Natural & Cultural Resources

The Natural and Cultural Resources Division coordinates efforts toward environmental protection and resource conservation, including:

• Cultural Resources (Farmland, Historic and Archaeological)
• Natural Resources (Air/Climate, Land, and Water)

Land Conservation

Division staff works on a variety of issues and projects to conserve lands that possess some combination of resources (or conservation values) that are highly important to Orange County residents. To implement resource conservation objectives in the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, some of those efforts are in partnership with: 

• Interested landowners-often
• Non-Government organizations
• Other County departments
• Town government
• Volunteer advisory boards

Parkland & Conservation Areas in Orange County

View the Parkland & Conservation Areas Map to learn more about conservation easements, parkland and open spaces in Orange County. 

Water Resources

Division staff provide scientific expertise and coordinate efforts for water resource conservation and watershed protection.

Projects: 

Gravelly Hill Middle School Stormwater Wetland Retrofit

Joint project with Orange County Erosion Control and Stormwater Management (an IAIA-funded initiative). 

This retrofit will rehabilitate and convert the existing legacy stormwater basin into a stormwater wetland that will comply with state standards as provided in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Stormwater Design Manual. This project will slow down stormwater runoff and allow it to filter through native soil and plants.

Staff Support

The Division also provides staff support for the following volunteer citizen boards that advise the Orange County Board of Commissioners: Commission for the Environment, Agricultural Preservation Board, and Historic Preservation Commission. The Division also helps produce the State of Environment reports for Orange County.

Topics

Technical assistance on many of the following topics is available upon request or through one of the specific programs listed.

Current Updates

Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) Bylaw Revisions
Interim Alternative Implementation Approach (IAIA) Document