This news item expired on Friday, August 25, 2023 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District’s (BCSWCD) Farmland Preservation Program is excited to announce the protection of 156.2 acres in the County’s prime farming regions this summer.
On July 8, BCSWCD closed one conservation easement on Diane Rosseter’s 17.37-acre Ed Maney Farm in Barnardsville, NC. On July 18, BCSWCD closed two conservation easements: Art and Pam McCurry’s 51.17-acre farm in Weaverville, NC; and David and Dorothy Sneddon’s 55.96-acre DaDor Farm in Fairview, NC. On Aug. 12, BCSWCD closed one easement on 31.7 acre Robert Harvey and Denis O’Doherty’s Farm in Barnardsville, NC.
Barnardsville, Fairview, and Weaverville have all traditionally been farming communities with prime soils for agriculture, as well as statewide and locally important soils. Protecting these farms is not only important in retaining their agricultural value, but also in fulfilling family dreams of keeping farms intact and protecting their beauty so that future generations may be able to appreciate them in the same way that we do now.
The natural resources protected by a conservation easement include but are not limited to: prime soils to support healthy agricultural uses, various forest types, open space, scenic viewsheds, diverse plant and animal habitats, high-quality waterways, riparian buffers, and vegetation to protect water quality and aquatic species, fertile pastureland, and wildlife habitat.
A sincere thank you to Diane and Robert Rosseter, Art and Pam McCurry, David and Dorothy Sneddon, and Robert Harvey and Denis O’Doherty for being passionate land stewards and conservationists. You have truly made a lasting difference in Buncombe County by preserving your family farm.
If you want to learn more about Buncombe’s Conservation Easement Program, please contact Ariel Zijp at ariel.zijp@buncombecounty.org, 828-250-4794; or Avni Naik at avni.naik@buncombecounty.org, 828-250-4792