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i rerly to: 12USA Carroll St., In;.rham. .~C 2'7'707 ;~~~~. •su sr. ,r~. •;_cwa ~~ Regional Groups in North Cuolina BLUE RIDGE GROUP scans BROAD RIVER GROUP Shelby CAPE FEAR CROUP Wilminglan CAPITAL GROUP kaleieh CENTRAL PIEDMONT CROUP Charloue COASTAL GROUP New l3crn CYPRESS CROUP Greenville FOOTHILIS GROUP Winston-Salem HEADWATERS CROUP Durham HORACE KEPHART GROLP FaycuevJle PIEDMONT PLATEAU GROUP Greensboro RESEARCH TRIANGLE CROUP Chapel Hill SwNDHILLS CROUP Sowherc Pma SMUKl' MOUti7w1N5 CkOUP Bryson Cily SOUTH MOUNTAINS cknuP Mnrpamun WENOCA GROUP Asheville SIERRA CLUB North Carolina Chapter is~A~7idAZ~3S GROUP S TA TP.:1F.:i T :'0 s v Oraru~re County Planning Board and Orange County 8aard of Commissioners August 22, 1966 . ~ ,, .~*~ Good evening. My name is F.d iiarrison. 1 am the Consarvatian Chair- man of the iieadwatera .Gr,cup of the Sierra Club, and the Land Use Chairman for the N~.C. Chap tar of the Sierra Club. 7Y11a state- _ _ meat is on behalf of the Headwaters Group, which is comprised of some 800 members in Durham, Granville. Pexson, and Vance Counties. ". We support the recommendation by the Planning Board and Planning Staff to rezone certain lands to Public Interest Aistrict. We support this zoning amendment not only fox the lands held by Bake University - and used fax several decades by that insti- tuition for research, education, and tax exemption -but also the lands owned by the public, in the F.no Elver State Park especially, and other private land to which this applies. Tne first reason for the Sierra Clubrs support is that these lands are. in the words of your Zoning Ordinance, "environment- ally sensitive, and of mayor scientific research significance." Aiany Sierra Clubraaembers in the purham area received their pro- fessional field training in the natural sciences on the Duke Forest properties. Those of us who did feel a great debt to Luke and other universities for allowigg us use. via our tuitions, of this world-class eutdoor laboratory. Certain sections. cer- tain specific compaxtmenta, of duke Purest in Orange and Barham Counties are among the most intenslvel~ studied woodlota on this planet, and the xesearch done these is priceless and irreplaceable, Those of us who behefitted directly from that research know that others also benefit, and we all support the continuance of that land use. 3y caxeful use of the police pawea, Oraslge County is attempting to ensure perpetuation of these important sites. The second reason is the eatraordlnary impoxtanca of BtL'~e Fo- rest and other lands proposed for rezoning in this region+s open space, natural and cultural resource base. Lands asld places preserved far' thew' purposes are the most priceless and irxe- placeable of all. Tn terms of recreational use by the public of-these places, a landowner such as Duke has no absolute obli- gation to admit users for nonacademic purposes. It could, attar all. put up manq miles of barbed wire fknce to dry to exclude thousands of public users: But the outdoor recreation in Duke Forest is generally an. extremely benign use, especially since Ta ~ilae, eryq, and P'°1ea rAe n:ld phrr, 9r she m.th; w puau and yra.are we myondWr uu °f me earth's eeos}ueaa, and .aaanrrss .. . most users obey Duke's requests fobbidding fires, motox vehicles and other activities which might threaten research sites. Agal n, use of the police power is appropriate to preserve this secondary use for these lands which lie outside the Orange County tax base. our third reason for supporting this rezoning to. Public Interest District is the crucial precedent which Orange County sets for its neighbors. We congratulate the Board of Comia].ssioriers for maintains ~ this zoning classi- fication. and those of us in fast-growing Barham envy your citizens for having it. Your rezoning sets an example for us. You may not know that Bake Forest lands extend far into the City of Barham - only a mile and a half from City Hall and the County Courthouse. The Forest lands contribute won- derfully to the visual character of several square miles of Durham which surround them. Other public lands, such as the ~no Elver State Park and Corps of Angineers lands are well within the Durham Urban Growth Axea, and parts of Carps lairs a_+e within City limits. We hope that someday our Clty and County declslo:lma_kers might see the wisdom of the precedent you set far thex. I•would like to tha.~k the 3oards for holding this hearing, the Chairman of the Fla.-ining Board for his thoughts on Orange County plarLning, zoning and policy, a.-!d especially Gene Hell of the Flanning sta°f for his fully in-