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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 3, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. _, <br />SUBJECT: Approval of Contract to Purchase Real Property -Hope Creek, Ltd. <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource <br />Conservation <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT <br />Location Map <br />Draft Contract to Purchase <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Rich Shaw, 245-2591 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough <br />Chapel Hill <br />Durham <br />Mebane <br />732-8181 <br />968-4501 <br />688-7331 <br />336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To authorize the purchase of a 1.1-acre tract along New Hope Creek from Hope <br />Creek, Limited to protect an important riparian corridor and potential future trail. <br />BACKGROUND: The Lands Legacy Program, adopted in April 2000, works with landowners <br />and other conservation partners to protect the County's most important natural and cultural <br />resources. Through this program, the County uses a variety of voluntary means to protect <br />lands, including fee-simple acquisition, acceptance of land donations, and purchase or <br />donation of conservation easements. The types of land protected include parkland, natural <br />areas and wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, prime farmland and historic and cultural sites. <br />Since inception, Lands Legacy has protected over 1,000 acres in Orange County. <br />Consistent with the approved Lands Legacy action plan for 2003-04, ERCD is working with <br />Durham County and the Triangle Land Conservancy to acquire riparian lands and <br />conservation easements to protect an open space corridor along New Hope Creek from <br />Erwin Road to the Durham County line - a distance of nearly one mile along the creek. This <br />project would link Duke Forest lands in Orange County to New Hope Creek open space in <br />Durham County. The proposed trail will help implement the New Hope Creek Master Plan, <br />adopted in 1989. In December 2003, Orange County acquired an easement from the Fisher <br />family for a future trailhead at the site of the former Hollow Rock Store (Erwin Road). <br />ERCD is working with Hope Creek, Ltd. to purchase an adjacent 1.1-acre parcel located <br />along the Orange-Durham boundary. The negotiated purchase price is $1,600, or $1,500 <br />per acre. In December 2003, Durham County purchased an adjacent 23-acre tract from the