Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
25 <br /> 1-21-93 Final Version <br /> SECTION II . GOALS AND ACTION STRATEGIES <br /> Early in this process, the Committee concluded that Rural Character <br /> means different things to different persons. As such, defining <br /> rural character and setting goals for the protection of that <br /> character are no simple task. <br /> To adopt goals for the study, Committee members visited with <br /> residents from each portion of the County on several occasions. The <br /> Committee also contemplated data on the resources, activities and <br /> long-term plans for the County. From this work, goals for <br /> protection of rural character were developed. The goals fell into <br /> four broad categories : <br /> GOALS OF 'THE 'RURAL CHARACTER STUDY <br /> 1 . PRESERVE AND PROTECT AGRICULTURE AND MANAGED FORESTRY <br /> 2 . PRESERVE AND PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES <br /> 3 . PRESERVE AND PROTECT VISUAL RESOURCES <br /> • <br /> 4. MANAGE GROWTH WHILE PROTECTING THE ABOVE <br /> The following sections contain action strategies recommended by the <br /> Committee to accomplish each of these goals. <br /> GOAL 1: PRESERVE AND PROTECT AGRICULTURE AND MANAGED FORESTRY. <br /> Agriculture is Orange 's County's oldest economy and is the source <br /> of much of the area's "rural character" . References to dairies, <br /> tobacco farms, and livestock operations can be found in the <br /> earliest colonial records of the County. While active agricultural <br /> operations exist in Rural Orange today, the amount of land involved <br /> in agriculture has declined dramatically. Between 1959 and 1987 , <br /> farmland acreage has decreased by almost 45 percent. Even so, in <br /> 1987 almost 32% of the County was in farm use. Of this amount, 60% <br /> was cropland or pastureland. <br /> Forest land managed for timber production and/or the provision of <br /> wildlife habitats is also a crucial component of the County's rural <br /> character. Forest resources, both private and public, provide homes <br /> for a wide variety of plant and animal species . <br /> ACTION STRATEGIES <br /> Strategies recommended for inclusion in the Rural Character Element <br /> of the Comprehensive Plan include the following: <br /> 1 . Implement open-space development options that permit <br /> residential subdivisions and farming/forestry operations to <br /> co-exist. Encourage development options that allow farming to <br /> 5 <br />