Agenda 8-g - Ratification – Conservation Easement for Tunnel’s End Horse Farm

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1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 4, 2018 Action Agenda Item No. 8 -g SUBJECT: Ratification — Conservation Easement for Tunnel's End Horse Farm DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENTS INFORMATION CONTACT: 1. Location Map David Stancil, 245 -2510 2. Site Map Kim Livingston, 245 -2514 3. Executed Conservation Easement PURPOSE: To ratify the County Manager's decision to accept an agricultural conservation easement for Tunnel's End Horse Farm. BACKGROUND: The acquisition of conservation easements to protect highly important natural and cultural resource lands in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners, and is a priority of the Lands Legacy program. Since 2001, the County has partnered with landowners and other entities to protect 2,313 acres of significant natural areas and prime farmland with permanent conservation easements. Ms. Marianne Wegner contacted the County just before the Board of County Commissioners' summer break and expressed her wishes to donate to the County a conservation easement on her 16 -acre horse farm in an expedited fashion due to health reasons. Tunnel's End Horse Farm is located on Walnut Grove Church Road (Cedar Grove Township) just south of the Underwood property which already holds an Orange County conservation easement. Given the extenuating circumstances, the County Manager, after consulting with the BOCC Chair and Vice - Chair, accepted this conservation easement, and the transaction closed on August 15, 2018. The 16 -acre farm property is located in the Little River Protected Watershed, a priority watershed for acquiring agricultural easements in a dual effort to protect prime farmland and drinking water quality. The farm has 200 feet of frontage along the South Fork Little River, which supplies drinking water for the City of Durham. There are also two Natural Heritage Areas just 500 -feet downstream of this property — South Fork Little River Marsh and Little River Aquatic Habitat. Ms. Wegner donated a permanent conservation easement that restricts future development to protect prime farmland and streams, as well as scenic views of the farmland from Walnut Grove Church Road. There is one existing residence on the property. The easement prohibits future subdivision of the property and protects forested stream buffers located on the farm. Future farm activities will be in accordance with a Conservation Plan prepared for