ADOPTED - JULY 27, 2010

                                                                                                                                                   Agenda Item No. 18

Introduced by the County Services and Finance Committees of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $462,308 AND APPROVING A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND INGHAM COUNTY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FARM AND RANCH LANDS PROTECTION PROGRAM

RESOLUTION #10-218

WHEREAS, Ingham County desires to provide for the effective long-term protection and preservation of farmland and open space in Ingham County from the pressure of increasing residential and commercial development; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners adopted the Ingham County Farmland Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance in July 2004; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board has scored and ranked all applications received for the 2009 cycle and submitted the Clark, Webb and Haynes Farms to the Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program for consideration of matching funds; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Farmland Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance authorized the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board to make reasonable offers to purchase development rights on farms based on state certified appraisals; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board entered into Permanent Conservation Easement Deed Option Agreements in November 2009 approved by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners through Resolution #09-357 on October 27, 2009; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board has funding in place to execute the Permanent Conservation Easement Deed Option Agreements on the Clark, Webb and Haynes Farms.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners approves a Cooperative Agreement for $462,308.00 between the United States of America (The United States), acting by and through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and Ingham County for the implementation of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) through the purchase of conservation easements on the Webb, Clark and Haynes Farms.. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Board Chairperson to sign the Cooperative Agreement after review and approval by County Attorney.

COUNTY SERVICES:  Yeas:  Schor, Celentino, Grebner, McGrain, Vickers

Nays:  None              Absent:  Copedge     Approved 7/20/10

FINANCE:  Yeas:  Grebner, Schor, Holman, Dougan

 Nays:  None               Absent:  Tennis, Bahar-Cook          Approved 7/21/10