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Residents urge county not to freeze Land’s Legacy funding; officials note $4 million already set aside
Summary
Conservation advocates and former county staff urged Orange County commissioners on May 29 not to freeze funding for the Land’s Legacy program, saying even a short hiatus would halt projects that require matching funds and quick action.
A string of speakers at the Orange County Board of Commissioners public hearing on May 29 urged the board to preserve annual funding for the Land’s Legacy program and for conservation easements, saying that a multi‑year freeze would damage the county’s ability to conserve farmland, protect historic sites, build trails and respond quickly when willing landowners and funding partners emerge.
Rich Shaw, who served 20 years as the county’s land conservation manager, told the commissioners his “understanding [is] there's a budget proposal…that would freeze new funding for Land’s Legacy for up to 10 years,” and urged the board instead to “maintain some level of funding each year to keep the program operating and to be ready for when new opportunities arise.” He described the program’s role in protecting farmland, parks and trails and said conservation projects depend on having matching funds available when opportunities arise.
Other commenters including Alan Green, Robin Jacobs and several local conservation professionals echoed Shaw’s concerns, noting the Land’s Legacy program enables match requirements for state and federal funds (for example, the state Land and Water Fund) and helps the county take advantage of time‑sensitive easement and land‑acquisition opportunities. Speakers warned that even a single year without county match money can halt projects at the application stage.
In response to questions, a member of the board noted for the public record that there is about $4,000,000 currently in the Land’s Legacy and conservation‑easement capital improvement budget. Several commenters asked the board to protect a regular annual funding stream rather than use the Land’s Legacy balance for other purposes, arguing that doing so would preserve momentum on trails (including Mountain to Sea Trail connectivity), wildlife corridors and farmland conservation.
No formal decision to change Land’s Legacy funding was taken at the meeting; the discussion occurred during the budget public hearing and will be part of commissioner deliberations during upcoming budget work sessions.
