Agenda - 06-03-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W Location in Protected Watershed One impetus for developing a purchase of development rights proposal was the desire to address the concerns of landowners in watershed areas. In April, 1990, permitted residential densities in the University Lake watershed were lowered to one dwelling unit per five acres. Prior to that time, land in a designated critical area could be developed at a density of one unit per two acres. Outside of a critical area, densities of one unit per acre were permitted.. By July 1, 1992, Orange County as well as other local governments across North Carolina must submit watershed protection ordinances to the N.C. Environmental Management Commission for approval. The State - mandated watershed protection programs will have a significant impact on Orange County, since nearly 60 percent of the county's land area is in one watershed or another. From the standpoint of watershed protection, retaining land in agriculture and forest use can be beneficial. Where development is limited, stormwater discharges and pollutants carried by the runoff are reduced. The basis for assigning points for this factor is thus to award higher scores in areas where watershed protection standards are more stringent, and few or none where such standards are limited or do not exist. Location in Protected Watershed Points Inside WS -II watershed 10.0 Inside critical area of WS -III watershed 7.5 Outside critical area of WS -III watershed 5.0 Inside WS -IV watershed 2.5 Outside protected watershed 0.0 The watershed classifications referenced above are those proposed by the N.C. Environmental Management Commission. Associated with each classification is a set of minimum watershed protection standards, summarized in graphic form on the following pages. Presence of Natural Areas Another.:_4—,4 for the preparation of this proposal was the desire to.pp6tect significant natural areas and wildlife habitats. In 1987 and 1988, the Triangle Land Conservancy conducted an inventory and identified 64 such sites in Orange County. These sites are potentially. threatened by agricultural as well as urban expansion. The assignment of points based on the significance of the site recognizes their importance. The acquisition of development rights will protect such sites from urban expansion, but it does not address cropland expansion and deforestation. These concerns may be addressed through the use of conservation easements which limit the disturbance and /or destruction of natural, areas.