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ORD -2014 -028 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 6 -i <br />SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval — Conservation Easement for Jason and Rebecca Davis <br />and Approval of Budget Amendment #9 -C <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, <br />Parks and Recreation <br />(DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Resolution of Approval <br />Vicinity Map <br />Site Map <br />Draft Conservation Easement <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2510 <br />Rich Shaw, 919- 245 -2514 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve the acceptance by Orange County of a <br />conservation easement to protect a portion of a property owned by Jason and Rebecca Davis; <br />and to approve Budget Amendment #9 -C. <br />BACKGROUND: The Lands Legacy Program works with landowners and other conservation <br />partners to protect important natural and cultural resource lands in Orange County. Through <br />this program, the County uses a variety of voluntary means to protect lands, including fee - <br />simple acquisition, land donations, and purchase or donation of conservation easements. Since <br />the program's inception (April 2000), the County and its partners have protected well over 2,000 <br />acres of prime farmland and riparian buffers with permanent conservation easements, and <br />another 1,000 acres of important natural and cultural resource lands by other means. <br />Jason and Rebecca Davis own a 10.4 -acre property located on Valley Wood Road (Cheeks <br />Township). The property has 1,000 feet of frontage on Halley Creek, which flows to the Eno <br />River just 1,700 feet downstream. The property is located in the "critical area" of the Upper Eno <br />Protected Watershed, which the Lands Legacy Action Plan identifies as a priority watershed for <br />conserving riparian buffers to help protect drinking water quality and aquatic habitat. <br />The owners intend to protect a three -acre portion of their property with a permanent <br />conservation easement. The area is entirely forested with mature hardwoods and has steep <br />slopes above Halley Creek. Protecting this forested buffer will limit future runoff and pollution <br />into the Eno River. The conservation easement will add to the significant amount of protected <br />land located along this section of the Eno River. Adjacent to the Davis property there are two <br />conservation easements held by Orange County on properties owned by Mark and Lori Volpe, <br />