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Orange County © range County
<br /> County Creates Comprehensive Open Space Program OWASA Undertakes
<br /> ON APRs 41 2000 , A NEW LAND CON- Upper Eno watershed. Cane Creek Protection
<br /> SERVATION PROJECT WAS BORN . The Priority areas for next year include THOUGH THE ORANGE WATER
<br /> county commissioners established the the Seven-Mile Creek bottomlands, the AND SEWER AUTHORITY HAS THE
<br /> . Lands Legacy program, to be adminis - New Hope Creek watershed , and the
<br /> POWER OF EMINENT DOMAIN , the
<br /> tered by the Environment and Resource natural area surrounding the Mason public service agency is protecting
<br /> Conservation Department ( ERCD) . Farm Biological Reserve in Chapel Hill. land around the Cane Creek
<br /> " This is the first comprehensive Other project goals include farmland Reservoir only with the help of will -
<br /> county open space land acquisition pro- preservation in the Cane Creek water-
<br /> gram in North Carolina . We 're looking shed and updating Orange County ' s ing landowners .
<br /> to protect parkland , natural areas and 1988 Natural Heritage Inventory . OWASA has initiated a 1 , 200 -
<br /> wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, prime Future acquisition priorities will be acre land conservation project to
<br /> farmland ; and historic and cultural identified through a Comprehensive protect the water quality of the
<br /> sites , " says Rich Shaw , Land Resource Database , a GIS containing Cane Creek Reservoir, one of two
<br /> Conservation Manager for the ERCD. layers of information on the locations of primary water sources for Chapel
<br /> Through the Lands Legacy the different open space resources in the Hill and Carrboro.
<br /> g g y program, Ed Holland, Director of Planning
<br /> the county will protect open spaces county.
<br /> through fee -simple acquisition , conser- The Lands Legacy Fund, derived pri- for OWASA , explains that
<br /> vation easement and acquisition marily from sales tax revenues , was cre- although Orange County and
<br /> through the development process . It will ated specifically to fund the program. OWASA already employ large lot
<br /> also work with local land trusts, adjoin- Shaw reports that county park bond zoning and agricultural best man-
<br /> ing jurisdictions , and other partners to funds and "payment- in-lieu" funds will agement practices , a consultant ' s
<br /> protect land in a cooperative manner. also be available for parkland acquisi - study recommended that OWASA
<br /> Already the program is working on sev - tion, and that he will aggressively pur- conserve another 1 , 200 acres— in
<br /> eral different acquisition projects , sue state and federal grant funds as well. additior to the several hundred it
<br /> including the Newton Tract on the For more information on the Lands already owns—to further protect the
<br /> Little River (highlighted on page 1 ) and Legacy Program , contact Rich Shaw at Water supply watershed .
<br /> the McGowan Creek Preserve in the 919 - 245 -2591 . OWASA has been working for
<br /> the past two years with area
<br /> Franklin County landowners to protect Cane Creek
<br /> both through fee simple acquisition
<br /> Recreation Area Quickly Developing and through purchase of conserva -
<br /> tion easements . With the assistance
<br /> FRANKLIN COUNTY ' S NETWORK OF still pending by the Department of of $ 1 million from the NC Clean
<br /> GREENWAYS AND PARKS is rapidly Transportation, CSX , and other enti - Water Management Trust Fund ,
<br /> expanding , thanks to a generous land ties. Eventually it will all connect to the OWASA has already protected 250
<br /> donation and a grant from the NC Parks new Franklinton Area County Park , acres of its 1 , 200 - acre goal , and
<br /> and Recreation Trust Fund. currently 22 acres . A $ 250 , 000 grant transactions are pending for an addi-
<br /> Franklin County Parks and from the NC Parks and Recreation tional 115 acres .
<br /> Recreation recently received a 70 -acre Trust Fund , in addition to $ 268 ,000 in Though OWASA chooses to
<br /> donation from John Pope for a two-mile county funds , will pay for land acquisi- work only with willing landowners
<br /> greenway along Blue Creek east of tion and development of the park. as a matter of policy , Holland
<br /> Franklinton. The greenway varies from Munden reports that the county explains the project' s success with
<br /> 50 to 300 feet wide , and eventually it hopes to acquire an additional 8 acres what it has to offer to property own-
<br /> will be developed into a trail for hiking for the park, and that it will ultimately ers : "We 're finding that a lot of peo-
<br /> and biking , according to Franklin be a recreational site for the communi- ple would like to get some cash
<br /> County Parks and Recreation Director ty, complete with a perimeter trail , fit- value out of their property without
<br /> Dave Munden. ness stations , outdoor theater, picnic seeing it developed , and we ' re able
<br /> Plans call for the new greenway to tables , and soccer, softball, and baseball to offer them this opportunity. " For
<br /> link to a complex network of recreation- fields . For more information contact more information contact Ed
<br /> at corridors, the easements of which are Dave Munden at 919496 - 6624 . Holland at 919- 9684421 .
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