The pattern has been familiar, understandable -- and regrettable. Owners of undeveloped, non-farm land in fast-growing counties such as Wake, Johnston, Franklin and Chatham pay higher and higher taxes as property values increase, to the point where they either can't afford to hold the land or decide to cash out.

So another tract of forest or meadow gets turned over to the tender mercies of the bulldozers.

Now there's another option, thanks to a bill that cleared the General Assembly last week. No longer will it be necessary to be engaged in farming to qualify for a property tax break on undeveloped land. Instead, a property owner can obtain a similar tax break for land set aside as wildlife habitat. The property must be at least 20 acres, must be owned by an individual or family and must be managed under a written wildlife conservation agreement with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

There can be large financial incentives driving a landowner's decision to sell for development. This new program creates an incentive to protect the woods, the meadows, the critters and the peaceful countryside that North Carolinians value.

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