North Carolina Governor signs Farm Preservation Pact IEDELL COUNTY, N.C. - North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt; Jim Graham, the state's agriculture secretary; Bill Holman, Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary; and James Oblinger, dean of North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, recently signed a farmland preservation act. Hunt called for more financial help for farmers. He suggested that urban counties should give property tax breaks to landowners who agree not to develop the land. "The green space they preserve is important to all of us," Hunt said. "If we want to preserve green space, the key is education and partnerships." The agreement calls for the agencies and the university to work together to boost farmland preservation efforts. It also encourages them to provide more education and consider economic incentives. Hunt said the General Assembly added $1.5 million for farmland preservation to the budget, and he has called for more.