5 Rivers representative explained the selection criteria for NRCS ALE funds—prime agricultural soils, percentage forest cover limits and a landowner willing to accept restrictions—and said the property qualifies. "When we heard about this project, it came to us as an agricultural opportunity. This is one of the last working farms in this town that has a long agricultural history," the representative said, framing the project around protecting farmland under development pressure.

Landowners who attended reiterated their motivation is permanent conservation rather than profit: a landowner told commissioners their priority is protecting the land for the Pembroke community. Commissioners discussed easement design details—what land is excluded (house and barns), potential building envelopes, allowable agricultural uses, and how NRCS easement language can be specific and restrictive. The group also discussed how federal funding often requires conservation uses to be documented and how funding partners (local, federal and private) would share costs.

Commissioners asked about public access and whether federal funds would require the land to be opened for recreation. Presenters said agricultural easements often focus on farming uses; public access is not always required and would be determined by easement terms negotiated among landowners, 5 Rivers and NRCS.