Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Little River Park Advisory Committee Interim Report 811101 <br /> g <br /> loblolly forest in succession to an upland oak-hickory forest, which should <br /> predominate within the next 100 years. The forest consists mostly of hardwoods <br /> along the Little River (sycamore, red maple, and river birch). Portions of the site <br /> have downed trees from Hurricane Fran (Sept. 1996) and a May 2000 windstorm. <br /> II. Property Values <br /> Riparian buffers established by forming the park will help protect aquatic species in <br /> the Little River. The river supports populations of four freshwater mussels listed by <br /> the state as "threatened" (yellow lampmussel, Atlantic pigtoe, triangle floater, <br /> squawfoot), and another that is "significantly rare" in NC (notched rainbow). Three <br /> of the five mussel species are candidates for federal listing as threatened or <br /> endangered species. The presence of these mussels is evidence of the high water <br /> quality of the Little River. <br /> Wildlife known to use the property includes deer, wild turkey, beaver, river otter, <br /> weasel, salamanders and numerous migratory birds. <br /> The property includes a number of historic and archaeological features, including the <br /> old Law family farmhouse and outbuildings, remnants of old roads, and an old mill <br /> site, which likely served to meet the needs of the owners of this property and <br /> possibly some of the neighboring landowners. An archaeological survey of the <br /> entire property was recently completed to help identify the locations of important <br /> sites. The information from that survey will be used for siting future park facilities <br /> and for identifying areas of historic and cultural interest for interpretation. <br /> III. Public Meeting <br /> The Committee held a public meeting on March 1, 2001 at the Pleasant Green <br /> Community Center. The meeting started with short presentations about the park <br /> property, including the history of use, natural and cultural resources, site conditions, <br /> and proposed park facilities. Committee members and staff received comments and <br /> answered questions on topics ranging from site features to park design to future <br /> park management. Citizens were then provided an opportunity to "vote" on what <br /> uses they would like to see allowed in the Little River Regional Park and Natural <br /> Area. It was explained that the allowed uses would not be determined by popular <br /> vote, but the information would be useful to gauge the demand for certain kinds of <br /> proposed uses. A total of 44 people participated in the exercise. The results are <br /> provided as Attachment D. A summary of comments is provided as Attachment E. <br /> IV. Discussion of Proposed Uses <br /> The Little River parkland is being acquired with a combination of public and private <br /> funds. Since the beginning of the project the stated purposes of acquiring this land <br /> have been watershed protection, preservation of open space and wildlife habitat, <br /> and low-impact recreation, including hiking, picnic areas and nature study. <br /> Page 5 of 12 <br />