Per the ADFP Trust Fund Conservation Easement Contract Grantee Duties and Reporting Requirements, if the conservation easement is not recorded within the first 365 days of the two-year contract, the Grantee must request a continuation of the project in writing to the Farmland Preservation Director 60 days before the end of the first year of the contract (Day 305). This request must provide proper documentation for the hardships that delayed completing the grant project and a revised timeline to complete the conservation easement project. All other required documents, including budget and progress reports, must be current. Eligible hardships include:
a. Death of a landowner;
b. Severe illness or incapacitation of a landowner;
c. The Grantee has applied for federal funding and has not yet received funding notification;
d. The Grantee has federal funds under contract and has not yet received approval to release federal funds.
All other requests for continuing the conservation easement project shall be determined on a case-by-case basis. If approved, the project may continue into the second year of the contract. If denied, the Grantee must repay any grant funding from the NCDA&CS ADFPTF. Note: Failure by the Grantee to initiate deliverables on the conservation easement project, Grantee staff shortages or changes, and Grantee time management issues are not acceptable hardships and will result in a breach of the contract, and the Grantee must repay any grant funding received from the NCDA&CS ADFPTF.