Investments in the Future – Ensuring Farmers, agribusinesses and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have the resources to continue growing and supporting the state’s $111.1 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry.
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Farmland Preservation – Ensuring natural resources to grow food and fiber: - Nearly $60 million invested in grants since 2006, preserving 36,000 acres of farmland
- Latest round of investment is $18.2 million; 20 new conservation easements on 1,392 acres
- Stretching our state dollars through our partnership with the military, 23 conservation easements totaling over 13,000 acres have been recorded around military bases.
- An additional 2,886 acres of privately-owned farms and forests Id’d as priority for military training are under contract. Project value for these conservation easements totals $5.8 million, with over $3.5 million in federal funds.
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N.C. Forest Service – Ensuring crews are prepared to respond to protect forestland and property and work with landowners - Gained over $12 million in budget increases following its move to NCDA&CS in 2012 as the need to upgrade aging equipment, add facilities at educational state forests and make long-needed repairs to work areas were prioritized in legislative requests. FY 2012 budget: $35.8 million; today's budget: $56 million
- New forest-focused construction projects/investments since 2016:
- Mountain Island Educational State Forest -- $30. 6 million
- New regional headquarters in Duplin County -- $13 million
- New County offices -- $7 million
- Improvements at DuPont State Recreational Forest -- $4.2 million
- New equipment shelters -- $550,000
- Griffith Warehouse -- $750,000
- Public restrooms at Guion Farms and Hooker Falls -- $1.8 million
- Replaced four aircraft (fixed wing and helicopter) -- $8.6 million
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- Hemlock Restoration Initiative
- $1 million, 5-year partnership agreement with WNC Communities renewed
- 206 Hemlock Conservation Areas established
- 138,000 hemlocks chemically treated
- 130,000 hemlock seedlings produced for sale
- 7,916 trees treated through landowner education efforts
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Soil and Water Conservation - StRAP funds – Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program
- $58 million invested in stream debris removal to help mitigate flooding; $38 million first round of funding; $20 million in second round.
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Farmers, agribusiness and processors: Growing opportunities and increasing food security and local access for consumers
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- IMPEC – Increasing Meat Production and Expanding Capacity grants
- $44 million investment in four stages to 77 small meat and seafood processing facilities
- Red meat and seafood processing capacity increased by over 40 % to provide local consumers access to local proteins
- significant improvements to a to through investments in upgrading equipment have been An additional 2,886 acres of privately-owned farms and forests ID’d as a priority for military training has been contracted through the department’s ADFPTF. Project value for these conservation easements totals $5.8 million, with over $3.5 million in federal funds.
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- NCAMPI – N.C. Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative working to expand local value-added opportunities for produce, meat and dairy products.
- $12.4 million invested in expanding eight current food manufacturing and processing operations to increase value-added goods and products manufactured in the state.
- Projects leveraged an additional $63.4 million in private investment in North Carolina.
- Gives farmers and growers more options close by for processing and distribution.
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- RFSI – Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program
- Investing $6.2 million in small agribusinesses to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain.
- Grants for equipment and infrastructure projects
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Animal Welfare Section – Enforcing the Animal Welfare and its rules for animal shelters, boarding kennels, pet shops and Certified Euthanasia Technicians
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- Pet overpopulation remains a societal and community challenge.
- Working with counties to combat pet overpopulation through spay/neuter funds; $300,000 to $350,000.
- Awarded a total of $250,000 in county grants to help local animal shelters come into compliance with Animal Welfare rules.
- Inspects 203 N.C. animal shelters, 742 AWS-licensed boarding facilities and 14 AWS-licensed pet shops. Also, trains, registers and re-certifies 572 AWS-registered CETs.
- Investigates complaints at regulated facilities.
- Does not have regulatory authority over backyard breeders, commercial breeders, animal cruelty, source of pets in pet shops or livestock.
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