Minutes - 20080902 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Metadata

Thumbnails

Annotations

c. Petition for Funding Assistance from Botanical Garden Foundation The Board considered responding to a petition from the Botanical Garden Foundation Foundation fo[fuOdiOg assistance from the County's Lands Legacy Program toward the purchase of property to expand the Foundation's Stillhouse Bottom Nature Preserve. Land Conservation Manager Rich Shaw introduced this item. In K8ay, a representative from the Botanical Garden Foundation requested that Orange County contribute $100.000 toward the Foundation's purchase of a 5.5-acre addition to the Stillhouse Bottom Nature Preserve. The Foundation owns this pnaGerve, which is a 17-acre site located southeast of Chapel —i|( The Foundation has an option to purchase the 5.5 acres from the Ivey Family. Hill.� ' d is considered a critical part of the Stillhouse Bottom property abuts the nature preserve �n e co NatVrG| /\naG The site is within Chapel Hill's extraterritorial jurisdiction and OWASA's Urban theServices Area, so the appraised value is $500.000. The Ivey Family has agreed to sell he property for$400 OOD. The Foundation's option will expire at the end of October. The Foundation has been working on public awareness. To date, the Foundation has raised $42,000, including a pledge of$34.000 from the Town of Chapel Hill. The Foundation indicates mteo that contributions from the Town and the County would stimulate additional private contributions and would also influence neighboring landowners to donate conservation easements on their lands that abut the nature preserve. Because of the high purchase prica, it is an unlikely purchase for the Lands Legacy program. HoxveVar. ERCD thinks that the site merits consideration of County assistance as a project partner. If the Board wishes to contribute funds, ERCD would suggest matching the _34.000� [n � theTowO of Chapel Hill and increase that amount oVnt to a maximum of$50.000 if that is also matched by Chapel Hill. This is stated in the Manager's Recommendation. Public Comment: || Misty Buchanan distributed some informational handouts to the County Commissioners.e rG . She is a botanist with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. She spoke on behalf of the Botanical Garden Foundation. She urged the Board to help to protect this natural area. The Ivey tract occurs in a stretch of the Morgan Creek Valley that is unique within the County. This area is designated to have State gigDificaOca, meaning it is one of the best examples in the State with natural communities and rare plant species. There are over 100 species of plants � identified She said that this could be@ once in8 |i�tiOeoppo�Vnityto buy this tract. She urged the Board to help purchase this tract by contributing the full $100.000. Pearson Stewart spoke in support of this request. He said that Stillhouse Bottom is a superb natural resource and is not at all suitable for conventional public recreation. He said that this would add substantially to the Countv'e reputation for being an excellent steward of natural resources. He acknowledged that his wife was instrumental concerning the donation of the initial portion of Stillhouse Bottom. He is very grateful for this. Johnny F|ondaU, Assistant Director of the North Carolina Botanical Gordan, oversees management and conservation of natural areas. He said that he could not add anything except that one of the most important things is that the Ivey tract is in the heart of what could be a 65- acre nature preserve. He stressed the importance of this land for the continuance of Morgan Creek Valley and New Hope game lands. Mike Day said that this is one of the most important sites that he has seen in the past 30 years. It is an incredible piece of land. Anne Lindsey is a member of the Botanical Garden Foundation. She does support preserving the Ivey property. She encouraged the Board to do whatever it could to help in this endeavor.