2006 NS Contract - Assignments Triangle Land Conservancy for Acquisition Real Property Trinity School

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 12, 2006 Action Agenda ~ Item No. Jam' '- t SUBJECT: Acceptance of Purchase Contract Assignments from the Triangle Land Conservancy for the Acquisition of Real Property from Trinity School DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No Conservation ATTACHMENTS A. Location Map B. Property Map C. Contract Assignments (2) (Triangle Land Conservancy to County) D. Draft Conservation Easement (County to State of North Carolina) INFORMATION CONTACT: David Stancil, 245-2590 Rich Shaw, 245-2591 PURPOSE: To authorize the acceptance of two purchase contract assignments from the Triangle Land Conservancy for the County's acquisition of approximately 25 acres of~land along New Hope Creek from the Trinity School, and the granting of a conservation easement for the same land to the State of North Carolina. BACKGROUND: The Lands Legacy Program, adopted in April 2000, works with landowners and other conservation partners to protect the County's most important natural and cultural resources. Through this program, the County uses a variety of voluntary means to protect lands, including fee-simple acquisition, acceptance of land donations, and purchase or donation of conservation easements. The types of land protected include parkland, natural areas and wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, prime farmland and historic and cultural sites. Since inception, Lands Legacy has protected 1,755 acres of land in Orange County. ERCD is working with Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) to acquire riparian lands and conservation easements for an open space corridor along New Hope Creek from the site of the former Hollow Rock Store (Erwin Road) to the Durham County line - a distance of nearly one mile along the creek. This project would link Duke Forest lands in Orange County to New Hope Creek open space in Durham County. The proposed trail will help implement the New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan, adopted in 1989. TLC, in coordination with ERCD staff, has negotiated the purchase of approximately 25 acres adjacent to New Hope Creek owned by the Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill. TLC was awarded funds for the purchase of this land from the state Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP), and in return the EEP will require that the land be protected by a permanent conservation easement.