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8 <br /> lOWASAI <br /> ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY <br /> A public, non-profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services <br /> to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community. <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Board of Directors <br /> THROUGH: Ed Kerwin <br /> FROM: Ruth Rouse <br /> DATE: August 19, 2016 <br /> SUBJECT: Determine Whether the Mountains-to-Sea Trail May Be Located on OWASA <br /> Property and If So, What Conditions Must Be Met <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST)is a trail that will extend over 1000 miles from the Great <br /> Smoky Mountains to Jockey's Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks. Over half the planned trail <br /> has been completed to date. The MST is a part of the state parks system, but different sections of <br /> the trail are managed by various groups or local governments. Other background information on <br /> the MST can be found on the Friends of the MST website. <br /> THE MST IN ORANGE COUNTY <br /> In April 2010, the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) approved a wide trail <br /> corridor after working through the County's Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (Attachment <br /> 1). There are portions of the MST in Orange County that are completed and open for public use <br /> near the Town of Hillsborough. <br /> On November 18, 2015 representatives from the North Carolina Division of Parks and <br /> Recreation presented the MST Statewide Master Plan to the BOCC. At that meeting the BOCC <br /> requested county staff to develop a draft plan to address the MST in Orange County. County <br /> staff presented a proposed process to the BOCC at its January 21, 2016 meeting. The BOCC <br /> approved the planned process at the meeting. Based on that approved process, Orange County <br /> staff are currently working with other groups and holding public meetings to transition the trail <br /> planning corridor to a proposed trail alignment(s). Additional information including a list of <br /> frequently asked questions is located on the County's website. <br /> POTENTIAL TO USE OWASA LAND FOR PORTION OF MST <br /> Past Actions by OWASA Board of Directors <br /> A portion of the proposed MST corridor is located on OWASA-owned land near Cane Creek <br /> Reservoir, one of OWASA's drinking water supplies. In December 2009, the chair of the <br /> OWASA Board of Directors on behalf of the entire Board sent a letter to Chair of the BOCC <br /> 400 Jones Ferry Road Equal Opportunity Employer Voice(919) 968-4421 <br /> Carrboro, NC 27510-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper www.owaca.org <br /> 4.2 <br />