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<br />9 <br />ATTACHMENT A <br />Orange County Natural Areas Inventory <br />Scope of Work <br />Project Objectives: <br />• To revisit 64 natural areas identified in the 1988 Inventory and update their status. <br />• To incorporate new data gathered since the 1988 Inventory, such as new occurrences <br />on file with the Natural Heritage Program and the Landscape for Wildlife reports <br />(Parts I and II) by the Triangle Land Conservancy. <br />• To identify and evaluate new areas with significant natural communities and critical <br />species habitat, particularly in the Little River and Cedaz Grove townships. <br />• To integrate information about the aquatic environment, especially freshwater <br />mussels, into the Inventory. <br />• To reevaluate the adequacy of the wildlife corridor system proposed in 1988. <br />General Procedures: <br />1. Communicate with and solicit information from other knowledgeable individuals and <br />organizations during the course of the project. <br />2. Conduct site surveys of 64 identified natural azeas and document changes to each, <br />including lass or addition of endangered/threatened plant and animal species, and <br />changes to "integrity" and "threat status" rankings. <br />3. Compile any surveys of azeas that have been protected by acquisition or conservation <br />easement since 1988. <br />4. Obtain from Orange County maps of forest cover and type based on the most current <br />aerial photos to aid in the identification of likely significant natural areas. <br />5. Coordinate with the Orange County ERCD, NC Division of Parks and Recreation <br />(Natural Heritage and Resource Management programs), Eno River State Park, <br />Triangle Land Conservancy, Eno River Association, and NC Wildlife Resources <br />Commission to identify natural azea sites (terrestrial and aquatic), determine land <br />ownership, and obtain landowner permission to visit the sites. <br />6. Conduct site surveys and prepaze site descriptions of additional natural azeas <br />(terrestrial and aquatic) according to current Natural Heritage Program protocol. <br />7. Determine if the linkages recommended as wildlife corridors in 1988 aze still able to <br />serve their designated function by identifying existing and potential barniers to <br />movement, migration, and dispersal. Consult relevant biological research on <br />corridors published since 19$$. <br />