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The following are some common themes for the approach to this Plan: <br />• Focus on the stewardship of existing conservation properties <br />• Acknowledge many long-term conservation needs exist, but recognize short-term <br />financial constraints <br />• Complete the projects already underway <br />• Shift the program's emphasis on conserving significant natural areas <br />Some projects listed in the 2010-12 Action Plan are already familiar to the Board, while <br />other projects are multi-year projects repeated from previous action plans. Finally, a few <br />potential new projects are offered for the Board's consideration. Details of each project <br />are provided on pages 4-5 of the action plan. <br />• Bingham Township Park • Halls Mill and Faucette Mill <br />• Seven Mile Creek Preserve / Historic Sites <br />Mountains-to-Sea Trail Stewardship of Existing <br />• Jordan Lake Macrosite Properties <br />• Upper Eno Riparian Buffers • Upper Bolin Creek Corridor <br />• Farmland Conservation <br />Easements <br />The status of funding sources to pursue these projects is provided as Attachment 4. <br />Finally, along with this action plan, DEAPR is planning to embark on a public outreach <br />effort to coincide with this ten-year anniversary. Attachment 5 is a proposal to identify The <br />Top 10 Natural and Cultural Sites in Orange County. The purpose is to help people <br />recognize some of the special places we have here in Orange County -places that are <br />truly unique and help give the County its identity. Earlier this year, Land for Tomorrow, a <br />coalition that supports the preservation of North Carolina's land and water resources, <br />announced a similar "North Carolina's Ten Natural Wonders" Contest. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funds expended for priority projects over the two fiscal years <br />(2010-11 and 2011-12) are existing funds from prior appropriations of the Board from <br />2001-2006. No new funds have been appropriated since July 2006. These include <br />appropriations from the Lands Legacy Fund (2001 Parks and Open Space bonds <br />converted to alternative financing in 2008-09), the Conservation Easements Fund (Board- <br />approved financing and pay-as-you-go funds for conservation easements), the Lands <br />Legacy Opportunities Fund (pay-as-you-go funds from 2000-2006 sales tax revenues), <br />and Payment-in-Lieu Funds (funds generated by new subdivision activity for parks, <br />recreation and open space acquisition and construction). Where identified, the proposed <br />funding source is listed in the attached Action Plan. For many projects, DEAPR seeks <br />grant funds from a variety of state and federal sources. Thus far the County has received <br />12 grants totaling $5 million for conserving lands through Lands Legacy -considerably <br />leveraging and stretching County funds to date. <br />Final funding decisions are made by the Board on aproject-by-project basis, as potential <br />purchases are presented for approval. Not all potential projects in the draft Action Plan <br />will be pursued. In each case, separate project budgets and capital project ordinances <br />