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7 <br /> <br />Greg Wilder, County Manager’s office, said he could address the five topics highlighted 1 <br />by the BOCC last year: 2 <br />#6 - Raise the Age - accomplished 3 <br />#15- Voter registration – most parts of this are accomplished 4 <br />#24 - Bona fide farm use – addressed by Representative Meyer 5 <br />#29 - Agriculture – Support Conservation of Working Lands and Farmland Preservation 6 <br />#34 -Transportation funding 7 <br /> 8 <br />Chair Dorosin suggested that the Board look over the items in the packet, and to add or 9 <br />delete items, and send them to all board members over the next two weeks. He said he and 10 <br />Commissioner Rich will convene the Legislative Issues Working Group to compile a 11 <br />comprehensive list. 12 <br /> 13 <br />ITEM MOVED UP 14 <br />8. Consent Agenda 15 <br /> 16 <br />d. Resolution of Approval – Conservation Easement Amendment for Keith 17 <br />Arboretum 18 <br />The Board considered a resolution to approve an amendment to a conservation 19 <br />easement held by Orange County for the Keith Arboretum now owned by Pickoretum, LLC, and 20 <br />authorizing the Chair to sign. 21 <br />David Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) 22 <br />Director, reviewed this item, and said this is an amendment to an existing conservation 23 <br />easement. 24 <br /> 25 <br />BACKGROUND: 26 <br />In September 2005 the Board authorized Orange County’s acceptance of a conservation 27 <br />easement from Dr. Charles Keith. The Keith Arboretum, as it is now known, was purchased by 28 <br />Jeffery Fisher of Pickoretum, LLC. The Keith Arboretum is located at the end of Marion’s Ford 29 <br />Road (off Dairyland Road) in Bingham Township. 30 <br /> 31 <br />The conservation easement helps to protect 45 acres of arboretum consisting of an estimated 32 <br />5,000 different species of plants as well as the undeveloped woodlands, and the Morgan Creek 33 <br />headwater streams located on the property. The conservation easement was completed and 34 <br />recorded on May 19, 2006. 35 <br /> 36 <br />The property is comprised of four adjoining tracts (Attachment 2). The former Keith residence – 37 <br />a restored 1830’s log cabin – and the Arboretum are located on a 19-acre parcel 38 <br />(Tract A). Tracts B, C and D are entirely wooded and undeveloped. Future development 39 <br />rights were relinquished, with the exception of potential walking trails and a potential future 40 <br />visitor/educational center and maintenance buildings for the Arboretum (restricted to Tract 41 <br />A). Tracts B and C were to remain entirely undeveloped. 42 <br /> 43 <br />The owner, Jeff Fisher, initially requested an amendment to the easement that was broad in 44 <br />scope and did not maintain or enhance the conservation values of the property. DEAPR staff 45 <br />has worked with Mr. Fisher to amend the conservation easement to better serve the needs of 46 <br />the arboretum while upholding the original conservation values of the property. 47 <br /> 48 <br />Kim Livingston, Land Conservation Manager, reviewed the following proposed 49 <br />amendments that have been agreed upon by Mr. Fisher and staff: 50