Agenda - 12-12-2017 - 6-c - Lands Legacy Action Plan for 2018-2020

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2 Preservation Board (for historic/cultural resources); and the Parks and Recreation Council (for parklands, open space/trails). This Action Plan comes at a time where staff is mindful of several new developments that will affect the County's land conservation actions and decisions: • An improving regional economy — an upturn following the Great Recession (2008-12) providing more conservation opportunities and resulting in higher land values. • No more NC Conservation Tax Credit — The NC General Assembly eliminated one of the important incentives for landowners to donate conservation easements or enter into bargain sales. The tax credit program expired December 31, 2013. • Less funding from the State — Although the state budget includes funding for land conservation, the amount of grant funds available to local governments from the state trust funds has been reduced significantly. • County parks master plan update — The new Orange County Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2030 was completed and adopted in 2014. The plan helps guide future Lands Legacy program acquisitions related to parks, open space and trails, with an emphasis on completing planned and land-banked parks, and expanding and enhancing nature preserves. • County funding for conservation easements — The BOCC approved a biennial allocation of $500,000 in the Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for conservation easement purchases. These funds are expected to leverage outside funds from various sources. Most of the priority focus areas in the 2018-2020 Action Plan are multi-year projects repeated from previous action plans. This has often been in the case in prior Action Plans, as many of these projects take considerable time to come to fruition. A few potential new projects are offered for the Board's consideration. Details of each are provided on pages 4-5 of the action plan. Among the priorities in this three-year plan are: • Upper Eno Preserve/ • Wildlife and Natural Mountains-to-Sea Trail Connection Corridors between • Farmland Easements New Hope Creek and the Eno • Bingham Township Park River • Jordan Lake Headwaters • Local Historic Landmarks Preserve FINANCIAL IMPACT: Most of the funds available for this new three-year Action Plan are existing funds from prior appropriations of the Board. Much of the prior funding in the Lands Legacy Fund (current balance of $3,211,000) is from these prior appropriations, most of which tracks back to the voter-approved 2001 Parks and Open Space Bond (converted to alternative financing in 2010). The success in leveraging grant funds (over $5 million to date) has enabled the final installment of these funds to last into current and upcoming fiscal years. Additional funding sources for Lands Legacy activity include $482,000 in Parks and Open Space Payment-in-Lieu Funds (funds generated by new subdivision activity for parks, recreation and open space acquisition and construction — which must be used in the district collected). In addition, the Board allocated $500,000 biennial for the Conservation Easement Fund as part of