Land Conservation Advisory Board Meeting | June 17, 2026

The Buncombe County Land Conservation Advisory Board met on June 17, 2026, to discuss updates on conservation projects and budget allocations. A key procurement-related highlight was the confirmation that the county commissioners approved a $750,000 budget for conservation easements, which has historically been sufficient to fund all projects submitted by the Land Conservation Advisory Board and the Agricultural Advisory Board. The board also discussed a significant conservation easement project involving the expansion of an existing easement on the Snowball Mountain property, with an estimated easement purchase price of $288,000 and a total market value of about $960,000. The project includes plans for a future bequest of the land to the Southern Highlands Conservancy (SHC) and potential assignment of the easement to Buncombe County to avoid conflicts. Additional transaction costs of approximately $95,000 were noted, with some costs expected to be covered by private donors. The board planned site visits for project evaluation and discussed stewardship and wildfire risk considerations. No formal votes on contract awards or vendor selections were recorded during this meeting, but the budget approval and project funding discussions are significant for future procurement activity related to land conservation.