Wake County commissioners agree to use bond money to preserve 200-year-old sheep farm

In a news release distributed Tuesday, the county announced plans for $350,000, with $281,000 from bond funds, for the 86-acre Lazy J Ranch.

“Wake County is growing rapidly, and that’s why protecting farmland and open space is so very important to this board,” Commissioner Vickie Adamson said in a news release. “Not only does this decision conserve this special property, but it will help protect wildlife habitat and water quality.”

Lazy J Ranch contains more than 3,500 feet of streams, including frontage on Little Creek and multiple tributaries. The property is mostly pasture with some wooded areas of oak-hickory forest.

The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District has certified that 99.7% of Lazy J Ranch’s soils are considered prime farmland or farmland of statewide importance.

A total of 68% of the voters approved the county’s 2018 Parks, Greenways, Recreation and Open Space bond, which is valued at $120 million over six years. One of the goals of the bond is to continue efforts toward open space preservation.

County staff asked for proposals from people who were interested in preserving their property. The Lazy J Ranch owner was one of 40 landowners to submit a proposal. Lazy J Ranch’s proposal called for a conservation easement, which is a voluntary, legal agreement that permanently limits uses of the land to protect its conservation values.

Wake County is planning to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to acquire the easement, which totals more than $1.3 million. Wake County’s contribution is $350,000, with $281,500 coming from bond funds and $68,500 from the state Department of Transportation 540 settlement funding.

Triangle Land Conservancy will hold and monitor the easement. The property is not currently open to the public.