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<br />B. Developing a plan and program for the acquisition of land for <br />resource conservation, and implementing that program. <br />One of the new department's most significant tasks will be to elevate <br />planning for resource protection to a new level through the voluntary <br />acquisition of the County's most critical land resources. While some <br />planning and prioritization of important resource lands has occurred to <br />date, a comprehensive program to evaluate the County's most important <br />resources will need to be developed so that the County can begin <br />systematic acquisition of land through conservation easements, fee <br />simple ownership, or other agreements. This department will take the lead <br />in identifying and recommending natural and other resources to be <br />protected and conserved, as outlined in Section A above, and will also <br />coordinate the conservation of resources recommended by other <br />departments, such as Recreation and Parks. This program will be of a <br />voluntary nature and will be subject to review and approval by the <br />Board of Commissioners, before the County can begin acquiring lands <br />through conservation easements, fee simple ownership, or other <br />agreements. <br />It should be noted that development of this area of emphasis will be a <br />stepwise process involving check-in points with the Board of <br />Commissioners at every step. The major elements of a land acquisition <br />program might include: <br />1.Organizational Structure. The County may wish to consider a <br />process for establishing a land trust, or developing a partnership with <br />an existing land trust, such as the Triangle Land Conservancy. <br />2. Land Conservation Criteria. Deciding what resources to protect <br />and acquire is fundamental. The County has the following plans and <br />programs in place for ranking priority resources: <br />Inventory of Natural Areas and ~Idlife Habitats. Orange County's <br />most significant natural areas and wildlife habitat were described in <br />the Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats completed <br />in 1988 by the Triangle Land Conservancy. In the next few months, <br />the TLC is scheduled to complete a Wildlife Habitat Study ranking <br />prime wildlife habitat areas. <br />Comprehensive Resources Map. Developed as part of the Rural <br />Character Study and Flexible Development process, this map is <br />incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan and identifies important <br />natural resources in the County identified to date. <br />2 <br />