The Chatham Agricultural Preservation & Development Trust Fund is seeking applications for its 2024 Pilot Farmland Preservation Program.
Donor Name: Chatham Agricultural Preservation & Development Trust Fund
State: North Carolina
County: Chatham County
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/04/2023
Details:
The Chatham County Agricultural Preservation & Development (APD) Trust Fund goals and objectives are to fund projects encouraging the long-term preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands to foster the growth, development, and sustainability of family farms.
The aim of this initiative is to protect Chatham County farms and working lands while also addressing the need to help farmers stay in business, both now and for future generations.
The Chatham County Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2017, also provides a set of recommendations for farmland protection and agricultural development:
- Goal #1: Preserve the rural character and lifestyle of Chatham County
- Goal #2: Preserve, protect, and enable agriculture and forestry
- Goal #5: Conserve natural resources
Projects eligible for funding
Applications will be accepted from qualifying, non-profit conservation land trust entities for the following categories:
- Perpetual Agricultural Working-lands Easements.
- Transaction costs related to or necessary to facilitate a working-land easement transaction.
- Organizational and Programming support that promotes the preservation and development of working lands within Chatham County through perpetual agricultural conservation easements.
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants must be non-profit conservation organizations
- Farmers, landowners, or others interested in applying must partner with an eligible nonprofit conservation organization.
- Perpetual Agricultural Working-lands Easement
- To be awarded funding for a conservation easement purchase through the Chatham Agricultural Preservation & Development Trust Fund, the property must be located within the borders Chatham County, NC, and in working lands use (agriculture, horticulture, forestry).
- Minimum acreage requirements must follow the present-use value guidelines: five acres for horticulture, 10 acres for agriculture (row crops or pasture), 20 acres for forestry, or a combination of working lands use.
- If there are existing easements that have removed the development rights from the property, those easement areas will be ineligible for the program and do not count toward the minimum acreage requirements.
- If the easement is deemed eligible by award for the NCDA ADFP Easement program or for the USDA ACEP easement program, the easement is eligible in Chatham County.
- Transaction Costs and Transaction Funds Mini-Grants
- Transaction Funds Mini-Grant awards must expedite a permanent conservation easement acquisition that otherwise meets program requirements.
- Transaction Cost Mini-Grants are intended to facilitate a conservation easement where the applicant or landowner does not otherwise have funds available to cover these expenses. The applying entity is responsible for demonstrating this financial need.
- Organizational and Programming support
- Eligible entities must promote or maintain the preservation and development of working lands within Chatham County, through perpetual conservation easements.
For more information, visit Chatham Agricultural Preservation.
