S Warranty Deed of Conservation Easement - Michael M. Hughes and Dale A. Morgan

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Il��l�l��l��lj��f Illlf Illlllf Illlllllllll RB5734 444 19120 Exhibit D Summary of Baseline Documentation Report Hughes-Morgan Conservation Easement Orange County DEAPR(December 2013) This is a summary of the Baseline Documentation Report for a Conservation Easement to be granted to Orange County,North Carolina(Grantee)by Michael Hughes and Dale Morgan(Grantors),having an address of 8112 Orange Grove Road,Chapel Hill,NC 27516. Background Michael Hughes and Dale Morgan are owners of a 29.26-acre parcel of land(PIN 9840513908),a portion of which(11.18 acres)will be subject to the conservation easement. The property is located east of Orange Grove Road(SR 1006),approximately one-half mile south of the intersection with Teer Road(SR 1101)in southwestern Orange County(Bingham Township). Hughes and Morgan purchased this land as part of a 57-acre tract in 1999(Deed Book 2008/28)and subsequently sold off four lots as part of the Fern Creek subdivision. They reside in a temporary dwelling located on Lot 5 of the subdivision(outside of the Easement Area),and they plan to construct a long-term residence in the near future—also outside the Easement Area. Along with the family's residence and outbuildings,Lot 5 includes a forested area and a segment of Collins Creek. The subject 11.18-acre portion of Lot 5(hereinafter, "the Easement Area")is entirely forested and includes approximately 1,200 linear feet of Collins Creek,a perennial stream that originates in Orange County and flows into Chatham County and to the Haw River. Collins Creek is one of only four water bodies within Orange County's jurisdiction with water quality designated as"impaired"by the State of North Carolina. The County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan includes a specific objective to reduce the number of State-listed impaired streams by minimizing impacts of non-point and point source pollution. The conservation easement will help protect Collins Creek from pollution- Conservation Values The Easement Area has important conservation values that will be protected by the Conservation Easement. Those values are described below. 1) Natural area and wildlife habitat: It is a primary purpose of the conservation easement to conserve the undeveloped nature of the property and,in doing so,to support the natural area and wildlife habitat associated with this area. The Easement Area contains complex natural communities including: bottomland hardwood forest dominated by hardwood wetland trees; Collins Creek and three feeder streams;upland forest dominated by beech,oaks,hickories,and large pines;a diverse forested habitat for several species of birds;and natural depressions in low- lying areas that provide breeding sites for salamanders,a community ranked"globally rare"and "very rare in the state"by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. 2) Surface water quality: It is a primary purpose of the easement to protect the undeveloped nature of the Easement Area and,in doing so,helping to protect the water quality associated with Collins Creek. The Easement Area contains an intact segment of Collins Creek,which the State of North Carolina identifies on its list of"303(d)impaired streams."It is a specific objective of Orange Page 1 of 2