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8 October 13, 2009 Attachment 4 NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail Corridor through Orange County Key Questions and Decision Points Background The North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is a planned 1 ,000-mile trail that will traverse the state from the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina to the Outer Banks on the Atlantic coast (Attachment 2). The MST trail corridor has been defined in the eastern and western parts of the state for some time now, but the route through the more- populous eastern Piedmont had not been identified until recent years. In 2007, the State Parks office approved a proposed corridor for the "Eastern Piedmont" section of the MST as shown on the map (Attachment 3). The primary trail route would connect Haw River State Park north of Greensboro to Falls Lake in Wake County. In Alamance County the trail would follow the Haw River to the Alamance/Orange county line. The trail would then turn northeast along Cane Creek through OWASA-owned land at Cane Creek Reservoir, and then continue northeast through the County's Seven Mile Creek Preserve to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. From Occoneechee Mountain the trail would follow the Eno River along Hillsborough's Riverwalk and through Eno River State Park into Durham County. The general route for the MST corridor through Orange County is shown on Attachment 4. The proposed MST from Hillsborough east is largely through public lands and private conservation lands along the Eno River. Eno River State Park has already identified a specific MST route through the park. West and south of Hillsborough, however, the specific trail route is uncertain and complicated by the fact that more land is in private ownership. It is important to point out that all MST trail segments are considered "planned" or "proposed" routes until the trail is already constructed and formally designated part of the State Trail system. A government agency must submit a formal application for designation. Alamance County had one section of trail designated MST in 2008 and another section that is pending. Although discussed in previous years, Orange County has not yet endorsed the State's planned MST trail route through the county. Toward that end, Staff has identified the following decision points for Board discussion and feedback: 1) Is the Board ready to endorse the general alignment of the planned MST corridor through Orange County? The State's preferred route was identified in 2007 following a two-year stakeholder process that included involving Orange County staff, OWASA staff, land trusts, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and the staff from neighboring jurisdictions. The two points where the MST would enter Orange County from its western and eastern boundaries have been endorsed by the neighboring jurisdictions. Durham County approved the route as part of its City-County Greenways Plan adopted in 1