Agenda - 12-14-2004-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 14, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. 6-6k SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval — Agricultural and Watershed Protection Conservation Easement for John and Carolyn Lloyd DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) 1!1 Conservation ATTACHMENT(S): Resolution of Approval Vicinity Map Site Map (Exhibit B) Offer to Purchase and Contract of Sale Draft Conservation Easement Photos of Easement Area INFORMATION CONTACT: David Stancil, 245 -2590 Rich Shaw, 245 -2591 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 336 - 227 -2031 PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve the acceptance of an agricultural and watershed protection conservation easement from John and Carolyn Lloyd, the conservation easement to be held jointly by Orange County and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority. BACKGROUND: The acquisition of agricultural conservation easements to help preserve prime farmland in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners, and is a priority of the Lands Legacy Program. Since completing the County's first agricultural conservation easement in 2001, Orange County has protected 586 acres of prime farmland and stream corridors through conservation easements. Other farm easements in the County have been acquired by Triangle Land Conservancy and Orange Water & Sewer Authority. John Lloyd contacted ERCD in February 2004 about his interest in placing a conservation easement on his farm located along Bradshaw Quarry Road and Tear Road in Bingham Township. Because of its location in the Cane Creek watershed, ERCD contacted the Orange Water and Sewer Authority ( OWASA) to see whether there was interest in collaborating in an easement project that would protect both farmland and an important stream corridor. OWASA responded with great interest in working on a joint project. The Lloyds raise beef cattle on the 130 -acre farm that they have owned since 1957. Toms Creek, a major tributary of Cane Creek, flows along the northern boundary and into the nearby Cane Creek Reservoir. The Lloyds are considering converting their cattle operation to a managed commercial forestry operation.