Orange County NC Website
`ems/ <br /> Natural Areas Element Draft Goals (7- 3042) Clean version <br /> Objective 2 . 2 Promote land uses that minimize fragmentation of natural areas <br /> and wildlife habitat , and prohibit land uses that lead to increased <br /> fragmentation . <br /> Objective 2 . 3 Protect Orange County' s aquatic habitats for its indigenous <br /> aquatic species ( plant and animal ) . <br /> Objective 2 . 4 Ensure that at least 10 percent of the County ' s land area (or <br /> 25 , 600 acres ) is in some form-of protected status by 2010 . <br /> Objective 2 . 5 Maintain and protect land that contains valuable productive <br /> resources , such as prime farmland , managed and unmanaged <br /> forest areas , and potential reservoir sites , by directing <br /> incompatible development away from these areas . <br /> Objective 2 . 6 Encourage forest management practices on both public and <br /> private land that minimize disturbance and fragmentation of <br /> intact hardwood forests . <br /> Objective 2 . 7 Encourage long -term productivity of farm and forest lands <br /> through best land - use management practices and . conservation <br /> agreements . <br /> Objective 2 . 8 Limit public access to ecologically sensitive areas . <br /> Growth Management <br /> Goal Three . The management of growth so that it is directed to areas <br /> where growth is desirable and can be accommodated <br /> without compromising goals for protecting natural diversity <br /> in Orange County . <br /> Objective 3 . 1 Use the following criteria to designate the most appropriate <br /> location for the various Land Use Plan Categories : natural <br /> environment constraints ( land slope , hydrology , flora and fauna , <br /> soil conditions ) ; availability of public services and utilities ; <br /> transportation system access and capacity ; impact on energy <br /> resources ; existing land uses ; presence of productive <br /> agricultural or forested land ; appropriate population densities ; <br /> and the presence of unique natural , historic , or cultural features . <br /> Objective 3 . 2 Direct intensive land uses to existing urban areas and away <br /> from natural areas , agricultural and forest lands , water supply <br /> watersheds , water quality critical areas , and stream corridors . <br /> Objective 3 . 3 In the rural landscape , rather than low- density rural sprawl , <br /> encourage small nodes of high - density development in <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />