DOBSON — The Surry County Board of Commissioners voted this week to approve a grant which could help the county preserve local farmland.

The Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC) has applied for a grant from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to create a Farmland Preservation Plan for Surry County. The county voted on Monday to authorize the application and to state their intentions to adopt a Farmland Preservation Plan in the future.

In a letter to Kevin Redding, executive director of PLC, N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler stated that the trust fund had given “tentative approval” to PLC’s application for the grant, but the group needed a statement of support from the county.

Redding explained to the commissioners on Monday night that the plan was strictly voluntary, and no money is needed from the board. With the board’s approval, Redding said he will now be able to move forward with the grant. Redding said his group and the Surry County Soil and Water District will spend the next year looking at farms and creating a plan of how to protect them. The group would then come back next year to seek approval from the board for the proposed plan.

A preservation plan would help participating farms take advantage of state grant opportunities, because some grants give extra points to applicants who come from counties with preservation plans.

“It will directly benefit the farmers in your county who want to take advantage of the trust fund,” said Redding.

Eddie Harris, county soil and water conservation supervisor, said to the board, “We’ve always had a good relationship with Piedmont Land Conservancy.”

He said that the plan would be strictly voluntary for farmers to participate in. He said, “I see it as a planning tool to help family farms.”

According to information on the trust fund’s Web site, farmland protection plans are created to “maintain viable agricultural communities and address farmland preservation tools.” The plan would include a list of existing agricultural activity and current challenges to family farming, a list of opportunities for maintaining local farms, a plan for maintaining agricultural activity in the county, a schedule for implementing the plan, and identification of possible funding sources.

Board Chairman Paul Johnson said yesterday that the plan would help farmers put their land in a conservancy group and take advantage of grants or tax credits.

After authorizing PLC’s application for the grant on Monday, the county commissioners thanked Redding and PLC for the work the group has done to preserve land in the county.

Proposed Fibrowatt location

Also on Monday night, the commissioners discussed the status of land on Gentry Road that was previously set aside for the proposed Fibrowatt plant. Todd Tucker, president of Surry County Economic Development Partnership, said that he was ready to market the land and could put together a menu of uses that could be targeted for the site. He also suggested thinning some of the trees in the area.

Tucker said his office had received several comments and suggestions about parameters to be used when looking at industries interested in locating at the site. He said, “We will take those into account.”

The commissioners indicated that they would like a menu of possible uses for the property.

Commissioner Jim Harrell Jr. said, “Find me some jobs.”

Although no specific plans for the site are yet in the works, Johnson said yesterday, “We are marketing the land for business and industry.”

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.