Conservation easements are written agreements that permanently protect land from development, while leaving it in private ownership.
The Brooks’ first reached out to Eno River Association and Orange County staff in late 2010 to discuss potential land-protection options. They wanted to pass the farm on to their family knowing that it would remain forever undeveloped and available for agriculture, just as they loved it.
Dennis Brooks told The Times-News, “We had looked earlier at the CREP program and at the Eno River Association’s and Orange County’s conservation options, but by themselves neither program worked for us. Combining the two into one project allowed us to accomplish all of our goals.”
The total cost of the easements was $657,000, according to county records. Of that, $312,928 came from Lands Legacy, using up the funds left in the program for now. Another $252,853 came from the Eno River Association’s Healthy Forest grant, according the records. 
—From The Times-News (Click here to read the full article in The Times-News.)
