IPWG agenda 102302 - Laserfiche WebLink

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General Acquisition Evaluation Template Attachment 1 The following is an evaluation of the property using general criteria adopted for County consideration of potential land acquisitions. Com rehensive Plan� The property is categorized Agricultural Residential, Cane Creek Protected Watershed. Zoning AR/Cane PW (Agricultural-Residential. Cane Creek Protected Watershed). The entire property is zoned AR, and the Cane Creek watershed protection overlay adds additional development restrictions of one dwelling per five acresl, 6% impervious surfaces, and wider stream;buffers. The federal permit issued to OWASA for the Cane Creek Reservoir requires that the tract remain undeveloped to serve as wildlife habitat. Must it also be managed as ameland? Natural Areas The site includes no identified County natural areas. It does, however, include a large area (150- Inventory and 180 acres) of mature woodlands identified as prime forest wildlife habitat in the 1999 inventory Resource Checklist conducted for Orange County by the Triangle Land Conservancy Wile et al.). Existing vegetation and The 490-acre tract is entirely forested with a mosaic of mature woodlands dominated by either site analysis,, mixed hardwoods or. pines. Although once owned by Weyerhauser, the site does not appear to have received the kind of intensive management for timber production often seen in the region. The tract can be described in three sections: the northwest portion of the tract (Section 1), the southwest portion (Section 2), and the eastern portion (Section 3). These sections are identified on Attachment 5. Section I (approx. 80 acres) is the northern "head" of the tract that one enters from the Martin Road access. Turkey Hill Creek forms the western boundary and flows in a southerly direction on its way toward Cane Creek further south. An unnamed perennial streams forms the southern boundary (or"neck) of this section and flows west into Turkey Hill Creek. The northern half of this section is dominated by mixed hardwoods (50-60" tall) typical of a dry to mesic Piedmont oak-hickory forest community. The understory is clear of any apparent invasive exotic species. The ground has areas of running cedar and some rock outcrops. Pines (loblolly pine and Virginia pine) dominate to the south where there has been more recent disturbance. A former roadway (now trail) leads from Martin Road (elevation 700 feet) down by the remains of a former home site, then further downhill to the stream (elevation 610 feet). The trail is used by ATVs, which have created de ressions that hold water. In some areas, ATVs have cut alternate 1 With provision of up to five 2-acre lots for lots of record as of October 19, 1999