HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-06-2003 - 6cr
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 6, 2003
Action Agen a
Item No. k2 - C,
SUBJECT: Triangle Land Conservancy "State of Open Space 2002"
DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
Conservation
ATTACHMENT(S):-
1) State of Open Space 2002 Executive
Summary
(Copies of the Report were mailed directly by
TLC. Extra copies will be available at the
meeting.)
2) Slideshow Handout
3) February 3, 2003 Letter to the Editor from
Commissioner Brown
INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Stancil, 245 -2590
Rich Shaw, 245 -2591
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732 -8181
Chapel Hill
Durham
Mebane
968 -4501
688 -7331
336- 227 -2031
PURPOSE: To receive a special presentation from the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) on
their recent report "State of Open Space 2002, The Status of the Triangle's Green
Infrastructure."
BACKGROUND: In late 2002, the Triangle Land Conservancy completed this report on the
Triangle region's open space. This is the second production of this report, following the
State of Open Space 2000 report.
The report explores land use changes in the Triangle since the last report, catalogs new
open space that has been protected, and reviews new conservation initiatives and ways to
strengthen protection efforts. The report also contains a special section on Orange County's
Lands Legacy program as a model for local government partnership and conservation.
Representatives from TLC will be present to make a brief presentation on the findings of the
report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the
presentation and provide feedback as desired.
State of Open Space 2002
Triangle Population, 1930 - 2000
1.2 ■ Wake
1 ■ Orange
e ® Lee
o.8 0 Johnston
■ Dwham
e o.6 ■ Chatham
0.4
0
a
p° 0.2
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Q N M O
M a a a ON a a o
About TLC
• Non - Profit Land Protection Organization
• Founded 1983
• Service Area: Chatham, Durham, Johnston,
Lee, Orange, Wake ,
• 4,540 AcresT'r'gtected
o Own 1.412 Arras (4 Properties Open to Public)
• '2,162 Acres Arotected by'Easements
Assisted in Piotw`w 391. Acres.,
575 Acres Transferred
What is Open Space?
Defined by Funclion
Developed Land Per 1,000 People
In the Triangle's Urbanized Areas, 1950 - 1990
400
0 350
0
a 300
°0 250
200
p 150
100
50
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
IQ 11
1
i
Between 1997 -2002, estimated increase of
72,000 acres of developed land
2
Protected Ouen Suace By Ownershi
Land Trust and Other 3%
University /
11% U.S. Arrny
-�^- Corps of
Local, r F , Engineers
Government 57%
13 %
Corporate
14%
Other State
Agencies State Parks
2% 5%
Total:
155,693 Acres
Local Funding Has Increased
2000: $37.3 Mill. — 2002: $63.6 Alill.
$l5 mill. bond in Wake
• $20 mill. bond in Orange
$2.5 mill. bond in Garner
• $12.5 mill. appropriation
from Cary, plus $1 mill.
annually
Payments -in -lieu, state and
federal grants, impact and
utility fees
Acres Protected,
Jan. 1, 2000 through June 30, 2002
3
Many Agencies Falling Behind Goals
Half -Way Point on Five -Year Goals
• Counties: Average 9.5%
• State Parks: 4%
• Non - Profits: Average 32%
— Triangle Land Conservancy: 58%
• NC Dept. Cultural Resources: 52%
• OWASA: 576 Acres, Goal 500 -1,000
$$ State Budget Crisis $$
• Local gov'ts receiving
less money from State
• State trust funds are
endangered
• State parks plans
delayed
• Million Acre Initiative
is neglected
Million Acre Goal:
Triangle Is Not Doing Its Part
By Area
1
Triangle Portion: 63,000 Acres
6,300 Acres Per Year
1
39% of Goal
By Population
1
Triangle Portion: 150,000 Acres
15,000 Acres Per Year
1
16% of Goal
Other Challenges
• Interagency cooperation is lacking
• Development and open space protection
remain haphazard
• Stewardship
• "Protected" open spaces can be converted
• State law gives little authority to local gov'ts
• Urban -rural divide in protected open space
and funding
5
4
Pillar 1: Open Space Planning
• Identify priority areas for protection
• Specific short- and long -term strategies and
action steps
• Approved and adopted by local governing
body
• Local plans and regional plan
• Outstanding example: Wake County
Pillar 2: Acquisition
• Reliable, diverse funding, including a
dedicated revenue source
• Urge State to take leadership role in
funding
• Dedicated, full -time staff
• Outstanding example: Orange County
Land Protection Proeram
Foundation Funding and People
Triangle GreenPrint
• Summit of land protection agencies
• Brainstorm protection strategies
• Delegate responsibilities
• Needs political and financial
support
P402
5
Please consider the following letter from Margaret Brown, Chair of the Orange County Board of
Commissioners, as a letter to the editor.
Letter to the Editor:
In a January 25th article ( "Region Steps Up Effort for Land "), the writer asserts that the new Triangle Land
Conservancy report State of Open Space 2002 finds Orange County among local governments "lagging
on [its] land protection goals."
However, a careful reading of the report would find that Orange County, with its Lands Legacy Program,
has in fact been very successful in its first two years of existence. Since the program's enaction in April
2000, Orange County has protected 800 acres of critical natural and cultural resource lands, including
several new park and nature preserve sites. Conservation easements on an additional 460 acres are
currently well underway. Funds authorized by Orange County voters have been leveraged with almost $2
million in State and Federal grants toward these acquisitions of natural areas, farmland easements and
park sites. The County has partnered with other local governments and Triangle Land Conservancy in
several of these acquisitions.
In fact, the report itself highlights the Orange County Lands Legacy Program for its success, and offers it
as a model to other local governments in the region as a way to partner with conservation agencies toward
land conservation. The report also notes that Orange County has protected more land than Durham
County and Wake County combined during the study timeframe.
To be sure, there are many acres of important resource lands in Orange County that remain to be
protected, and the County has set very lofty goals, but the implication that Orange County is lagging in
protection of important resource lands is misleading.
Margaret W. Brown
Chapel Hill
(The writer is Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners)