Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 6, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 6-G <br />SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval -Agricultural and Watershed Protection Conservation <br />Easement for John and Carolyn Lloyd <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Conservation <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Resolution of Approval David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Vicinity Map Rich Shaw, 245-2591 <br />Site Map (Exhibit B) <br />Offer to Purchase and Contract of Sale TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Draft Conservation Easement Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Photos of Easement Area Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve the acceptance of an agricultural and <br />watershed protection conservation easement from John and Carolyn Lloyd, the conservation <br />easement to be held jointly by Orange County and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority. <br />BACKGROUND: The acquisition of agricultural conservation easements to help preserve <br />prime farmland in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners, and <br />is a priority of the Lands Legacy Program. Since completing the County's first agricultural <br />conservation easement in 2001, Orange County has protected 586 acres of prime farmland <br />and stream corridors through conservation easements, Other farm easements in the County <br />have been acquired by Triangle Land Conservancy and Orange Water & Sewer Authority, <br />John Lloyd contacted ERCD in February 2004 about his interest in placing a conservation <br />easement on his farm located along Bradshaw Quarry Road and Teer Road in Bingham <br />Township. Because of its location in the Cane Creek watershed, ERCD contacted the <br />Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) to see whether there was interest in <br />collaborating in an easement project that would protect both farmland and an important <br />stream corridor, OWASA responded with great interest in working on a joint project. <br />The Lloyds raise beef cattle an the 130-acre farm that they have owned since 1957, Toms <br />Creek, a major tributary of Cane Creek, flows along the northern boundary and into the <br />nearby Cane Creek Reservoir. The Lloyds are considering converting their cattle operation <br />to a managed commercial forestry operation. <br />