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General Acquisition Evaluation Template Attachment 1 The property is bounded by Buckhorn Road and six large-lot residential lots to the east, large wooded tracts to the south (30-116 acres; one owned by a timber company), Turkey Hill Creek and seven large-lot residential or wooded tracts to the west, and six large-lot (mostly wooded) residential lots to the north. There is a Duke Power easement (with high-tension lines) running just below and parallel to the southern property boundary. A single-track ATV trail enters the OWASA property from the power line easement, winds through the western half of the property, and runs north across an unnamed perennial stream and out to the Martin Road access point. Ownership and The 490-acre 'Mitigation Tract" is owned by Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA), which Assessed Value purchased the property in 1982 from the Weyerhauser Corporation. The purchase was required to help mitigate the loss of wildlife habitat resulting from the filling of Cane.Creek Reservoir. According to the County Tax Assessor, the estimated market value of the property is $744,000 $1,518/acre . The property is exempt from local property tax. Likely Asking Price No asking price has been mentioned. Initial discussions between OWASA and County staff have been about a possible donation, bargain sale or long-term lease of the property.(or a portion of the property) to the County fora public park. Previous assessments None. or evaIuations''of property Possible Uses and Portions of the OWASA property could be opened for public use (low-impact recreation) with areas Stewardship/ designated for more and less intensive use. Possible uses include hiking/nature/jogging trails, Maintenance Needs picnic areas, environmental education, and maybe some primitive campsites. Hiking through the interior forest would provide a wilderness experience. Some areas should be preserved in their natural state with no trails to encourage human activity. One or two areas could support active recreation (would require access improvements,.tree clearing, grading), but those activities would, of course, be subject to OWASA and federal permit approval. The possibility of opening all or a portion of the property for seasonal hunting has also been mentioned. [More here on potential WRC involvement, needed precautions, etc.] Stewardship and maintenance would be focused on trail development and maintenance, control of invasive exotic plant species, environmental education, and the enforcement of park riles. Funding [Placeholder]