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8—10 <br />Orange County Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan <br /> CHAPTER 8 - Economic, Health and Environmental Impacts of Parks and Recreation 8 <br /> <br />Many of our parks also include remnants of our <br />past, such as former homesteads, old roadways, or a <br />burial ground. These historically and culturally <br />significant areas can add a great deal to the visitors’ <br />interest and they provide opportunities for <br />educational programs and site interpretation. In <br />some cases they can add to the heritage tourism in <br />the community. Examples of parks with historically- <br />significant amenities in Orange County include the <br />former Patterson Mill dam in Duke Forest, the <br />Piper-Cox House within Eno River State Park, the <br />historic Ayr Mount property managed by Classical <br />American Homes Preservation Trust, and the historic <br />farmstead at Orange County Blackwood Farm. <br />D. Parks, Recreation and the Environment <br />In addition to the important role parks and recrea- <br />tion programs play in public health, parks also are an <br />important part of protecting our shared natural <br />environment. Parks and open spaces constitute an <br />important part of the county’s “green infrastruc- <br />ture." As noted above, they help protect water <br />resources by filtering pollutants from streams, pro- <br />tect air quality by offering large wooded areas that <br />help absorb airborne pollutants, and provide <br />important breaks in impervious surfaces and built <br />areas to lessen the effect of reflective heat and the <br />resultant impacts on air quality and climate. <br /> <br />Parks can also host a variety of flora and fauna. <br />Most parks include undeveloped areas that <br />surround the athletic fields, picnic shelters, parking, <br />and other facilities. The preservation of these “green <br />spaces” can also help protect native plant and <br />animal species that have lost their habitat in <br />surrounding developed areas. These areas may <br />include nature trails or they may be set aside as <br />natural areas with no trails or other recreational <br />amenities. Many of the areas located inside our <br />parks and nature preserves are recognized as <br />significant natural heritage areas by the North <br />Carolina Department of Environment and Natural <br />Resources. These special areas include unique and <br />exemplary terrestrial and aquatic habitats that <br />critical for supporting important animals, plants and <br />ecosystems. As of 2009 there were 6,206 acres of <br />Natural Heritage Areas in parks or other protected <br />open space in Orange County.30 <br />See Appendix 8-1 for Endnotes. <br />94