Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
6 <br /> The group determined the need for a spatial analysis and mapping effort to demonstrate the most <br /> vital connections between conserved and undeveloped areas for wildlife and the ecosystem types <br /> which support them. <br /> Funding was secured from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, with additional support from <br /> Orange County, to hire a consultant to conduct the spatial analysis, research the data, and create <br /> the analysis layers and associated maps. Through collaborative brainstorming sessions, three <br /> keystone species were identified to best represent their distinctive habitats and other associated <br /> animals, as well as their corridor, or connectivity, requirements. These species and their <br /> respective habitats are as follows: <br /> - Eastern Box Turtle (Dry-Wet Mixed Hardwood-Pine Forests) <br /> - Bobcat (Sparsely Settled Mixed Habitats) <br /> - Four Toed Salamander (Wet-mesic Hardwood Forests) <br /> This effort generated enhanced mapping layers that represented the habitat areas for each animal <br /> and its associated guild, and these layers were combined with land use layers to create a habitat- <br /> corridor analysis. These results and associated recommendations were presented at the 2019 <br /> Environmental Summit at the NC Botanical Gardens, hosted by the Commission for the <br /> Environment (CFE). The CFE also requested an additional presentation and opportunity for in- <br /> depth discussion of recommendations, which was conducted at the CFE's March 2020 meeting. <br /> In 2020, the group was awarded a Catalyst Fund grant from the Network for Landscape <br /> Conservation to form a strategic action plan to implement the report findings. A coordinator was <br /> hired, and a steering committee was formed with representatives from Orange and Durham <br /> counties, Eno River Association, Triangle Land Conservancy, Duke University's Duke Forest, NC <br /> Wildlife Resources Commission, and the NC Botanical Gardens. Over the next two years, the <br /> steering committee worked to engage a large group of stakeholders and volunteers from around <br /> the study area to draft a strategic action plan outlining actions necessary for ensuring <br /> conservation connectivity. Four subcommittee groups were separated by specialty and/or direct <br /> interest — Education and Outreach, Land Use, Conservation, and Transportation. The final draft <br /> of the action plan was presented at a celebration event in the Robin Jacobs Pavilion at the Eno <br /> River Association's Confluence Natural Area in October 2022. <br /> The Board of Commissioners received a copy of the report and a cover memorandum in March <br /> 2023 as an Information Item. The report attached herein is the same, but an updated map has <br /> been attached to reflect updated and included data. <br /> In 2023, Durham County, utilizing funds from a Burt's Bees grant program, expanded the report <br /> data and mapping area to include the entirety of Durham County, particularly of the Upper Neuse <br /> Watershed. This expansion benefitted Orange County by expanding the data and mapping <br /> analysis to the northern most areas of the County, leaving only a portion of the Cane Creek and <br /> Haw River Watershed as area for an expanded analysis. <br /> The findings of the report have significant implications and potential guidance for local <br /> conservation programs, such as the County's Lands Legacy Program and other upcoming plans. <br /> As such, value was seen in sharing this Strategic Plan with the Board at this time, as local <br /> conservation plans are being updated in the coming months. <br />