Agenda - 03-19-2002 - 9c - Laserfiche WebLink

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Draft March 11,2002 Conceptual Proposal 3 Joint Orange County/Eno River Association Application NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund Orange County ERCD and the Eno River Association staff propose submitting a joint County-ERA application for funds from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund to acquire land (riparian buffers) and conservation easements in the Upper Eno watershed. The objective would be to help protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the critical area of the Upper Eno Protected Watershed'. Conserving these lands would help ensure the long-term viability of the Eno River as a public water supply and high-quality habitat for aquatic organisms and other wildlife that exists within the riparian corridor. A secondary purpose is to protect known and potential archaeological sites (historic and prehistoric)that are likely to exist within this corridor. [Note— the primary objective of the CWMTF is to protect water quality.] Funds to match the CWMTF grant would be available from Orange County Lands Legacy program (perhaps augmented by the 2001 County parks and open space bond). At this time, it is estimated that the application request $1,000,000 in state funds to be matched with $300,000 in local match for a total project cost of$1,300,000. The specific dollar amounts will depend on which landowners express interest (by June 1S) in pursuing a possible conservation agreement on their property. Proposed Timetable: • Seek approval from the ERA Board of Directors and Orange County Board of Commissioners [March 2002] • Identify high-priority parcels using the Eno River Riparian Corridor Conservation Design (August 2000) prepared by Piedmont Planning Associates for the Eno River Association and funded by the CWMTF [March/April 2002] • Develop potential conservation options for high-priority parcels [March/April] • Contact landowners; discuss landowner interests, conservation options and potential conservation/financial benefits; request easement donations or options to purchase [April/May] • Develop more specific conservation strategies for interested landowners [April/May] • Apply for CWMTF by June 1, 2002 [Awards announced by October 2002] • Pursue acquisition/easements with combination of County/CWMTF funds ' Lands within the Upper Eno Protected Watershed (map attached)are subject to an additional layer of subdivision regulations imposed by Orange County to protect existing or potential drinking water rivers and reservoirs (e.g., use limitations,wider stream buffers, density limits, impervious cover limits). Still further restrictions are imposed on lands within the"critical area," defined as lands"One-half mile from the normal pool of Lake Orange, Corporation Lake, and potential reservoir sites on the West Fork or the Upper Eno and Seven Mile Creek, or to the ridgeline of the watershed,whichever is less."