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4 <br /> 1 approved in June 1998 and established on January 4, 1999. (The Orange Soil and Water <br /> 2 Conservation District became part of this agency in 2006, and it became the Department <br /> 3 of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation in April 2010); and <br /> 4 A program to protect and conserve the most important natural and cultural resource lands <br /> 5 as well as future parks and public open space lands was also approved in concept in 1999 <br /> 6 and implemented as the Lands Legacy Program on April 4, 2000. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 In addition to these commemorations, Orange County - as a member of the Great Trails State <br /> 9 Coalition -will be celebrating Great Trails State Day on Saturday, October 19, 2024. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 Today, twenty-five (25) years after creation, the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks <br /> 12 and Recreation is comprised of thirty-five (35) full-time staff which address conservation, <br /> 13 preservation, and the provision of parks, open space and trails, and recreational opportunities for <br /> 14 County residents. The Department also serves as staff support to four (4) volunteer advisory <br /> 15 boards (the Commission for the Environment, the Parks and Recreation Council, the Agricultural <br /> 16 Preservation Board, and the Historic Preservation Commission) and provides lead administrative <br /> 17 support to the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group and other ad hoc or special project <br /> 18 committees related to resource conservation, agriculture, parks and recreation. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Since the Lands Legacy Program was established on April 4, 2000, this program continues to <br /> 21 work to protect the County's most critical natural and cultural resources through a variety of <br /> 22 voluntary means and working with willing landowners and other conservation partners. Since its <br /> 23 creation, Orange County has acquired land for eight (8) public parks and nature preserves, and <br /> 24 secured forty-six (46) conservation easements (including twenty-eight (28) active farms) for a <br /> 25 current total of 2,973 acres of farmland and open space in the Eno River, Cane Creek, Little River, <br /> 26 and New Hope Creek watersheds. Over that same period the County helped other conservation <br /> 27 partners protect an additional 1,338 acres of sensitive resource lands in Orange County. During <br /> 28 this time over$6 million in grant funds have been leveraged for these purposes. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 October 19, 2024 is also Great Trails State Day in North Carolina. As a member of the Great <br /> 31 Trails State Coalition, Orange County will join many other jurisdictions and thousands of others <br /> 32 on this day in celebrating North Carolina's amazing and diverse trail networks that span from the <br /> 33 mountains to the coast. <br /> 34 <br /> 35 Given the synergy between these events and activities, it was decided to combine both the 25tn <br /> 36 anniversary recognition with Great Trails State Day for a commemorative event on October 19, <br /> 37 2024. The celebration will be held at the Blackwood Farm Park picnic shelter at 10:00 am, and <br /> 38 will feature guided hikes, information about conservation successes and ways to get involved, <br /> 39 and other games and activities. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 A proclamation recognizing this history and the October 19, 2024 celebration is attached for <br /> 42 Board consideration. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 David Stancil, DEAPR Director, made the following presentation: <br /> 45 <br /> 46 <br />