Agenda - 10-14-2008 - late 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lands Legacy Action Plan (2008-2010) October 14, 2008 Background Since the Lands Legacy program was adopted in 2000, Orange County has protected over 2,400 acres of land with important natural and cultural resource values. In most of the 30 plus projects completed thus far, the County partnered with other entities, including local land trusts, OWASA, other local governments, and various state and federal funding partners. Over the first eight years of the Lands Legacy program, the types of projects evolved from an early focus on parkland acquisition to more recent efforts to protect prime farmland in water supply watersheds. Significant natural and cultural resources were protected in conjunction with those projects. Some of the land acquired by the County will become active parks. Other land was acquired to protect natural areas that are not suitable for active recreation. Those areas were set aside for their value as native plant and wildlife habitat, scenic and open space, and watershed protection. Examples include the Seven Mile Creek Preserve and the New Hope Preserve. These are County-owned lands are managed for their conservation values, with minimal facilities envisioned for low-impact recreation uses (e.g., natural trails) in less sensitive portions of the site. Issue In late 2006 the BOCC authorized ERCD staff to evaluate the potential for expanding the County nature preserves-both geographically and conceptually-to include other conservation priorities and involving other willing landowners. Thus far ERCD has considered the possibility of expanding the Seven Mile Creek Preserve, located in Cheeks Township southwest of Hillsborough. To date the County has acquired nearly 300 acres, with further acquisitions anticipated in the future. Further downstream, another 63 acres were acquired by the County along McGowan Creek, adjacent to conservation lands held by the Orange Alamance Water System. Finally, the County has collaborated with the Eno River Association and private landowners to protect key properties located at the confluence of the East Fork and West Fork of the Eno River. The "Confluence" properties include 179 acres of preserved land for low-impact public use and 24 acres of privately held land protected with conservation easements. Land protection in the upper Eno River corridor is perFormed consistent with a detailed evaluation and prioritization of land parcels conducted by Piedmont Planning Associates in 2000 with funding from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (Eno River Riparian Corridor Conservation Design). Further evaluation of this watershed was conducted by an ERCD intern in 2007.