Agenda - 06-04-2002 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

E COUNTY OF ORANGE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM To: Barry Jacobs, Chair Board of Commissioners From: Tony Klesse, Chair Agricultural Preservation Board Date: Apnl 18, 2002 In: Comments on Triangle Greenprint At our April 17 meeting, the Agricultural Preservation Board (APB) considered the Triangle Greenprint Regional Open Space Assessment.This Item was referred from the February 25e public hearing. The APB Is supportive of the Greenprint in in effort to coordinate regional open space planning across the Triangle. However, our Board identified three issues that we think should be addressed: 1. The Greenprint should be developed using a broad set of agricultural stakeholders to develop priorities for famdand preservation. We suggest using Agricultural Preservation Boards where they exist(Orange, Durham and Chatham countles all have boards), as well as other organized agricultural support groups to Identify critical farmland areas. From our understanding of the process to date, only a few representatives or a limited number of groups have been involve] in the identification of these areas. 2. There is a need to develop common definitions and cross far the categories of land in the Greenprint, and to identity lands of regional value with enough specificity W enable voluntary protection and preservation of specific critical lands when opportunities arse.The edsting Greenprint document is somewhat vague In Its Identification of these areas for farmland and foresdand, and the definttlonc and crlteda for farmlarvJ and forestland are not clear. 3. We concur with the goal of the Greenprint to encourage each County to become aware of critical areas and to take steps to protect such areas as they deem appropriate. However,future mechanisms or recommendations envw; yam and Reaou,oe con:en-aaob Po 8ox8181138&A Ri Road HNbb=Wh, NC 27278 (919)245-2597