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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 6-j <br />SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval —Amendment to the Volpe Conservation Easement <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />Parks and Recreation <br />( DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Resolution of Approval <br />Vicinity Map <br />Map of Existing Conservation Easement <br />Map of 3.62 -acre Area for Transfer from <br />Volpe to Davis Conservation <br />Easement <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2510 <br />Rich Shaw, 919 - 245 -2514 <br />1 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve an amendment to a conservation easement <br />held by Orange County for property owned by Mark and Lori Volpe. <br />BACKGROUND: In February 2004 Orange County accepted a permanent conservation <br />easement for a 23.4 -acre property owned by Mark and Lori Volpe. The Volpe property is <br />located north of Halls Mill Road northwest of Hillsborough (Cheeks Township). <br />The conservation easement protects a 300 -foot buffer and hardwood slope along the Eno River, <br />East Fork Eno River, and Halley Creek. This protected land is one of four properties with <br />conservation easements associated with the so- called Eno River Confluence — where the east <br />and west forks of the Eno join to form the Eno River itself north of Hillsborough. <br />The Volpes notified DEAPR in late 2013 that they wish to sell a 4.19 -acre portion of their land to <br />an adjoining landowner (Jason and Rebecca Davis), including a 3.62 -acre portion of the Volpe <br />property that is within the conservation easement. The County's conservation easement for the <br />Volpe property prohibits any subdivision of the 23.4 acres encumbered by the easement, so this <br />proposed land transaction would require an amendment to the conservation easement. <br />DEAPR informed the Volpes that it is Orange County's policy to consider amendments to <br />conservation easements only when the amendment would result in great protection of the <br />natural or cultural resources subject to the easement. <br />To satisfy that requirement the Volpes have persuaded Jason and Rebecca Davis to grant a <br />conservation easement on their portion of the forest buffer along Halley Creek, thereby <br />