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<br /> <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 6, 2017 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-e <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Request for Funding Assistance - Eno River Association Clean Water <br />Management Trust Fund Applications <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks <br />and Recreation (DEAPR) <br /> <br /> <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />1. Letters from the Eno River Association <br />2. Location Map <br />3. Iski Site Map <br />4. Hobgood Site Map <br />5. Draft Letters of Funding Commitments <br />6. Orange County Grant Agreements <br /> <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2510 <br />Kim Livingston, 245-2514 <br />Rich Shaw, 245-2511 <br /> <br />PURPOSE: To consider a request for matching funds from the Eno River Association for <br />Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant applications for the acquisitions of the Iski and <br />Hobgood properties. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: The acquisition of conservation easements to protect highly important <br />natural and cultural resource lands in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of <br />Commissioners, and is a priority of the Lands Legacy program. Since 2001, the County has <br />partnered with landowners and other entities to protect 2,244 acres of significant natural <br />areas and prime farmland with permanent conservation easements. <br /> <br />The Eno River Association submitted Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant <br />applications in February for two fee-simple acquisitions of lands along the Upper Eno River <br />corridor – the 56.31-acre Iski property, and the 22.66-acre Hobgood property. It is the intent <br />of the Eno River Association to have Orange County hold conservation easements on both <br />the Iski and Hobgood properties. The Association requests matching fund assistance from <br />Orange County for both acquisitions. The Eno River Association closed on the Iski Property <br />on May 15, 2017, and has the Hobgood Property under contract contingent on receiving all <br />necessary funding. The Hobgood property acquisition would also be augmented with an <br />additional 19-acre conservation easement donation by the landowner on farm property <br />across Highland Farm Road (please see Attachment 4). <br /> <br />The Iski Property is located on Lebanon Road in Cheeks Township, a short distance <br />downstream from the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Eno River. This <br />confluence and the Upper Eno River corridor north and west of Hillsborough, has long been a <br />top priority for conservation in the Lands Legacy Program. The site is just upstream of <br />Corporation Lake, near Duke Forest and other Orange County conservation lands. The Iski <br />property is entirely forested and has two small sheds, but is otherwise undeveloped. The <br />property contains over one-mile of stream frontage, of which 3,600-feet are on the Eno River <br />6