RES-2002-038 Resolution Supporting the Triangle Greenprint

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE TRIANGLE GREENPRINT WHEREAS, the preservation of open space provides many benefits to Orange County residents including parks, historic and scenic landscapes, habitat for wildlife and native plants, farmland and rural character, water and air quality protection; and WHEREAS, Orange County implemented a Lands Legacy program in April 2000 to protect important natural areas, parklands, watershed buffers, farmland and cultural and historic sites in the County, working with other public and private partners; and WHEREAS, the Lands Legacy program has protected or preserved over 800 acres of land in its two years of operation—including joint initiatives with other entities; and WHEREAS, in November 2001, voters in the County approved an additional $7 million for the Lands Legacy program as part of the parks and open space bonds; and WHEREAS, Orange County is currently updating its 1988 Inventory, of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitat to examine the status of the existing 64 sites identified in 1988, and explore the existence of other previously-unidentified sites; and WHEREAS the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law making it the States goal to permanently protect an additional one million acres of open space(G.S. 113A-241); and WHEREAS,the Triangle J Council of Governments, Triangle Land Conservancy, and NC Division of Parks and Recreation have formed the Triangle GreenPrint Project and have released a Regional Open Space Assessment; and WHEREAS, the Regional Open Space Assessment documents important open space areas in the six-county Triangle region that were identified by 140 professional and citizen open space experts; and WHEREAS, the Regional Open Space Assessment identifies many open space areas that may offer opportunities for Orange County to collaborate with other government jurisdictions to protect them; and WHEREAS,the likelihood of protection of these open space areas will be enhanced through awareness of their significance and adoption of formal plans for their protection; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Orange County Board of Commissioners thanks and recognizes the efforts of the 140 technical experts who provided their expertise to develop the Regional Open Space Assessment as an overview of Triangle open spaces that are worthy of some level of protection; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board asks County staff to compare the report to the County's existing Lands Legacy Long-Term Priorities 2001-2010, and Annual Action Plan, for consistency, and that the County share with the GreenPrint any information about significant open space that may have been overlooked in the Regional Open Space Assessment, so that it may be incorporated in future documents.