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

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Lands Lega~yAct/on Plan 2010-12 Oran 10/12/10 Introduction The purpose of Orange County's Lands Legacy Program is to help protect the county's most important natural and cultural resource lands before they are damaged or lost to incompatible activities. This is a highly ambitious mission, nevertheless over the first 10 years of the program the County and its partners have protected many of the county's truly special places for the enjoyment of future generations. Even so, much remains to be done. Lands Legacy works with landowners who are interested in conserving their land. All projects are voluntary. Some properties are purchased outright to serve a specific public purpose, such as a park or nature preserve, consistent with in an adopted county plan. Most properties that are protected through the program are accomplished by a permanent conservation agreement (i.e., easement between the County and the landowner, whereby the land remains in private ownership. To qualify for a conservation easement the property must have special conservation va/ues, the protection of which will provide meaningful and lasting public benefit (e.g., water supply watershed, prime farmland, natural heritage area, historic or cultural value). In most cases the property has multiple conservation values. Most of the projects completed through Lands Legacy are in partnership with other organizations, such as Eno River Association, Triangle Land Conservancy, Orange Water and Sewer Authority, Duke University, and other local governments. The County often uses state and federal matching grant funds to acquire land. or to construct facilities. The Lands Legacy Program is guided by a two-year Action P/an that sets priorities for determining what projects to work on over the specified timeframe. The Lands Legacy Action Plan is prepared every two years and adopted by the Board of Commissioners. Some projects are longer-term efforts and span multiple plans. The process of developing the Action Plan begins with staff identifying potential projects and asking the Board for initial guidance. Staff then meets with advisory boards for their input on development of priorities for the upcoming years. Comments from advisory boards are summarized on Page 6. Staff prepares a draft Plan and presents it to the Board of Commissioners for their consideration and feedback. The Action Plan is then finalized for Board approval prior to adoption of the CIP. ******* The following is the Action Plan is for the fiscal years 2010-2012. Unlike previous Action Plans, this plan focuses on fewer target areas. The reason for limiting the scope of program at this time is largely in response to the ongoing economic downturn. Funding from the State's conservation trust funds, which the County used to complete many projects .over the past decade, is in short supply as it is being used to fill the State's budget shortfall. The scaled back plan will nevertheless benefit the program in other ways. Fewer new projects will enable the staff to complete projects already underway and also tend to its stewardship of the lands acquired and "land-banked" for future public parks and preserves. 2 12 For the period 1u/y 1, 2010 -lone 30, 2012