A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to design and to construct a new regional agricultural center facility to be located in wayne county.
Whereas, the Regional Agricultural Center to be located in Wayne County will serve as a valuable resource for the agribusiness community in Central and Eastern North Carolina; and
Whereas, the Wayne Regional Agricultural Center will address the business of agriculture; promote the importance of agriculture; provide a single, convenient location for effective delivery of agriculture‑related services; provide a venue for consumer, agriculture‑community, and agribusiness education; and will be environmentally unique in its design; and
Whereas, the Wayne Regional Agricultural Center will accommodate and house the following entities:  North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, the Farm Service Agency, the Division of Soil and Water Conservation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the administration of the Cherry Farm Unit, and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, which Center for Environmental Farming Systems serves North Carolina State University, North Carolina A & T State University, the area office of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the regional offices of the United States Department of Agriculture; and
Whereas, the Wayne Regional Agricultural Center will have a positive impact on the economy through biotechnical opportunities, bringing resources to the region, serving the farm community, and creating a value‑added incubator center for the farm community; will develop and promote alternative agriculture; will create educational opportunities; and will develop a collaborative effort and relationship with Wayne Community College and the Mount Olive College Agribusiness Center; and
Whereas, agriculture represents more than two billion dollars in farm receipts in the six surrounding counties, including Wayne County; and
Whereas, the Wayne Regional Agricultural Center, a proposed 60,000‑square‑foot "Green Facility," is estimated to cost eleven million five hundred thousand dollars, and the local government and community will seek funding from various sources from, but not limited to, the State of North Carolina, the Golden Leaf Foundation, and local governments to construct the Center, with Wayne County retaining ownership and being responsible for future operational costs of the facility; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to Wayne County the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year for the capital costs of the proposed Wayne Regional Agricultural Center as follows:
(1)	To design and develop schematic drawings and plans for the Wayne Agricultural Regional Center facility based on an assessment of needs for agriculture service entities completed in 2006.
(2)	To construct the Wayne Agricultural Regional Center.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.