Farmland Preservation

Background Information on the Farmland Preservation Ordinance

Haywood County landowners have two options under the Farmland Preservation ordinance to protect their land from encroaching development:

• Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District (EVAD)
• Voluntary Agriculture District

The big difference between the two is that the Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District ten year conservation agreement cannot be revoked. Haywood County is the second County in the State of North Carolina to pass the Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District.

Voluntary Agriculture District

The Voluntary Agriculture District (VAD) was established for Haywood County in 1994. 

• Preserve and protect farmland, forestland and/or horticultural land from non-farm development
• To be eligible for the VAD, you must meet the following criteria:
  • The land must be part of the present use value taxation program or be determined eligible for present use value
  • The land must be managed in accordance with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service guidelines with respect to highly erodible land
  • Voluntary Agriculture District land must be subject to a conservation agreement between the landowner and the county that prohibits non-farm use or development for a 10-year period, except for the creation of not more than three lots that meet applicable county zoning and subdivision requirements (Under the basic VAD ordinance, this agreement may be revoked by the landowner at any time)

Benefits

In return for voluntarily agreeing to these development restrictions, the land qualifies for the following benefits:

• Educational signage to publicize the land’s VAD status
• Increased protection from nuisance lawsuits
• Waiver of water and sewer assessments if the property is not connected to county water and sewer systems
• Required public hearings for proposed condemnation
• Voluntary Agriculture District for farmland preservation funds

2021 VAD Application

Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District

The Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District passed for Haywood County on March 5, 2007. Same eligibility requirements and benefits as the VAD as well as:

• The 10-year conservation agreement between the landowner and the county cannot be revoked; automatically renewed every 3 years
• The landowner may receive up to 25% of gross sales from the sale of nonfarm products and still qualify as a bona fide farm
• The property is eligible to receive a higher percentage of cost-share funds under the Agricultural Cost Share Program-as high as 90% assistance

Benefits

In addition to these statutory benefits, EVAD properties may also enjoy these indirect benefits:

• An opportunity to stabilize the use of the land while considering longer-term options, such as permanent working land conservation easements
• Fewer unsolicited requests from developers to sell the property due to the 10-year irrevocable conservation agreement
• Protecting the county’s rural economy and rural heritage
• Maintaining scenic views; the availability of fresh produce, flowers, and other local farm products; wildlife habitat; clean air and water; lower levels of traffic; and a reduced infrastructure burden on county government

Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF)

Each year the district is eligible to apply for the farmland preservation program administered by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  The purpose of the program is to preserve agricultural lands as they face increasing pressure from development, both commercial and residential.  Through an agreement with the landowner, an easement is placed on the property, restricting development.  In return for this easement, the landowner is eligible to receive compensation.  Easements can either be a term of years or permanent in duration.

Tax Distribution

American Farmland Trust conducted a recent study that showed for every dollar in taxes received from working lands, only 34 cents in services is paid by the government. Service paid by the government for residential development showed an average of $1.15 per dollar of taxes received. It is a net gain of revenue for the tax base and thus an economic benefit for any county to preserve working lands. Especially for Haywood County since our community encompasses over 64,000 acres of farmland and produces over 17 million dollars from livestock, dairy and crops into production. Farming is our way of life here and we must provide resources for landowners to use if they want to continue their livelihood.

Additional Information

For more information, please contact:
Haywood Soil and Water District
USDA Service Center
589 Raccoon Road
Suite 203
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: 828-452-2741, ext. 3

HaywoodSWCD@haywoodcountync.gov