ORD-2010-095 - Budget Amendment #5-A - Purchase of a Conservation Easement

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09 -p- 01010- oq5 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 14, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Resolution for Purchase of a Conservation Easement — Mark and Lori Volpe; and Approval of Budget Amendment # 5 -A DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENTS INFORMATION CONTACT: Resolution of Approval David Stancil, 245 -2510 Vicinity Map Rich Shaw, 245 -2514 Site Map Draft Conservation Easement PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve the purchase of a conservation easement in land owned by Mark and Lori Volpe to protect Eno River buffers and aquatic habitat and approval of Budget Amendment # 5 -A. BACKGROUND: The Lands Legacy Program, adopted in April 2000, works with landowners and other conservation partners to protect important natural and cultural resource lands in Orange County. Through this program, the County uses a variety of voluntary means to protect lands, including fee - simple acquisition, land donations, and purchase or donation of conservation easements. Since its inception, Lands Legacy has protected over 1,500 acres of prime farmland and riparian buffers with permanent conservation easements, and another 977 acres of important natural and cultural resource lands by other means. Mark and Lori Volpe own a 5,18 -acre parcel of land located north of Halls Mill Road (Cheeks Township). The Volpe property is entirely forested and has steep slopes leading down to the Eno River. It is adjacent to another 66 acres owned by the Volpes and includes their family residence. The Volpes intend to protect the 5.18 -acre property by granting a permanent conservation easement that would require that it remain "forever wild." The property has many conservation values that would benefit from an easement. It is located in the Upper Eno Protected Watershed, which the Lands Legacy Action Plan identifies as a priority area for conserving riparian buffers to protect drinking water quality and aquatic habitat. The land has 400 feet of Eno River frontage upstream of Corporation Lake and Lake Ben Johnson, which supply drinking water to residents of Efland and Hillsborough. This section of the Eno is also part of an Orange County Natural Heritage site (Eno Aquatic Habitat), recognized as nationally significant due to presence of rare and endangered species of fish and freshwater mussels. This project would expand on previous conservation efforts in this area known as the Eno Confluence. In 2004 the Volpes granted a conservation easement on a 24.5 -acre portion of