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46 <br /> Preserve Orange County"s natural <br /> heritage. <br /> Orange County will ensure that the county's highest quality connected <br /> natural environments will be conserved for the benefit of future <br /> generations and will support clean water, provide habitat for wildlife, and <br /> offer nature-based recreation. <br /> This will be achieved by ensuring that priority natural lands are protected from <br /> development using the appropriate conservation tools. Environmentally sensitive tracts <br /> should be prioritized for conservation using the best available data. <br /> The intent of this policy is to support the County's vision of protecting critical water <br /> supply watershed areas and open spaces. Orange County's natural heritage resources <br /> create a larger connected network of habitat corridors that preserve biodiversity,are an <br /> economic asset,and are critical to preserving healthy communities. Objectives of this <br /> policy include: <br /> • Protect connections and access between natural landscapes and avoid <br /> fragmentation of large forest hubs in order to benefit wildlife migration. <br /> • Preserve land for nature-based recreation and education. <br /> • Conserve and protect high priority open space, including State-identified Natural <br /> Heritage sites, nature preserves,watershed riparian buffers,and areas adjacent to <br /> Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). <br /> • Create networks of protected natural, cultural,and agricultural lands through the <br /> entitlement process and/or County investment. <br /> • Strengthen partnerships and collaboration with conservation organizations and <br /> other public entities such as federal agencies, municipalities,and other counties to <br /> achieve mutual conservation goals. <br /> ORANGE COUNTY LAND USE PLAN 2050 43 <br />