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BK:00027 PG:0893 <br /> ORDINANCE OF THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> INSTITUTING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT <br /> WITHIN LEE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA <br /> WHEREAS,the Lee County Board of Commissioners at its regular meeting, in <br /> order to provide all interested persons an opportunity to express their views on the question of whether <br /> a moratorium should be imposed on oil and gas development activities (as hereinafter defined) in Lee <br /> County,after due advertisement as required by law, conducted a public hearing for the purpose of <br /> hearing the views of the public,gathering information,and taking appropriate action pursuant to <br /> authority conferred in Article 18, Chapter 153A of the North Carolina General Statutes,the Lee County <br /> Moratorium Ordinance, and other relevant law regarding the imposition of a moratorium on oil and gas <br /> development in Lee County; and <br /> WHEREAS,the Board of Commissioners makes the following findings of fact with respect to a <br /> temporary moratorium on oil and gas development within Lee County: <br /> (1)Oil or gas development is a unique industrial use and thus can best be regulated in Lee <br /> County as a conditional use, subject to regulation based on each individual circumstance and <br /> situation; and, <br /> (2) Lee County is both urban and rural in character and depends, in part, on agricultural and <br /> agribusiness industries and activities for income; and, <br /> (3) Lee County is a prime location for residential developments with residents employed in <br /> surrounding urban areas who seek to live in a rural environment,and the County is dependent <br /> upon the property taxes from these developments; and, <br /> (4) Lee County is home to the Deep River and Cape Fear River which provide critical habitats for <br /> endangered and protected species, including the Bald Eagle, Redcockaded woodpecker, and <br /> Cape Fear Shiner;and, <br /> (5) Lee County is also home to numerous parks and outdoor recreations areas, including Deep <br /> River Park,SanLee Park,and Endor Paddle, a company that makes its income from the area's <br /> environmental attributes;and, <br /> (6)Such parks and recreational areas provide opportunities for environmental education and <br /> activities for the citizens of Lee County; and, <br /> (7) Lee County is located in the Triassic Basin, a shale rock basin with high quality streams, <br /> diabase seepage bogs, and other essential geological and ecological resources; and, <br /> (8) Lee County is dependent upon water from the Haw, Deep and Rocky Rivers which converge <br /> into the Cape Fear River,from where the City of Sanford and the surrounding areas draw their <br /> drinking water and all of which are likely water resources from which oil and gas operators <br /> would draw millions of gallons of water to use for oil and gas development; and, <br /> (9) Many Lee County citizens depend upon well water for private use; and, <br />