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~~5~ aoO,s a4 ~' <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 9" d ~ ~ "~~`s <br />RESOLUTION ~Q- <br />Approval of a Conservation Easement Between <br />Orange County and Dr. Charles Keith <br />WHEREAS, Orange County has adopted goals promoting the preservation of natural areas, <br />wildlife habitat, farmland and open space in the County; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County has adopted measures that exceed State minimum standards to <br />protect public water supply watersheds, including the University Lake watershed, which <br />provides drinking water to the residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro; and <br />WHEREAS, one component of the Lands Legacy Program is the acquisition of conservation <br />easements on lands that include natural areas, wildlife habitat and riparian buffers within <br />water supply watersheds; and <br />WHEREAS, Dr. Charles Keith owns 81 acres of land adjacent to Pickard's Mountain and <br />including headwaters of Morgan Creek within the University Lake Protected Watershed; and <br />WHEREAS, Dr. Keith has already protected 45 acres of the property with a conservation <br />easement that he granted to the Triangle Land Conservancy; and <br />WHEREAS, Dr. Keith wishes to permanently protect the remaining 36 acres of the property, <br />which includes a restored 1830s log cabin, an Arboretum and undeveloped forestland; and <br />WHEREAS, a conservation easement provides awin-win scenario -ensuring the <br />preservation of this private property for future generations and providing some level of <br />financial compensation to Dr. Keith; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />does hereby 1) accept on behalf of Orange County the conservation easement in the <br />property owned by Dr. Charles Keith that is described in the conservation easement <br />agreement; 2) approve the execution of this conservation easement agreement with Dr. <br />Charles Keith, in accordance with the terms of the attached easement agreement, subject to <br />final review by staff and the county attorney; and 3) authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign <br />the easement agreement on behalf of the Board, with a closing to occur on or about <br />November 30, 2005. <br />BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board thanks Dr. Keith for his civic-minded interest in <br />pursuing this conservation easement through the County's Lands Legacy Program. <br />This the 7'h day of September, 2005. <br />Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board <br /> <br />Moses Carey Jr., Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />