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Part II : Biological Diversity IF St hisillss ues ■ Forest loss and fragmentation from residential construction ( 10 % over the last decade) Goal • Slow, halt or reverse natural area and resource losses (goal of 10 % of County lands protected in some fashion by the year 2010) R IF I ecommendationsMr • Direct more county and matching funds toward acquiring critical natural resource lands (planned Lands Legacy program ) _ • County codes , ordinances , and regulations should better promote protection of biologically- significant sites • Greater coordination of regional conservation across County boundaries • Develop better monitoring/assessment programs for biological diversity and forest loss , such as review and update of the 1988 Inventory ofNaturalAreas and Wildlife Habitat Part III : Environmental Indicators/Education Statusllssues • Parkland deficit of 645 acres in 2000 , based on population standards • Farmland has declined by 76 % from 1967- 1996 , and 10% of hardwood forests have been lost in the last decade • Increased vehicle miles traveled (up 43 % from 1987- 1997) ; limited bicycle- friendly infrastructure Mr Goals: IN • Need more precise planning to avoid loss of future losses of key resources • Need method of assessing sustainability levels via indicators that can be measured and evaluated annually • Coordinate with environmental recommendations identified by other committees RecomNL mendationsFI+L MI IF I IF • Adopt and implement a farmland preservation plan including transfer of development rights (TDR) and purchase of development rights (PDR) . Preservation of farmland will help the County ' s overall environment . • Commit funds to developing bikeways according to the Bicycle Plan • Update the natural areas inventory • Use the Shaping Orange County ' s Future sustainability indicators report to begin monitoring the County ' s progress, and fund dissemination of the report when ready • Increase dramatically public outreach and education, including expansion of the County ERCD/CFE web site for these purposes • The Planning and Ell" CD departments should develop a more cohesive plan for open space that involves revising existing tools (such as the Environmental Impact Ordinance) and implementing new tools that the CFE is continuing to evaluate . For more information or to receive a copy of the full report, visit the Environment and Resource Conservation Department web site at www . co . orange . nc . us/ercd, or call 245-2597.