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11 <br /> the remaining park facilities, primarily the New Hope Church Road overlook and picnic area <br /> facilities and amenities, with associated equipment and operational needs. <br /> • Conservation Easements- $1 million <br /> The Conservation Easement component of the Lands Legacy program was initially funded in <br /> July 2002. Funding of$1 million is programmed every other year to provide matching funds <br /> for State and federal grants to acquire conservation easements to conserve prime or <br /> threatened farmland, sensitive natural areas, or important water quality buffer lands that <br /> support both Board goals and Lands Legacy priorities. <br /> This program allows the land to remain in private ownership and is not publicly-accessible <br /> except upon landowner consent. Over 2,500 acres of prime farmland and natural areas have <br /> been conserved by easement to date, with millions of dollars in state and federal grants <br /> leveraged. The project revenue assumes that matching funds of approximately 50% would <br /> continue to be leveraged. <br /> • Lands Legacy Program - $500,000 <br /> The Lands Legacy Program was originally established in 2000 to conserve and protect the <br /> County's most critical natural and cultural resources, including prime and threatened <br /> farmland, future parklands, natural areas, wildlife habitat and prime forests, watershed <br /> stream buffers, and historic archaeological sites. <br /> An annual appropriations approach is recommended to continue in FY2022-23 and in future <br /> years to provide ongoing support to the program. <br /> • Little River Park-$125,000 <br /> Little River Park is a cooperative park project, funded fifty percent (50%) each by Orange and <br /> Durham counties. The FY 2022-23 CIP recommends total funding of$125,000 to replace the <br /> playground following an inspection that recommended replacing the structure. Consistent <br /> with the Interlocal Agreement, Orange County's share of the playground replacement is <br /> $62,500. <br /> • Implementation of Neuse River Rules for Nutrient Management- $175,000 <br /> The State-mandated Falls Lake Nutrient Management Rules call for each jurisdiction in the <br /> upper Neuse River Basin to reduce total nitrogen levels by 77% and total phosphorus levels <br /> by 40% over a period of years to improve water quality. Compliance with these rules would <br /> be costly to each of the local governments located in the basin. However, the Upper Neuse <br /> River Basin Association has successfully proposed an implementation approach that would <br /> be less expensive and includes a mix of storm water control or wetlands creation <br /> improvements, conservation acquisitions and practices, and other methods. The FY2022-23 <br /> CIP recommends that $175,000 be allocated on an ongoing basis for the design and <br /> implementation of one or more of these measures in Orange County. <br /> Page 19 <br />