The Beaufort County Rural and Critical Land Preservation Program has levied taxpayer dollars since 1999. The program is publicly supported by Beaufort County citizens via bond referendum, most recently in 2018.

The Rural and Critical Program protects many special properties including working farms and forests, important cultural and historic sites, passive parkland, rural land adjacent to streams and important waterbodies, and critical lands in cities, and along scenic vistas.

Just a few of the benefits to Beaufort County include: