Agenda - 03-10-1987 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 DATA AND ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION This section presents a summary of data collected on the Rural Buffer grouped into three broad categories, Natural and Historic Resources, Infrastructure and Development, and Environmental Constraints to Development. More detailed information, along with references, is provided in the appendices at the end of the study. NATURAL AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES In terms of gross land area, farmland is the most important natural resource in the Rural Buffer. The 16,000 acres of farmland in the buffer comprises over 40% of its total land area . About 10,000 acres are considered prime or locally important farmland. Even though individual farm tracts range in size from one to five hundred acres, many of the parcels are clustered. Several clusters of over 1000 acres of contiguous farmland are located in the west and northwest portions of the Rural Buffer. Active farms, especially those on prime and locally important farmland, have an importance that extends far beyond food production . Agricultural concerns provide rural employment and insure that soil resources are entrusted to those who are in the best position to know the land ' s ` capacity. Farmlands provide for flood control and wildlife conservation . They provide scenic vistas and recreation space. Preserving farmland and enhancing incentives to keep land in farm acreage also helps to meet the County ' s long range goal of maintaining the rural character of the area. The 2,760 acres of Duke Forest tracts cover almost 10% of the Rural Buffer and are the largest unbroken areas of forest cover in the buffer. Several areas within the forest • are classified as "natural areas" by the university, reflecting sites of endangered and threatened species or unique species diversification . In addition to its biological importance, Duke Forest is also an important recreation area. University Lake and the surrounding lands are obviously a critical natural resource. First and foremost, it provides drinking water for 45,000 residents of southeastern Orange County. It also provides recreation and significant biological habitats. The University Lake lands have a very high species diversity and two threatened species have been recorded. Knowledge" bf'biologically important sites in the Rural. Buffer is incaplete. No areawide study has been done, although a registry of reported sites is maintained by the North Caro11ha - Natural Heritage , Program. The registry 1'r consists`pe of nantfy `"of `pfant`"Communities, such as that on PickardsMM9!.10-11,71 ,0� the headwaters of Morgan Creek . At least six endariiere _ r�Pe sp cies b8ybnd those already recorded are believed to exist in the -are4. Confirmation, though, does not exist.