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Draft 10/8/99 <br />resources. The following sub-sections contain potential criteria for <br />evaluating certain types of resource acquisitions. The criteria .have <br />been deve%ped in conjunction with the County's advisory board in <br />each area, where possible. Criteria comments .were discussed with <br />the Commission for the- Environment, Agriculture/ Districts Advisory <br />Board, Recreation and Parks Advisory Council, Historic Preservation <br />Commission and Water Resources Committee. <br /> <br />B. Criteria for Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitat <br />(deve%ped in conjunction with the Commission for the Environment) <br />Orange County. is fortunate in having funded three reports on <br />natural areas and wildlife habitat, conducted by the Triangle Land <br />Conservancy, that go a long way. toward identifying the most <br />important areas in the County. The County is also fortunate that a <br />number of public,-.private- and non-profit entities have- previously <br />been involved in protecting some of the 64 known natural areas <br />and wildlife habitat.. <br />To date,. 10 of the 64 identified natural .areas and wildlife habitat- <br />(16%) are protected (in-full or in part) through state park or land <br />trust ownership/easement. Three of the sites are within Eno River <br />State Park, -with all or portions of six others. protected by the <br />Triangle Land .Conservancy. One site is held by The Nature <br />Conservancy. <br />An additional 19 natural areas are.. owned by public or private <br />educational. institutions -namely, Duke University .and/or the <br />University of North Carolina. <br />Duke` holds 12 of the identified sites- within the boundaries of Duke <br />Forest. While these sites are not protected in perpetuity and are <br />held by a private institution, Duke has along-standing policy -for <br />protection of the natural areas within the forest. The 1988 Duke <br />..Forest Management Study, commissioned by the University, does <br />recognize that important natural areas are contained within the <br />forest. Duke policy is that the University "will be sensitive <br />to...unique :natural. areas", .and that Duke "should not permit <br />negative environmental impacts as a consequence of disturbance of <br />sensitive natural and cultural resources." <br />A 1988 forest management study classified land holdings into four <br />..categories. The study recommended that Duke retain portions of <br />the forest classified as Class 1 -Permanent Research Forest and <br />16 <br />