Agenda - 10-12-2010 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 12, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. ~_ SUBJECT: Lands Le acy Action Plan for FY 2010-12 DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Ten Year Retrospective David Stancil, 245-2510 Draft Annual Action Plan (2010-12) Rich Shaw, 245-2514 Map of Proposed Priority Areas Status of Funding Sources Top 10 Natural/Cultural Sites Proposal PURPOSE: To consider the draft Lands Legacy Action Plan for the current and upcoming fiscal years (FY 2010-11 and FY 2011-12). BACKGROUND: The Board of Commissioners adopted the Lands Legacy Program in April 2000. Through this program, Orange County seeks to protect its most critical natural and cultural resources through a variety of voluntary means. Since 2000, the County has conserved or acquired 2,547 acres for a variety of parks or conservation purposes such as new parklands, nature preserves, conservation easements on farmland and natural lands, cultural resources, and watershed buffer lands. The County assisted in the acquisition of an additional 1,307 acres by other partners during this same timeframe. Most projects are accomplished in partnership with other conservation entities, including the Triangle Land Conservancy, Orange Water & Sewer Authority, Eno River Association, the Orange NRCS/Soil & Water office, State and federal trust funds, and adjoining local governments. A summary of the accomplishments and evolution of Lands Legacy over its first 10 years is included as "A Ten-Year Retrospective" (Attachment 1). The Lands Legacy Program is directed each two years by adoption of a two-year Action Plan. The 2010-12 Action Plan reflects acquisition priorities for the 24-month period beginning July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2012. As in years past, the draft Action Plan was developed with input from citizen advisory boards (listed with their areas of expertise in parentheses): Commission for the Environment (natural areas, prime forest, riparian buffers, open space/trails), Agricultural Preservation Board (farmland preservation), Historic Preservation Board (historic/cultural resources) and the Parks and Recreation Council (parklands, open space/trails). This Action Plan comes at a time where, after 10 years of learning and maturation, the program finds itself in a different position. During the remainder of this current economic downturn, while the State's conservation trust funds are in short supply, DEAPR proposes scaling back on new acquisitions in order to tend to its ever increasing responsibilities for the lands acquired and "land-banked" for future parks and preserves.