Agenda - 11-14-2006-5e - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 14, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. ~ -~ ~', SUBJECT: Agreement for County Co-Holding of Conservation Easements with the Eno River Association DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Conservation ATTACHMENT Proposed Agreement INFORMATION CONTACT: Geof Gledhill, 732-2196 David Stancil, 245-2590 Rich Shaw, 245-2591 PURPOSE: To consider an agreement between Orange County and the Eno River Association for the co-holding of conservation easements. BACKGROUND: The protection of riparian buffers in water supply watersheds in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners. During the past six years that goal has been implemented in part through the County's Lands Legacy Program, with over 1,663 acres of conservation lands protected thus far. One of the methods used by the Lands Legacy Program to protect riparian buffers is through conservation easements with private landowners. The Eno River Association (the "Association") is anon-profit land trust that seeks to protect the nature, culture and history of the Eno. River basin through various means, including the acquisition of conservation easements along the- Eno River and its tributaries. In some cases, it would be beneficial (or preferable to interested landowners) for Orange County and the Association to collaborate on the acquisition of conservation easements whose purpose is to protect riparian buffers and aquatic habitat in the Upper Eno watershed. For those instances, it would be helpful for both parties to have a written agreement that would clarify and formalize the collaboration. The County Attorney has worked with the attorney for the Association to prepare the attached agreement for the Board of Commissioners and the Association board of directors' consideration and approval. The agreement addresses how jointly held easements would be acquired, financed, managed and enforced. It also addresses how any reimbursement received from federal, state, or private sources for the costs of such easements would be distributed. The County entered into a similar agreement with the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) in 2005.