LAND CONSERVATION IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC
Protecting the future of our County
The Program
Current State of Conservation
Buncombe County is comprised of 420,480 acres of rolling mountains, forestland, farmland, meandering waterways, and diverse ecosystems that support unique plants and wildlife. These natural resources are at the core of Buncombe’s vibrant local food and drink industry, as well as the outdoor recreational culture that draws in tourists and new residents alike. Buncombe residents list the natural environment as one of their top reasons for choosing to call this region their home.
Of the County’s 420,480 acres of land, 76,637 acres – or approximately 18% – are currently protected. This includes privately owned land that is protected through conservation easements, as well as land held by the federal, state, and county government.
Protected Lands in Buncombe County, NC
Land Conservation Goals
In recognition of the importance of our natural resources, a number of goals surrounding land conservation have been set by Commissioners to govern the Farmland Preservation Program’s work:
Why Conserve Land?
Buncombe County is experiencing a period of rapid population growth. While growth can bring about positive changes in the form of new ideas and industries, it is important to ensure that the urban development associated with this growth occurs in a way that does not threaten the very landscapes that make the County an attractive place to visit and live.
Land conservation provides several environmental and public health benefits including:
- Air and water quality protection
- Foodshed security
- Climate resiliency
- Outdoor recreational and educational opportunities
- Wildlife habitat and reduced habitat fragmentation
These services are critical to the well-being of all our residents both now and into the future.
Explore Conservation Factors
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Ecologically Sensitive Areas
As development pressure increases, habitat loss and fragmentation continue to threaten wildlife, plant life, pollinator populations, and overall biodiversity. Habitat loss and changing climates will also force species out of their current habitats in search of new ones. Protecting ecologically sensitive areas and connecting them will help facilitate the movement of species into new habitats where they may continue to survive.
Water Quality Protection
Large areas of impervious surfaces increase water runoff that carry pollution and sedimentation into waterways, which in turn decreases water quality. Leaving land undeveloped reduces stormwater runoff and allows for groundwater recharge and water filtration. Land conservation in general - but particularly in water supply watersheds - saves taxpayers’ money as it is cheaper to protect water at its source rather than treat polluted water.
Working Lands and Farmland
Identifying and preserving working agricultural and forested lands is critical for food, fuel and fiber production. By protecting these lands and their natural resources, we are securing our ability to produce materials necessary for survival for ourselves and future generations.
Ridges and Slopes
Development on steeps slopes can cause severe erosion resulting in soil loss and detrimental effects on water quality. Protecting these areas helps not only to improve water quality and reduce soil loss, but also to protect scenic views and vistas.
Proximity to Protected Lands
Protecting contiguous blocks of land is important in reducing habitat fragmentation, building wildlife corridors, protecting water resources, retaining rural communities, and reducing the likelihood of conflict between urban and rural land uses. Fragmented habitat endangers specialist species which are more susceptible to noise, light, and human disturbances, all of which accompany development. For agricultural lands, fragmentation decreases economic feasibility for farm-support businesses such as feed supply stores, equipment rentals, and equipment repair services. Without these businesses, farmers must travel longer distances to access necessary services, thus increasing their production costs.
Large Parcels
Large blocks of protected lands mean that there is more habitat set aside for flora and fauna, and more land kept for agricultural and/or forestry purposes. It is also easier to connect larger parcels and create contiguous tracts of protected lands, thus avoiding fragmentation. Environmental services such as stormwater management and carbon sequestration are also more impactful with bigger parcels.
Prime, Unique, State and Locally Important Agricultural Soils
Prime farmland, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, and fiber. While these soils are generally considered ideal for agricultural production, soils alone do not determine agricultural yields. Factors such as rainfall, temperature and proper management practices are also necessary for farmers to maximize their yields. Indeed, these other factors play an important role, however, healthy soils are considered the foundation for economic vitality.
Land Conservation Boards
Buncombe County has two boards that guide land conservation, the Agricultural Advisory Board (AAB) and the Land Conservation Advisory Board (LCAB). Both boards provide the County Commissioners with recommendations for financial support of conservation easements. The major distinction between the two is AAB focuses strictly on farmland and forestland easements that are held internally by the Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), whereas LCAB focuses on all other types of easements that are held by our local land trusts.
While the types of easements may be different, the process for evaluating potential projects is similar. In general, projects are brought to either the SWCD or local land trusts for evaluation. Staff reviews the projects and makes recommendations to the appropriate advisory board. Once the projects are brought forward to the respective boards, they evaluate and rank the projects using ranking criteria that was developed based on the priorities of each board. After the projects are ranked, board members and staff make site visits to the properties followed by the landowners attending a board meeting to discuss their projects. Once all the evaluation and ranking is complete, the boards make recommendations for funding to the County Commissioners.
In order to be more strategic about how the County approaches long-term conservation impacts, conservation focus areas were identified based on the ranking criteria for each board. To help visualize the priority regions, maps were created. These maps are helpful when thinking about conservation at a large-scale and tracking long-term progress.
While these maps are useful, they are not a substitute for project evaluation and selection at the parcel level. Staff continues to assess each site through field work, detailed conversations with landowners and granular survey and property evaluations.
Indeed LCAB and AAB have some overlap and are both working towards similar conservation goals, but there are different factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating projects. To better understand the distinctions, let’s look at each board in greater depth.
Agricultural Advisory Board
For decades North Carolina has led the nation in farm loss. To combat the loss of our farmland to development, the Farmland Preservation Program was developed by County Ordinance Chapter 58 Article III. The ordinance provided for the establishment of the Agriculture Advisory Board and created the pathway for developing Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VAD) and for the Buncombe County SWCD to hold conservation easements. Since its inception, the program has grown to holding conservation easements on farmland and forestland, managing Voluntary Agricultural Districts/Enhanced Voluntary Ag Districts and promoting agriculture throughout Buncombe County. This three-legged approach helps to protect valuable agricultural lands from development, protects farmers from nuisance suits, and promotes economic vitality in the agricultural sector.
Buncombe County is seen as a trailblazer in land conservation across the state, being the first to take many steps in conservation:
- First to adopt Farmland Preservation Ordinance
- First to adopt a Farmland Protection Plan
- First to have a Farmland Preservation Program to hold easements
- First to provide financial support to easements to County and land trust entities
To learn more about Ag Advisory Board visit the board website.
AAB Conservation Evaluation Criteria
When evaluating projects at the parcel level, staff and board members consider several criteria including soils, proximity to protected lands, parcel size, development pressure, proximity to Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VAD), historic and/or scenic qualities of the property, land stewardship, and working farm potential. Staff and board members also engage with landowners to learn about their objectives for the land and passion for conservation. While all these factors are considered for projects at the parcel level, there was a realization that looking at the data from a large-scale regional level would also be helpful. To achieve this goal, staff set about mapping select criteria to identify and convey focus areas for conservation.
Conservation factors included in the AAB Focus Areas include:
- Proximity to protected land
- Soil type
- Parcel size
- Proximity to Voluntary Ag Districts (VAD) and Enhanced Voluntary Ag Districts (EVAD)
- Present-use value Land Use Taxation
- Watershed type
Land Conservation Advisory Board
LCAB Conservation Evaluation Criteria
The Land Conservation Advisory Board (LCAB) was created by County Commissioners in 2004 to preserve the beauty and ecology of Buncombe County. This is accomplished by promoting the use of voluntary land conservation easements through work with land trusts and other conservation partners. By funding easement projects across Buncombe County, LCAB has helped to protect thousands of acres of non-profit held, public- and privately-owned easements. Some of these easements provide educational, recreational, or historic value, while others provide natural resource or farmland protection. LCAB evaluates a wide range of projects brought to them by organizations with diverse focuses. To learn more about Land Conservation Advisory Board visit the board website.
Similar to the Ag Advisory Board, staff and board members consider several criteria when evaluating projects at the parcel level including proximity to protected lands; ecologically sensitive areas; wetlands, waterways, and watersheds; ridgetops and highlands; historic and working farms; and parcel size. Staff and board members also engage with landowners and land trust representatives to learn about their love for the land and passion for conservation.
As mentioned before, all these factors are considered for projects at the parcel level, but large-scale regional mapping was also seen as a value. Focus areas were also identified for LCAB; they include:
- Ecologically sensitive areas (wildlife habitat, key corridors)
- Water quality protection (wetlands, waterways, watersheds)
- Ridge tops, highlands, and steep slopes?
- Farmland priority areas (include proximity to protected lands and parcel size)
To learn about some of this data and research, check out the Linking Lands and Communities Report created by the Land of Sky Regional Council.
Focus Areas
Buncombe County Land Conservation Focus Areas
While LCAB and AAB have their own conservation criteria, there is a lot of overlap and thus, their priority regions were combined to create the Buncombe County conservation Focus Areas.
Get Involved
Interested in protecting your land? Reach out to us or our partners!
- Buncombe County Farmland Preservation Program
- Ariel Zijp, Farmland Preservation Manager: ariel.zijp@buncombecounty.org
- Avni Naik, Farmland Preservation Coordinator: avni.naik@buncombecounty.org
Land Trust Partners Working in Buncombe:
- Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
- Michelle Pugliese, Land Protection Director: michelle@appalachian.org
- Jess Laggis, Farmland Protection Director: jess@appalachian.org
- Conserving Carolina
- Tom Fonslow, Land Protection Director: tom@conservingcarolina.org
- Riverlink
- Aweed Nyoka, Land Resources Manager: aweed@riverlink.org
Interested in learning how Buncombe is working to balance growth, equitable living for all residents, and natural resource protection?
Learn about the Comprehensive Plan 2043 and how to get involved!
Acknowledgement
Buncombe County recognizes that the entirety of the Anigiduwagi land was unjustly taken by the United States in cooperation with the State of North Carolina. As citizens on that land, we have benefited from the inhumane actions they took. By acknowledging the historical context of this land, our hope is that Buncombe County and the State of North Carolina will begin the process of strengthening our relationship with our indigenous neighbors. Buncombe County Government recognizes that there is a lot of work to do and we look forward to initiating a longer conversation about partnering with the thriving community that is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Map Data Sources
Buncombe County GIS Database NC Department of Environmental Quality Linking Lands and Communities Report – Land of Sky Regional Council
