INC NEWS - Action Alert- Duke Forest tract final decisions made March 31, April 4. Help needed with emails and pledges.

Wed Mar 30 07:41:34 EST 2005

Dear Neighbors and other interested people throughout Durham and Orange
counties,

Good Will toward the creation of New Hope Creek Park is flowing!!! Please
read on after action alert to get a current update.

ACTION ALERT: LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF NEW HOPE CREEK PARK.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP NOW.

1) KEEP THOSE EMAILS COMING! please send these brief messages ASAP.

CITY OF DURHAM- Will vote at Mon., April 4, City Council Meeting

council at ci.durham.nc.us <mailto:council at ci.durham.nc.us>

THANK YOU TO ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR IMPLIED SUPPORT AT THE MARCH
24 WORK SESSION. WE ASK FOR YOUR VOTE OF SUPPORT AT THE APRIL 4 CITY COUNCIL
MEETING.

If you want to elaborate 1) City is now only being asked to contribute
$75,000 over a 3 year period. This is a great investment for city. 2)
Opportunities for Walking (was ranked#1) and need for greenway trails, and
open space acquisition were highlighted needs in Durham Parks and Recreation
Master Plan of 2003. This land purchase will provide both. The Duke tract
can serve as an Urban Gateway into the New Hope Creek Corridor for thousands
of nearby city residents. 3) New Hope Creek Park will become an important
asset to the city. Like West Point on the Eno, this regional park will be
within a high population area, will be an asset to our public school
students and can combine history, environmental education and recreation
with the added bonus of being access point for 15 mile trail to Jordan Lake.
It will be another star on Durham’s tourist destination map with the
financial benefit of those tourism $$ as well as enhancement of Durham¹s
quality of life for future vitality of our area.

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ORANGE COUNTY- Meeting on Thursday, March 31 to make decision.

Mcarey1 at mindspring.com <mailto:Mcarey1 at mindspring.com>

Barry.j at mindspring.com <mailto:Barry.j at mindspring.com>

Vfoushee at mindspring.com <mailto:Vfoushee at mindspring.com>

Gordonam at mindspring.com <mailto:Gordonam at mindspring.com>

Stevehh at mindspring.com <mailto:Stevehh at mindspring.com>

PLEASE VOTE YES AND FOLLOW CHAPEL HILL¹S LEAD. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT PENNY LAND, WHICH IS PART OF NEW HOPE CREEK MASTER
PLAN AND TARGETED ORANGE COUNTY PRIORITY PROTECTION LAND. DURHAM COUNTY CAN
NOT PURSUE THIS DEAL WITHOUT ORANGE COUNTY¹S PARTNERSHIP.

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DURHAM COUNTY-Will also meet and decide on Monday, April 4.

Commissioners at co.durham.nc.us <mailto:Commissioners at co.durham.nc.us>

THANK YOU FOR TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THIS REGIONAL PARK INITIATIVE.
PLEASE VOTE TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC PURCHASE OF THE DUKE TRACT AND ENSUING
PROTECTON OF PENNY LANDS WHICH WILL HELP COMPLETE THE NEW HOPE CREEK MASTER
PLAN AND PAVE THE WAY FOR AN HISTORIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL
TREASURE FOR DURHAM COUNTY.

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2) KEEP THOSE PLEDGES COMING!!! OUR NEW GOAL IS $200,000!!!!

Thanks to the lack of good will of Crosland, who recently reneged on their
offer to pursue a state tax credit, which could have reduced the cost of the
land for our local governments to $1.3 million, the purchase price still
stands at $1.5 million.

To help our local governments step up to this challenge, we have been asked
by our elected officials to try to raise up to $200,000 over a 3 year
period. WE HAVE NOW RAISED ABOUT $124,000 IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS! YES WE CAN DO
IT!!!

PLEDGE AT www.ErwinNeighbor.org <http://www.ErwinNeighbor.org/>  (EANG) or
liz at tlc-nc.org <mailto:liz at tlc-nc.org>  (TLC)

AGAIN, WE ASK YOU TO PLEDGE WHATEVER YOU CAN, OVER A 2-3 YEAR PERIOD. EVERY
LITTLE BIT COUNTS; WHATEVER YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE IS IMPORTANT!!! AND ITS ALL
TAX DEDUCTABLE.

Check out Joe Liles,¹ gorgeous silk screen prints of New Hope Creek on sale
at www.ErwinNeighbor.org <http://www.ErwinNeighbor.org/>

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And now back to all the Good Will gestures coming together to make New Hope
Creek Park a reality.

CITIZENS: We have now raised about $124,000 in pledges toward the public
purchase of the Duke tract!!! This type of outpouring of support from all
over Orange and Durham Counties in little over 2 months is unprecedented.
Neighborhoods and neighborhood associations throughout the area are lending
their support. Many important environmental and civic organizations in our
community have given us their official endorsement.

WADE AND CAROLYN PENNY: The Pennys’ own 62 acres of land adjacent to New
Hope Creek and the Duke tract. They feel so strongly that the Duke tract
should be protected and undeveloped that they have added their land to the
proposal so that 108 acres of New Hope Creek watershed could be in the
public domain or under a conservation easement.

The Pennys’ have offered 25 acres of their land for public purchase at the
Bargain Sale price of $5,500 per acre. This land is part of the targeted
lands of the New Hope Creek Master Plan and must be under public control to
complete the trail way of the New Hope Creek Corridor. The Pennys’ have also
offered to put the remaining 37 acres of their land under a conservation
easement at no cost. The Triangle Land Conservancy has signed an option with
the Pennys’ for the 25 acres. The Penny offers are contingent on public
ownership of the Duke tract.

TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY (TLC): Our local conservancy organization has
taken the lead in facilitating the purchase and protection of the Penny
lands and Duke tract to help complete the New Hope Master Plan and protect
New Hope Creek by taking the following actions:
> TLC will set up a fund and process all pledges raised by EANG. All pledges
> will be tax deductible and can be fulfilled over a 2-3 year period.
> 
> TLC will front up to $150,000 to Durham County immediately upon completion of
> contract with Duke to facilitate the purchase of the Duke tract. TLC will then
> recoup these funds with the collection of EANG pledges.
> 
> TLC will donate $25,000 to the City of Durham to help the city cover the
> $100,000 contribution they have been asked to make by Durham County as their
> contribution to this regional park effort. Therefore Durham City is only being
> asked to contribute $75,000 over a 3 year period. The $25,000 will also be
> immediately available, allowing the city time to budget for the $75,000 in the
> future.
> 
> TLC has secured an option on the 25 acres of Penny land adjacent to New Hope
> Creek. TLC has been approved for an EEP (Ecosystem Enhancement Program) grant
> for the 16 acres of Penny flood plain. In the future TLC could offer this land
> to Orange County as the property lies within its jurisdiction and is part of
> their priority land acquisitions.
> 
>  

DUKE UNIVERSITY: Duke is taking an active role in helping our local
governments purchase the Duke tract for public use.
> Duke is showing great flexibility and generosity in working out the final
> arrangements for how Durham County will pay for the Duke tract.
> 
> Orange County has expressed interest in an additional 7 acre tract of Duke
> University land which is adjacent to the Penny land, Fisher property and a TLC
> parcel. 

COMPLETING THE PUZZLE:

If all of the proposed purchases/conservation easements take place then 5
adjoining puzzle pieces will come together to complete the New Hope Creek
Corridor in this area- 1) the Fisher property (already protected) 2) a TLC
parcel, 3) the 7 acre Duke parcel, 4) the 62 acre Penny tract and 5) the 44
acre Duke tract.

OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS: Many of our elected officials have shown
extraordinary leadership on this issue and recognize the important
opportunity we have here to create a regional park in the Hollow Rock area
of New Hope Creek that may not be here tomorrow.

Our hats off to our representatives like Ellen Reckhow, Becky Heron, Phil
Cousin, Diane Catotti, Howard Clement, Cora Cole-McFadden, Bill Strom, Ed
Harrison, Barry Jacobs, Alice Gordon and Moses Carey who have taken an
active role in meetings to discuss this issue.

A special thank you to Durham County Commissioners' Chair Ellen Reckhow who
has taken the lead in proposing a workable funding formula for a regional
park at the Hollow Rock access to New Hope Creek.

And our deepest gratitude to the Mayor and Town Council of Chapel Hill in
taking the lead and voting unanimously last week to support this regional
park and commit the $100,000 being asked of them.

LET¹S KEEP THIS GOOD WILL FLOWING THROUGH APRIL 4 AND MAKE NEW HOPE CREEK
PARK A REALITY!

Please forward this email to your friends, neighbors, and list serves.

Please keep those pledges and emails to officials coming!

Thank you as always for your amazing support.

Wendy Jacobs

Erwin Area Neighborhood Group
Wendy Jacobs <geewen at nc.rr.com>  
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