By Donald Belk, AICP, Regional Planner Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base BRAC Regional Task Force
The BRAC Regional Task Force has been awarded a $203,100 grant from the Tobacco Trust Fund to develop a Regional Agriculture Sustainability Program, “RASP”.
This project is a collaborative effort to transition agriculture in the areas surrounding Fort Bragg from tobacco and other traditional commodities to serve the imminent population growth of 30,000 to 40,000 new residents by 2015.
Efforts will link the food, fuel and fiber needs of the country's largest military installation to the agricultural capacity of the region. The funds will support a Regional Sustainable Agriculture Agent for three years and provide full-time attention to the ‘Feed the Fort’ and ‘Fuel the Fort’ initiatives begun by Sustainable Fort Bragg.
“RASP will be a cornerstone of our regional planning efforts”, says Don Belk, AICP, regional planner for the task force, “but this is just the beginning. We hope to leverage RASP into a comprehensive program to preserve working lands. This will not only serve regional green infrastructure goals, but strengthen the agricultural economy and help maintain compatible land uses around Fort Bragg, which is the economic engine of southeastern North Carolina.”
For additional information, visit the BRAC RTF Website at: www.bracrtf.com or call the BRAC office at (910) 436-1345. New office location: BRAC RTF has moved to the former Bowley Elementary School on Randolph Street. The office is now located at Building 1-3571 Randolph Street, F Wing on Ft. Bragg. Contact the office via e-mail at admin@bracrtf.com, by phone at 910-436-1345 or fax at 910-436-2793. Additionally, the mailing address remains: BRAC Regional Task Force, PO Box 70999, Fort Bragg, NC 28307.
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