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