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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: December 15, 2020 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-d <br /> SUBJECT: Acceptance of N.C. Land and Water Fund Grant— Draper Savage Foundation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks <br /> and Recreation (DEAPR) <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Location Map David Stancil, 245-2510 <br /> 2. Site Map Christian Hirni, 245-2514 <br /> 3. NCLWF Grant Contract <br /> PURPOSE: To accept a grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund toward the <br /> acquisition of a conservation easement on lands owned by the Draper Savage Memorial <br /> Foundation (Moorefields). <br /> BACKGROUND: The Draper Savage Memorial Foundation owns multiple tracts that comprise <br /> 61 acres south of Interstate 40/85 in Cheeks Township. The Moorefields Foundation contacted <br /> staff in January 2019 about selling a working lands conservation easement on 61 acres of the <br /> historic Moorefields property. The 72-acre farm is maintained and operated by the Moorefields <br /> Foundation on behalf of the Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation. Because of the presence <br /> of Natural Heritage sites, the historic Moorefields property and other areas of high <br /> cultural/archaeological significance, and the presence of segments of Rocky Run Creek (Upper <br /> Eno watershed) and its adjacency to the County-owned Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, <br /> conservation of this tract is a high priority for the Lands Legacy Program. Please see attached <br /> maps. <br /> In February 2019, the Board authorized staff to conduct an appraisal, identify funding sources, <br /> and to develop a potential conservation project for future consideration. After the first appraisal <br /> and initial application review process, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund (now the Land <br /> and Water Fund) approved a grant in October 2020. <br /> The N.C. Land and Water Fund grant is for up to $119,660 in matching funds for purchasing <br /> the easement. Staff and partners at the Eno River Association are still applying for <br /> accompanying grants to further offset the easement costs. <br /> Moorefields was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 by the late Edward <br /> Draper-Savage, an artist and UNC French professor. Owned by the Draper-Savage <br />