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50 <br /> The plan also includes a conservation design guidance document,the Big Woods Conservation Design <br /> Guide, as an appendix.Using the Big Woods Upland Forest NHNA and adjacent wildlife corridors as an <br /> example, the guide outlines how to design conservation subdivisions to ensure priority natural areas are <br /> conserved and connected in ways that minimize habitat fragmentation. <br /> PLANNING &COLLABORATION <br /> Plan Chatham recommends that the county"partner with state and local governments and non-profit <br /> organizations to increase access to protected lands and unique natural features." <br /> TRANSPORTATION <br /> Chatham County does not address habitat fragmentation in the transportation section of its comprehensive <br /> plan,but Policy 7 is to"preserve rural character through appropriately designed transportation <br /> infrastructure in areas designated as Rural,Agriculture and Conservation on the Future Land Use and <br /> Conservation Map."The plan does recommend that greenways connecting open space be a key piece of <br /> the transportation future of the county. Trails and greenways are important components of many <br /> community development goals within the plan. <br /> DURHAM CITY-COUNTY <br /> Durham City-County's unified development ordinance and the following plans were reviewed: the <br /> Durham Comprehensive Plan (2016),Durham County Open Space Corridor System plan(1993),Durham <br /> Urban Open Space Plan(2017), and New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan (1991). <br /> At the time of this report,Durham is beginning an update of its comprehensive plan and is seeking further <br /> information to enhance its environmental protections. <br /> NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION <br /> Durham has several policies in the Durham Comprehensive Plan that aim to identify and protect natural <br /> resources, especially streams,wetlands,and areas identified in the Natural Heritage Inventory or in open <br /> space plans for the county. Strategies to protect these resources include: <br /> • Collaboration with partners to acquire lands <br /> • Use of existing documents,plans, and data, such as NCNHP inventory data,to guide priorities <br /> • Restoration of streams and wetlands <br /> • Development of an open space coordination group, "including the Durham Open Space and Trails <br /> Commission and various organizations and agencies involved in open space preservation", to <br /> improve collaboration in open space preservation. (The Durham Open Space and Trails <br /> Commission also provides open space fund-raising support and matching grants program <br /> assistance.) <br /> In 1993,the Durham County Open Space Corridor System plan set the stage for completion of open space <br /> plans for individual"natural area corridors"along major streams in Durham. The plan established policies <br /> to support the open space corridor system, including: <br /> • Working with landowners to preserve corridor areas <br /> • Supporting private and public-private efforts <br /> • Cooperating with other public agencies <br /> • Coordinating city and county efforts <br /> • Educating the public on the value of river and stream corridors. <br /> In order to coordinate the Durham Comprehensive Plan with open space planning,the city and county <br /> formally adopted(in concept)the New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan (199 1) and other open <br /> space plans within the city-county(and any future updates of these plans). The New Hope Corridor Open <br /> A Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity 37 <br />