In this Ordinance:
A. “Board” means the McHenry County Board.
B. “Conservation Easement” means a holder’s nonpossessory interest in real property within McHenry County imposing any limitation or affirmative obligation on, the purpose of which includes protecting viable farm operations and farmland to maintain the rural character of McHenry County, permanently preserving scenic vistas and environmentally significant areas, including wetlands, lakes, streams and wood lots, creating and preserving “buffer zones” around significant environmental and agricultural areas, protection of McHenry County from encroachment of neighboring cities, and villages, restricting land divisions, retaining or protecting natural, scenic or open space values of real property, assuring the availability of real property for agricultural, forest, recreational or open space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, preserving the historical, architectural, archaeological or cultural aspects of real property.
C. “Commission” means the McHenry County Agricultural Conservation Easement and Farmland Protection Commission.
D. “Conservation Interest” means a holder’s interest in a conservation easement, a third-party right of enforcement in a conservation easement or fee title interest in real property.
E. “Nonprofit Conservation Organization” means a nonprofit corporation, a charitable land trust or other nonprofit association whose purposes include the acquisition of property for conservation purposes and that is described in § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from federal income tax under § 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(Ord. O-200903-12-014, passed 3-17-2009)