From the Desk of the County Manager for September 4, 2026

Greetings, Durham!

As we move through 2026, I am proud to share continued progress in one of Durham County’s commitments: the permanent protection of our farmland and natural landscapes. In March 2026, Durham Board of County Commissioners recognized 25 years of Durham County’s Farmland Protection, a milestone that reflects our shared values and the dedication of landowners who choose to safeguard their land for future generations. This is a legacy that continues to grow.

Since January 2026, Durham County has finalized four new agricultural conservation easements, protecting 141 acres of working lands. These easements represent permanent investments in Durham’s environmental health, rural heritage, and local food system.

We secured outside funding to protect an additional 603 acres: 63 acres through land purchases and 504 acres through 10 new conservation easements. Durham County thanks the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Army National Guard’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program, the City of Durham’s Watershed Protection Program, and the North Carolina Land and Water Fund for investing resources to fund these projects; the County also extends thanks to the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) for their partnership and collaboration. Two of these easements will be donated by landowners who want to ensure that their land is never subdivided or developed. Their commitment echoes the spirit of families like Clara Glenn’s, who signed her easement just days after her 101st birthday, ensuring her farm will remain intact for generations. Stories like hers remind us that farm and land preservation is not only about land; it is about legacy.

Our current projects reflect the diversity and strength of Durham’s agricultural community. We are working closely with hay producers who manage hundreds of acres each season, multigenerational farm families honoring the work of parents and grandparents, and landowners dedicated to wildlife habitat and open‑space conservation. Each project reinforces a shared vision: that Durham’s rural landscapes continue to serve our community long after today’s stewards pass the land to the next generation.

Several recent milestones highlight this momentum. In April, we finalized a conservation easement with Bill and Margie Sparrow to protect their 40‑acre sheep farm, a property that includes State‑important natural areas around Falls Lake. Protecting this land supports water quality, wildlife habitat, and an important agricultural landscape in eastern Durham County. We are now working on a second phase to protect an additional 46 acres of their farm.

In August Durham County completed the conservation easement on Ken Wolfe’s 29‑acre farm, expanding the permanently protected Blalock‑Wolfe family farmland by linking his property to the 64 acres his brother safeguarded in 2015. This project not only preserves a childhood home and multi‑generation farming legacy but also strengthens protection of a priority drinking‑water watershed in north Durham.

This summer, Durham County secured $876,000 from the USDA to support a conservation easement on 146 acres along Hopkins Road. This land includes significant farm soils, more than 4,200 feet of scenic road frontage, and critical water resources connected to Mountain Creek and the Little River Reservoir. We also look forward to completing the Stevens family’s 40‑acre easement, protecting the historic D.C. Umstead House and the surrounding habitats visible from the North Durham Scenic Byway.

Celeste Burns, Open Space/Real Estate Manager for Durham County, said,

“Our conservation work extends beyond farmland. Durham County’s recent awards from the Land and Water Fund State will purchase and protect 48 acres in the New Hope Creek Corridor, expanding the protected area there to more than 300 acres. This corridor contains critical habitat for the state‑endangered shellbark hickory and provides essential breeding habitat for long-distance migratory birds, and Durham County will own and steward this land.”

These achievements are possible because of our landowners, our federal and state partners, and organizations like TLC. Their collaboration reflects a shared commitment to preserving Durham’s natural resources and rural character.

Durham County is proud of this work, and equally proud of the community that makes it possible. Together, we are protecting landscapes that support clean water, wildlife habitat, local agriculture, and the scenic beauty that defines so much of our county.

Until next week,

Claudia Hager

Durham County Manager

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