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

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Lands Legacy Action Plan (2008-2010) With these ongoing efforts and emerging opportunities, there appears to be increased potential for expanding the "nature preserve" concept to a network of public and private lands that collectively continue to support the natural and cultural resources associated with the watershed. This network of properties (perhaps an "Upper Eno Conservation District?") would include public lands accessible for low- impact public use (e.g., Orange County properties), private lands managed for conservation and low-impact public use (e.g., Duke Forest, Eno River Association properties), private lands protected by conservation easement (no public access), and other privately owned working lands (farm/forest) and rural residential properties whose uses are compatible with the conservation of significant natural and cultural resources within this core area of the Upper Eno Watershed. Further study and formalization of this concept may also move forward other County goals, including watershed protection and growth management. For example, a "Conservation District" could also work in tandem with a Transfer of Development Rights program, if implemented in the future, as a possible "sending area." Considerable additional details are needed for these projects, including formal inclusion in the. Natural and Cultural System Element of the Comprehensive Plan, how public access would work, and what lands would be priorities for possible acquisition from willing landowners, to further the creation of such conservation district. It should be noted that a "Conservation District" in this context is not envisioned as an area where all lands would be protected, but rather a corridor of strategic locations, working with willing landowners, where critical masses of open space lands could be acquired and linked together with other parts of the preserve. As always, the Lands Legacy Program would acquire priority lands voluntarily, working only with willing landowners. The creation of an Upper Eno "Conservation Area" or "Conservation District" might evolve over years, or even decades, as lands become available and funds permit.. ERCD has discussed these ideas with the County Attorney and with the Eno River Association, but more conversations are needed to flesh out the proposal and to see how this partnership might work. Staff also intends to refine the aforementioned research on this topic by an ERCD intern in 2007. Staff would like to enter into a dialogue with colleagues from the Town of Hillsborough, the Eno River Association, and Orange-Alamance Water System about such an effort. At some point in time, private landowners, including Duke University, would also need to be consulted in an attempt to build a partnership that meets the mutual conservation interests. In the end this may present slow-cost partnership mechanism to achieve further conservation along the Upper Eno corridor as well as for locations along New Hope Creek upstream of the areas already protected. 2