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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-05-2005-6dORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 5, 2005 Action Agen~a~ Item No. (, SUBJECT: Resolution -Land for Tomorrow DEPARTMENT: ERCD PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Draft Resolution Land for Tomorrow Background Info INFORMATION CONTACT: David Stancil, ERC Director PURPOSE: To consider a resolution in support of the Land for Tomorrow coalition, which is proposing a November 2006 statewide bond for open space land protection. BACKGROUND: Land for Tomorrow (LFT) is a coalition of public and private organizations advocating the North Carolina General Assembly's goal of preserving 1 million acres of open space. The group's principle foals is educating the public and generating support for a November 2006 statewide band initiative that would raise $200 million a year for five years. A number of land trusts, local governments and conservancy organizations have or are considering measures of support for this initiative. The attached draft resolution would support the proposed 2006 bond referendum and ask that Orange County be listed as a project partner. Noting the similarity of the project's goals with the County's Lands Legacy Program, staff is also asked to explore areas of mutual interest between the two initiatives. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the attached resolution. ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE N.C. LAND FOR TOMORROW INITIATIVE FOR OPEN SPACE AND LAND CONSERVATION WHEREAS, Orange County, through its award-winning Lands Legacy Program, is committed to protecting lands critical to the future of North Carolina's drinking water, economy, and quality of life, and WHEREAS, the Lands Legacy Program has protected over 1,600 acres of natural and cultural resource lands in Orange County to date, and WHEREAS, North Carolina is losing mare than 100,000 acres of those special places to population pressures each year and the state's population is expected to grow by 50 percent in the next 25 years, and WHEREAS, funding sources for land protection efforts in North Carolina have lacked sufficient funding to protect stream banks and flocdplains, legacy forests, prime farmlands, local parks and recreation, state parks, game lands, natural, scenic and historic places, and WHEREAS, there is no second chance to protect North Carolina's great natural resources with costs to do so increasing in the future, and WHEREAS, additional state funding will leverage twice as much funding from federal, private and local sources and enable local land trusts and programs like Lands Legacy to do much mare in terms of land conservation; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners urges the 2006 General Assembly to enact legislation authorizing the "Land for Tomorrow" bond referendum to increase conservation spending in North Carolina by $200 million per year. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board asks that Orange County be listed as a partner in the Land for Tomorrow initiative, and that staff explore the mechanisms by which the Lands Legacy Program and Land for Tomorrow can mutually benefit from their common goals. This the 5~h day of December, 2005. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Orange County Board of Commissicners www.landfortomorrow.org 3 A705 University Dme ° Suim?90 T 919-dU3-8558 ext 1009 or 1037 D°r6am. NC ?7707 F')19-003-0379 LAND for TOMORROW Saving the Goodliest Land: AFive-Year Plan for Investing in North Carolina's Land, Water, History and Future Executive In 1585, Six \X/alter Raleigh sent Lieutenant Ralph Lane and a group of surve}'ors to establish the First English colon}' in the New \Y/orld..-ldvcnturing oEERoanoke Island, L.ane's men explored the mainland to the west and declared it "to bee the goodliest soile under the cope of heaven" That "goodliest soile" became North Carolina. Since then the farms, Forests, fields, mountains, rivers, sounds and oceans have provided livelihoods for our citizens and astonished visitors with their beauty. Lane's men were right: we truly live in the "goodliest" land. Today, the quality of North Carolina's natural and rural lands and its water :ue just as important as they were 400 years ago. • A significant amount of the state's jobs and gross product depend on quality land and water including those in tourism, agriculture, forestry fishing and on military bases. • Other businesses strongly consider quality of life and a healthy environment for their employees when they make decisions about where to locate. • Public health depends on safe drinking water, clean air and places to exercise. • Our quality of life is enhanced by die state's parks and trails, places celebrating our lilstory and the sheer beauty of the land. • North Cazolina's geographic diversit}' produces a special variety of native plants and animals that makes this one of the world's ecological "hot spots." North Carolina is a "hot spot" fox people. Between 1990 and 2000 our population grew by 21% and is expected [o increase by 50% by 2030. You can travel aknost an}nvhem in North Carolina and see firsthand the pressures our population creates on the land. more than one million acres of natural and rural areas have been developed over the last decade. North Cazolina lost more prime Farmland behveen 1987 and 1997 than any other state except Olaio and Texas. And Eor the fast time since the 1930x, forest acreage declined. To help protect these critical areas, the General Assembly created dte Clean Water bfanagement Trust Fund, Farniland Preservation Trust Fund, Natural Heritage Trust Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The General Assembly also set a goal of conserving one million acres of critical lands behveen 2000 and 2009. Significant progress bas been made, but efforts have fallen short because of lack of funding The Farmland Preservation Tmst Fund has received no funding for the last hvo years. In 2004, the Clean Water bfanagement Trust Fund had only $62 million in appropriations compared to $350 million in grant requests Protecting our critical land is only going to get harder and mote costly, Because of the need to expand land and historic conservation efforts in North Cazolvta, several of the state's leading nonprofit organizations joined together to form Laud for Tomorrow in 2003 Their goals are to: • Bttild awareness of [he importance of land conservation and historic preservation to North Carolina's Future • Advocate for expanded funding to meet that need. Land for Totnorxow began its work by interviewing business, govemment and nonproFit leaders from across the state and polling registered voters and fumland owners to learn tnore about what people in North Carolina dunk about conservation. We studied conservation finance techniques used in North Carolina and other states to develop a better understanding of options available to increase funding at the federal, state and local levels. Based upon this information, zeseaxch into land and lstoric properties in North Cazolina and current programs to protect dtem, and advice from more than one hundred experts, the Coalition presents this report, .Snniug tJ~e Gaadlrerl Lm+d .A Frue-] ear Plan far Lmerlirrs iu NarlJr Carolir+a5 Laud, Hirlo~~ and Fnlrrre, which: • Examines changes in land use and ownersltlp that :ue creating econotnic, public health, ecological and quality of hfe challenges vt urban and rural areas. • Recommends how the state can address these challeuges by increasing funding for land conservation and historic preservation. • Recommends the following five-year conservation goals: • Rivers, Wetlands, Floodplains and Coastal Waters - 6,000 miles of stream banks and flood plains • Wotking Farms - 50,000 acres of productive farmland • Working Forests - 25,000 acres • Local Parks and Trails - 35,000 acres and needed trail and park facilities • State Parks and Trails - G0,000 acres and needed trails and facilities • Game Lands and Other Natural Areas - 150,000 acres • Historic Places -Restore 350 historic landmarks for public use and protect .3,000 acres of important archeological sites and land around State Historic Sites • Land Visible from Scenic Highways - 50,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Paflway and other scenic highways • Urban Forests - In¢ease tree canopy in areas that are not meeting air quality standards • Fstunates that the projected cost to North Carolina state government to meet these conservation goals is an additional $200 million annually for five years which can be used to leverage federal, local and private matching funds. • Recommends creating one new initiative to help communities take advantage of their critical land and historic places to create sustainable jobs and n higher quality of life. • Recommends building on the Sta[e's excellent existing conservation trust funds, One North Carolina Naturally program and the creative, vibrant wank of local govermnents, nonprofits and community groups to accomplish these goals. Land for Tomorrow presents this plan as a proposal for discussion. We hope it will be used by legislators, state agencies, citizens and organizations to craft an action plan to save North Carolina's critical land and historic places and ensure a bright future Eox our citizens and communities. If we're successful in [his effort, our children and grandchildren will still think of North Cazolina as the "goodliestland" with: • Clean air and water • Places to enjo}' the beauty of North • Sustainable jobs and vibrant communities • Tbriving farms and forests Carolina, to exercise, to hunt and fish Places of lstoric significance and ecological value In 1971, North Carolina voters approved rlrucle lIV, Section V of the State Constitution, which mandates that we must use "every appropriate way to preserve as part of the common heritage of dtis State its forests, wetlands, estuaries, beaches, historical sites, opcnlands and places of beauty." Lnplementing Sauiug !be Gaorllrert Lnud is the best way to follow through on that Constitutional comtniunent We must protect North Carolina's critical land and Mstoric places now. There will be no second chance.