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ATTACHMENT 1 <br /> Natural Areas Element Draft Goals (7- 3M2) Clean version <br /> Goals for Protection of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitat <br /> Natural Environment , Biodiversity and Resource Conservation <br /> Goal One : The conservation and protection of Orange County ' s <br /> most important natural environments . <br /> Objective 1 . 1 Protect the following significant Public Interest Areas and <br /> Resource Protection Areas from adverse development impacts : <br /> • Wetlands <br /> • Floodplains and alluvial soils ( 100 -year floodplains ) <br /> • Steep slopes ( greater than 15 % ) <br /> • Water Supply Watershed Critical Areas ( lands within 1/2- mile <br /> of an existing or proposed water supply impoundment , such <br /> as University Lake or Lake Orange ) ; <br /> • High - priority natural areas , wildlife corridors and wildlife <br /> habitats , including : <br /> Sites listed in the Orange County inventory of natural <br /> areas and wildlife habitats ( 1988 and 2002 ) <br /> Wildlife corridors identified in the Orange County <br /> Comprehensive Plan <br /> Sites identified in the Orange County inventory of lands <br /> having prime habitat for native wildlife ( 1999 ) <br /> • Biologically significant aquatic habitat <br /> • Publicly owned parkland ( e . g . , Eno River State Park ) <br /> • Research oriented lands ( e . g . , Duke Forest ) <br /> • Privately owned lands protected by conservation easements <br /> Objective 1 . 2 Restrict or prohibit uses in flood hazard areas that are <br /> dangerous to health , safety and property due to potential flood <br /> heights or velocities . Protect the hydrologic function of the <br /> floodway to provide passage for 100 - year floods without <br /> increasing flood levels upstream and downstream . <br /> Goal Two : The conservation of native biological diversity , natural <br /> resources , and open space in Orange County in such a way <br /> that ensures the long -term viability of indigenous animal <br /> and plant populations . <br /> Objective 2 . 1 Protect enough, land in and around biologically significant areas , <br /> and enough connections among these areas , to allow for the <br /> maintenance of native wildlife and plant populations and the <br /> functional relationships among wildlife , habitat , and nutrient <br /> cycles . <br /> Page 1 of 4 <br />