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<br /> Orange Coun ty preserves park lan
<br /> d
<br /> - - �. EFLANO gram s land
<br /> d conservation manoALAI
<br /> 1.
<br /> r
<br /> ,_ J � , e ager, asked as he looked out
<br /> ti A �' v` , , ` s over McGowan's Creek in the
<br /> A . By Brent Lancaster
<br /> ,n a+ nature preserve.
<br /> V .A If ' f ` tz Times News His answer: "To protect a
<br /> rip , L
<br /> Much of the land between watershed but also to protect
<br /> er
<br /> �s. fsr 'j i ' Hillsborough and Mebane some green space. There willAll. I
<br /> mls� �� Al y � ' ,,L } iz along U.S. 70 could be a hot be fewer and fewer of these
<br /> t
<br /> � : ; area for development in the areas left."
<br /> ��
<br /> + L � w next few years, but not all of it. Duke University once
<br /> - f. Ar=` Just off the noisy highway, owned the McGowan Creek
<br /> All�jf ,t tax . LAI �. east of Efland, is 63 acres of land as part of Duke Forest
<br /> T �'� L ` ' r unALL Atouched hardwood forest The university had plans to
<br /> ti i' 4. ` ` it sell it to developers, but the
<br /> i � .
<br /> tk � ° v K i ., $ Er near the Eno River, and offs-
<br /> �„ " �~ �* 'r cials in Orange County have , county stepped in. Orange
<br /> " t rY made sure that it stays just the County paid $280,000 for the
<br /> 11+ , } x land, half of which was state
<br /> Y . i , . 4":;N way it is.
<br /> A . t& a'¢- .:y3 `�M`'" The county acquired the grant money, Shaw said.
<br /> ALP �� " +; j�: ,_7 y ; The area will be turned into
<br /> s _ . • land, now called the McGowan
<br /> Vk ;L,5 p3" - „ : ,5m� �, a low impact park with hiking
<br /> ,� IOU:tI S Creek Preserve, as part of its
<br /> l � - F t~ , ; t 4 + A� a ,� x .w ti trails. Even with Eno River
<br /> .dFALands Legacy effort The pro State Park within its borders ,
<br /> � 4 i ,r . � �" ! .if � � j - ` ', gram, which kicked off in
<br /> Yf �t :� 4 �� ,- . Orange County has 645 less
<br /> , t ; ` April, is the first county level acres of park land than it
<br /> s " E; t ' ,"` ' c 'i land resource program of its should far its population size
<br /> �.. ,ti +pt+sue » s . P
<br /> . ` 3 + : �- - Y kind in the state, said David '
<br /> : �` ` � ' Shaw said.
<br /> fy� fi LILA , fi x�' Stencil, head of the county's Parkland is the focus of the
<br /> � �?' + � - z y ,LPAI
<br /> Environment and Resource ,
<br /> L e programs first year. The coun-
<br /> c s a s Conservation Department,
<br /> �',�,,, ty is now working with
<br /> 1" tyALL" s.: N ; ,� � � ,} 5 The program uses county Durham County; the Triangle
<br /> i �' 2 :f � , # a " r y ti ' ' funds and grant money to buy
<br /> 1 �ti3 try s� dv `� 1' ` { Land Conservancy and the
<br /> # ; . and preserve land in Orange Eno River Association to
<br /> all, t � Y , r
<br /> t^ � ' a' ' "` County that is threatened by establish the Little River
<br /> vsf � ;J4 development. The county
<br /> `� n1R A, ,jij �" AAA A
<br /> , ' ` t hopes to preserve prime farm Regional Park and Natural
<br /> 1 �, L, , „ i u ? Area . on 391' acres along . the
<br /> Askz land park and natural areas
<br /> u t -ALL s1 border with Durham County.
<br /> -. } s� 1 ems} t watershed buffers and historicfill Plans are also in the works
<br /> f r { '� A . - f ,' � � _ z districts. for parks between Chapel Hill
<br /> x � o� f � "Why would a county buy
<br /> r T ' "' this? " Richard Shaw, the pro- See ORANGE/Page C2
<br /> Ltgq�fL , r -f�L r
<br /> „ � �t. k:� Y' ;,„�: 3i'' tkr irxl 4�i f -::+i� r . # P4 ,� a .# 7. '
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<br /> S -ue• 3 Wit.=- ^r.'F -a a4.�"> 'r-� a. Asoz't ari-'Y�:- ' "".-� H' .
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<br /> •�( r . y .•f „z f„�N. v rj,. € i ... ' ay. .. _ . . +.'j,��� _,� , •a?, ` `4 ,{� �: is ., {t'ss.
<br /> Photos by Jerome Sturm / Anmes-News McGowan Creek winds its way through part of the . Orange
<br /> Rich Shaw stands beside a large chimney on the 65 acres acquired by the Orange County Lands County Lands Legacy program 's acquired land . A proposed
<br /> Legacy program . Shaw is not sure of the age of the chimney but thinks it would be a good stop walking trail will lead visitors to the banks of the creek. The coun-
<br /> on at planned walking trail through the nature preserve. ty paid $280 ,000 for the parkland .
<br /> I ILL.
<br /> Orange : Land - not . cheap
<br /> WA ^ encourage land donations that
<br /> /i -4rVpf -- Mw Continued from Page C1 are eligible for federal and
<br /> and Hillsborough, in the state tax credits. The county
<br /> Cedar Grove area on the north will use some sales tax rev-
<br /> side of the county, and in the enues and park bond funds
<br /> \�4/ 7 � / 2 �s uZ, Bingham Township area in the along with state grant funds
<br /> southwest part of the county, that have added up to about
<br /> Stancil said. $770,000 so far.
<br /> "Orange County has to play Stancil hopes to move as
<br /> catch up. We actually have a quickly and aggressively as
<br /> deficit in park land based on
<br /> our population and it's just possible to acquire whatever
<br /> going to get worse," Shaw said. kinds of grant funds might be
<br /> The program is strictly vol- available.
<br /> untarily. The county will buy "Land in Orange County cer-
<br /> land through standard real tainly isn't getting any cheap-
<br /> estate transactions or will er," he said .
<br />
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