Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
RES-2022-006 Attachment 1 5 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> RESOLUTION <br /> Approval of Conservation Easements <br /> between <br /> Orange County and the Eno River Association <br /> and <br /> Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County has adopted goals that promote the preservation of natural areas, <br /> wildlife habitat, prime farmland, and open space in the county; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County established the Lands Legacy Program for the purpose of <br /> protecting the most significant natural and cultural resources through partnerships with <br /> landowners and other conservation entities; and <br /> WHEREAS, one component of the Lands Legacy Program is the acquisition of conservation <br /> easements on prime farmland within water supply watersheds; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation property includes approximately 72 <br /> acres in the Upper Eno Critical watershed, consisting of a majority of prime agricultural soils, <br /> and includes 1,900 linear feet of tributaries that drain to the Eno River—a drinking water supply <br /> reservoir for the Town of Hillsborough and City of Raleigh; and <br /> WHEREAS, Moorefields Foundation, the caretakers of the Draper-Savage Memorial <br /> Foundation property, wish to grant permanent conservation easements to Orange County and <br /> the Eno River Association, which will protect the prime open space and riparian corridors that <br /> exist on the property; and <br /> WHEREAS, conservation easements on this approximately 72 acres would ensure the <br /> preservation of this open space and stream buffers for future generations and help compensate <br /> the owner for this long-term commitment; <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> does hereby 1) accept on behalf of Orange County the conservation easements for land owned <br /> by Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation; 2) approve the execution of this conservation <br /> easement agreements with Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation, in accordance with the terms <br /> of the proposed easement agreements, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney; <br /> 3) authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign the easement agreements on behalf of the Board, <br /> with a closing to occur on or about March 30, 2022; and 4) authorize County staff to sign any <br /> and all closing documents upon consultation with the County Attorney. <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board thanks Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation for <br /> their civic-minded granting of these conservation easements through the Lands Legacy <br /> Program. <br /> This the 1 st day of February, 2022. <br /> Renee Price, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board <br />