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<br />6. Resolutions or Proclamations <br />a. Resolution for Acceptance of Conservation Easement Donation (Penny} <br />The Board considered a resolution approving the acceptance of a conservation <br />easement for land awned by Wade and Carolyn Penny to protect open space and wildlife <br />habitat adjacent to the New Hope Creek corridor and authorizing the Chair and Clerk to sign, <br />subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney. <br />Environment and Resource Conservation Director Dave Stancil summarized the <br />information in the abstract. He pointed out the area on the map. The entire stretch of New <br />Hope Creek is now protected, from Duke Forest to the Durham County line. The hope is that <br />someday soon, the open space will connect to Jordan Lake. Because of the partnership and <br />the grants and private contributions, all of this land in the rural buffer has been acquired and <br />protected at a cost to Orange County of around $2,500 to $3,000 an acre. The Penny's have <br />reached agreement with the County on the last portion of the conservation activity, for a <br />donation of the conservation easement on the remaining seven acres of their land in Orange <br />County. The County's only costs related to this would be the transaction costs, primarily the <br />survey. He then read the resolution. <br />Approval of a Conservation Easement between <br />Orange County and Wade and Carolyn Penny <br />WHEREAS, Orange County has adopted goals that promote the preservation of natural areas, <br />wildlife habitat, farmland and open space in the County; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County established the Lands Legacy Program for the purpose of <br />protecting the mast significant natural and cultural resources through partnerships with <br />landowners and other conservation entities; 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 water <br />supply watersheds; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County, along with Durham County, the Town of Chapel Hill and the City of <br />Durham, adopted the New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan in 1991; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange Caunty is working in partnership with the Triangle Land Conservancy and <br />the neighboring jurisdictions to protect the section of the New Hope Corridor between Erwin <br />Road and the Durham County line, consistent with the master plan; and <br />WHEREAS, Wade and Carolyn Penny sold a 23-acre portion of their New Hope Creek land to <br />Orange County for conservation and low-impact recreational use in June 2006; and <br />WHEREAS, Wade and Carolyn Penny wish to permanently protect the remaining 7 acres of <br />their property located in Orange County with a conservation easement: <br />