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4 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION <br />WHEREAS, the natural corridor of New Hope Creek preserves invaluable recreational <br />and educational opportunities, open space, wildlife habitat, and other historic and natural <br />resources; and <br />WHEREAS, the preservation of the New Hope Creek Corridor is essential for <br />maintaining the health of Jordan Lake and the Cape Fear River Basin; and <br />WHEREAS, the section of New Hope Creek at Turkey Farm Road supports a unique <br />community of freshwater mussels already imperiled by drought and the impacts of urban <br />development, including two State Endangered Species and Federal Species of Concern <br />(Carolina Creekshell, Atlantic Pigtoe), one State Endangered Species (Brook Floater), <br />one State Threatened Species (Creeper), one State Special Concern Species (Notched <br />Rainbow), one State Significantly Rare Species (Eastern Creekshell), and additional rare <br />species that inay include a previously undiscovered species of Lcznapsilis mussel; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County, Durham County, the Town of Chapel Hill, and the City of <br />Durham have continuously reaffirmed a commitment to the preservation of the New <br />Hope Creek corridor and its natural resources since the joint funding of the New Hope <br />Open Space Master Plan in 1989, adoption of the Master Plan in 1991; appointment of <br />the New Hope Creek Corridor Advisory Committee to advise on its implementation; and <br />the subsequent expenditure of five million dollars of local, state and private funds for <br />land protection pursuant to the Plan; and <br />WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has in the past <br />acknowledged the uniqueness of the New Hope Corridor and the value of the corridor to <br />the community by responding to concerns of the local jurisdictions and the public with an <br />expanded design for the bridge on US 15-501 over New Hope Creek to 300 feet with a <br />10-foot vertical clearance to enable safe wildlife passage and future greenway trails; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of <br />Commissioners respectfully requests that the North Carolina Department of <br />Transportation, North Carolina Division of Water Quality, and other involved state <br />agencies ensure the maintenance of high water quality, pristine habitat for aquatic <br />species, passage for terrestrial wildlife, and adequate recreational access in the design and <br />construction of the Turkey Farm Road Bridge at New Hope Creek. <br />BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />respectfully requests that the North Carolina Department of Transportation and other <br />involved state agencies consult with the Advisory Committee in any decisions that may <br />impact the New Hope Creek natural corridor and its planned preservation as laid out in <br />the New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan. <br />