RURAL AND FARMLAND PRESERVATION

RURAL AND FARMLAND INDEX

PROTECTING RURAL BETHEL
UPPER PIGEON RIVER RURAL LANDS
BETHEL SEWER AND WATER
PHONE SURVEY OF BETHEL RESIDENTS
BUY HAYWOOD

View of Bethel Farmland In Sight of Cold Mountain

click here to see the new Haywood County Produce promotional video

Applicants sought for Upper Pigeon land conservation project

In an effort to protect flood-prone lands, Haywood County is seeking qualified landowners to apply for up to $110,000 in grant funds to cover the cost of land acquisition or working-land conservation easements and related expenses in the Upper Pigeon River watershed. Applicants will be evaluated and prioritized based on the following criteria:

o That the land includes one or more of the following: located in the 100-year flood plain outside the floodway, hydric soils, or wetlands;
o Matching funds offered by the landowner (such as bargain sales or donations);
o Performance of a cost-benefit analysis; and
o Landowner commitment to best management practices.

Maps of the lands eligible for funding in the Upper Pigeon River watershed are available for public viewing in the Haywood County Manager’s Office in the temporary Administration Building located at 81 Elmwood Way or at the county Planning Office located at 1233 N. Main St., both in Waynesville.

Those interested in applying are asked to complete a brief application form and return it by June 30, 2008 to Tony Sexton, Hurricane Recovery Coordinator, Haywood County, 215 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. The forms are available on the Haywood County website or by contacting Sexton at 734-3283.

All applicants will be contacted for additional information and site assessments. A committee appointed by the Haywood County Manager will evaluate and make recommendations for funding.

More information on the project will be available at two upcoming public meetings. The first will be the bi-monthly meeting of the Bethel Rural Community Organization meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at Bethel Presbyterian Church on Sonoma Road.

The second will be a public meeting to view new preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps prepared by the state in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21 at the Regional High Technology Center in Waynesville.

Questions may also be directed to Sexton at 734-3283 or to George Ivey, Coordinator, Bethel Rural Preservation project, at 712-6474.

Funds for the project have been provided by the N.C. Division of Water Resources and the Pigeon River Fund.

For more information, contact:
David Teague, Public Information Officer
Haywood County
828-452-7305; 828-400-9691 or
dteague@haywoodnc.net

HAYWOOD COUNTY – UPPER PIGEON RIVER FLOOD PROTECTION EFFORT

APPLICATION FOR FUNDS FOR ACQUISITION OR EASEMENTS

Grants from the NC Division of Water Resources and the Pigeon River Fund will provide approximately $110,000 to be spent in 2008 to help fund acquisition or working-land conservation easements for “flood-friendly” lands in the Upper Pigeon River watershed. “Flood-friendly lands” include those in the 100-year floodplain, hydric soils, and wetlands. Maps of the lands eligible for funding are available for public viewing in the Haywood County Manager’s Office in the temporary Administration Building located at 81 Elmwood Way or at the County Planning Office located at 1233 N. Main St., both in Waynesville.

If you are interested in applying for these funds, please fill out this brief application form and return it by June 30, 2008 to Tony Sexton, Hurricane Recovery Coordinator, Haywood County, 215 North Main Street, Waynesville NC 28786. All applicants will be contacted for additional information and site assessments in order to rank available properties and then to utilize available funds to protect the highest ranking parcels.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Tony Sexton at tsexton@haywoodnc.net or 734-3283, or George Ivey, Coordinator, Bethel Rural Preservation Project atgeorgeivey@earthlink.net or 712-6474.

(You will need to highlight, copy and paste the form into a word program, then print out)

Landowner(s) Name(s): __________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Daytime phone number: __________________________________________________________

Property Identification Number(s) for land parcel(s): ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Acreage (3 acre minimum):_______________________________________________________

Current land use: (e.g., forest, natural area, pasture, cropland, houses) _____________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Desired future land use (if different from above): ______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Other comments or questions: _____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Please return this form no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2008, to Tony Sexton,
Hurricane Recovery Coordinator, Haywood County, 215 N. Main St., Waynesville NC 28786.

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