Agenda - 10-05-2004-5i - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 5, 2Q04 Action Agenda , Item No. ,5 - i SUBJECT: Agreement for County and OWASA Co-Holding of Conservation Easements DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Conservation ATTACHMENT INFORMATION CONTACT: Proposed Agreement Geof Gledhill, 732-2196 David Stancil, 245-2590 Rich Shaw, 245-2591 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider an agreement between Orange County and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) for the co-holding of conservation easements. BACKGROUND: The acquisition of agricultural conservation easements to help preserve prime farmland in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners. During the past four years, that goal has been implemented in part through the County's Lands Legacy Program, with over 415 acres of farmland protected thus far, Additional public benefits have been achieved by focusing those efforts in water supply watersheds. The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) seeks to protect water resources by various means, including the acquisition of watershed protection conservation easements within the Cane Creek and University Lake watersheds. Some of those conservation easements executed by OWASA also help to protect farmland and woodlands by limiting the potential for future development of the easement properties, In some cases, it would be beneficial (or preferable to interested landowners) for Orange County and OWASA to collaborate on the acquisition of conservation easements whose purpose is to protect prime farmland in the Cane Creek or University Lake watersheds, For those instances, it would be helpful far both parties to have a written agreement that would clarify and formalize the collaboration.