Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
-Draft 10/8/99 <br />In addition to these three management structures, there are other <br />.approaches to managing /and acquisitions that involve coordination <br />with different parties <br />D. .joint Ventures With Existing. Land Trusts <br />As noted in the 1996 "Preservation as a Function of Local <br />Government" report, existing land trusts or associations such as the <br />Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), the Eno River Association <br />and The Nature Conservancy have done- much to` preserve <br />several of the County's important natural areas, but these trusts on <br />their- own will not be able to protect all of the. most. important- <br />° resources present. in the County -due to financial limitations, <br />differing areas of .interest, and obligations in. other areas of the <br />Triangle,(and the nation, in The Nature Conservancy's case)'. It is <br />..this recognition that has led the County to develop a program of its <br />-own to .work on preserving the most significant. areas of County <br />interest,. while building a ,collaborative relationship with. existing <br />trusts for possible joint ventures. <br />In evaluating acquisition potential, there will likely be occasions <br />when projects of regional significance become possible -projects <br />that may offer benefits beyond the County boundaries and protect <br />lands..tfiat are important to the regional public interest. <br />While the County and the existing land trusts will certainly wish to <br />pursue their own plans and programs for preservation of areas <br />deemed important,- one method of coordinating the efforts of the <br />different groups might be the formation of an "Orange County <br />..Land Trust Alliance", based on the successful national <br />organization of the same name.- <br />- The basis for this -type of arrangement has already been laid. <br />through. a joint meeting of staff representatives of local <br />governments and TLC earlier this-year. In addition, during 1999 the <br />Environment and Resource Conservation staff has also been <br />involved in discussion of potential joint ventures with TLC staff, and <br />an informal agreement to share information and keep each other <br />informed to avoid duplication of effort has been successfully <br />instituted. <br />Despite the type of management structure selected by the Board, <br />the potential will continue to exist for cooperative efforts between <br />land trusts and the County in areas of mutual interest. After a <br />42 <br />