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0 <br />Haw River Trail. Both counties are now working with the NC Division of Parks and <br />Recreation, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and other partners to establish the <br />trail in those jurisdictions. Alamance County received a 2008 grant from the NC Parks <br />and Recreation Trust Fund to acquire MST trail segments, and has been acquiring <br />land and trail easements on private land at the rate of two miles per year. Durham <br />County signed a memorandum of agreement with other partners in 2006 to complete <br />the Falls Lake portion of the trail (46 miles). <br />The Town of Hillsborough adopted a resolution in 2005 recommending that the <br />selected route of the MST incorporate the Hillsborough Riverwalk from downtown <br />Hillsborough to Occoneechee Mountain. Phase 1 of the trail was completed with the <br />recent opening of Gold Park and Phase II is now underway with land acquisition for <br />the rest of the trail completed earlier this year. <br />Other jurisdictions have adopted resolutions to endorse or adopt the MST corridor and <br />an example is provided here, for the Board's consideration for action at a future <br />meeting (Attachment 5}. If the Board approves the general MST trail corridor, Staff will <br />incorporate the planned trail in the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, the existing <br />Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and include it in an update to the County's parks <br />master plan envisioned for 2010-2011. This action will enable the reservation or <br />acquisition of trail corridor as future development occurs and as conservation <br />opportunities arise along the planned MST route. <br />2) How should the County coordinate with OWASA on the MST trail alignment? <br />The proposed MST trail would pass through lands owned and managed by Orange <br />Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA). OWASA staff participated in the stakeholder <br />meetings held by State Parks in 2005-2007 to identify the best trail corridor. Since <br />then ERCD has met twice with the OWASA staff to discuss the proposed route. <br />OWASA staff prefers to wait until the BOCC has given its preliminary approval of the <br />proposed trail route before taking it to the OWASA board for consideration and <br />approval. If the Board indicates its endorsement and takes subsequent action to this <br />effect, staff could convey this to OWASA via a letter from the Chair. <br />3) May Staff collaborate with the Town of Hillsborough on identifying the MST <br />trail link to the Town's Riverwalk? <br />Hillsborough staff also participated in the stakeholder meetings held by the NC <br />Division of Parks and Recreation to identify the best trail corridor. The Town adopted <br />a resolution in 2005 recommending that the MST incorporate the Eno Riverwalk from <br />downtown Hillsborough to Occoneechee Mountain. <br />Since then, ERCD has participated in two informal meetings with Town staff and the <br />Eno River Association to discuss the potential extension of the Riverwalk, including a <br />proposed "Phase III" of the Riverwalk into the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction. <br />If the Board concurs, ERCD could work with the Town and others to identify potential <br />trail routes to expand the Riverwalk west to connect Occoneechee Mountain with the <br />2 <br />