HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-06-2003 - 6bORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 6, 2003
SUBJECT: State of the Environment 2002
DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource
Conservation
ATTACHMENT(S):
1) "State of the Environment 2002" report
(copies previously mailed to Board)
2) Slideshow handout (full 3/29 version)
Action Agenda
tem No.
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N)
INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Stancil, 245 -2590
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough
Chapel Hill
Durham
Mebane
732 -8181
968 -4501
688 -7331
336- 227 -2031
PURPOSE: To receive a special presentation from the Commission for the Environment
regarding the recent "State of the Environment 2002" report.
BACKGROUND: On March 29th, the Commission for the Environment (CfE) sponsored an
Orange County Environmental Summit at the Totten Center of the N.C. Botanical Gardens.
At the summit, the CfE unveiled its "State of the Environment 2002" report (which had been
previously mailed to the Board of Commissioners).
The State of the Environment report, as initially conceived and included in the Board of
Commissioners goal for Natural Resources, is produced every two years. The first report
was produced in December 2000, outlining the key issues and goals of the Commission for
the Environment in the group's focus areas of air, land and water. An Interim Report was
also presented in December 2001.
Recognizing the need to set benchmarks for future evaluations - and the interest in using
environmental indicators to measure the County's environmental progress - the Commission
for the Environment set out in the spring of 2002 to revamp and considerably expand the
State of the Environment report. Over the last half of 2002, CfE members worked with staff
to:
❑ identify possible indicators,
❑ assess whether the indicators could in fact be measured,
❑ gather data about the indicators, and
❑ evaluate the implications of those indicators.
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The 2002 report uses a set of 22 environmental indicators, along with accompanying tables,
charts and maps, to produce a snapshot of the County's environmental status in the year
2002. The report is limited to the CfE focus areas of Air Resources, Biological Resources,
and Water Resources. The CfE has a committee dedicated to each of these areas, along
with a fourth committee on Environmental Education.
After sifting through all of the information and data gathered, the report identified five critical
issues for the County and offered 10 recommendations.
The critical issues identified included:
• A 31 % increase in the amount of developed land per capita
• The Triangle's ground -level ozone issues and impending air quality non - attainment for
the region
❑ Conversion, destruction and degradation of habitat for native flora and fauna
❑ The adequacy of water resources — and a 15% increase in per capita water usage
❑ The need for increased attention to groundwater
The recommendations in the report include proposals such as:
• Working proactively to address the impending ground -level ozone non - attainment
designation (April 2004), by inventorying emissions, working with regional partners and
creating a short-term committee and staff to address air quality issues
• Empowering the Lands Legacy Program, in conjunction with other conservation
partners, to ensure that 10% of the County's land area is permanently protected by
2010 ( "Ten By '10 "), and that focus be given to natural areas, prime forests and
habitat connectivity
❑ Facilitate the planning for wastewater reclamation programs to decrease the future
demand on water resources, and follow -up on ground water contamination incidents
and other ground water issues
An abbreviated version of the report presentation will be made by staff and CfE members.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None associated with presentation of the report. However, the report
recommendations generally call for additional financial and human resources in future years
for land, water and air conservation.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the
presentation and provide feedback as desired.
Orange County
State of the Environment 2002
Commission for the Environment
March 29, 2003
Purpose of the CFE
> Advise County Commissioners on environmental
policy
> Educate public and local officials
> Perform special studies and projects
> Recommend environmental initiatives
> Study changes in science and regulations
Format of the Report
> Every Two Years
r Covers focus areas of air, biology, water
> "Indicators" approach
Two pages for each indicator
> One with rationale, measurement and trends
> One page of relevant graphs and maps
Commission for the Environment (CFE)
15 members representing both technical
expertise and citizens at -large
Four committees: Air Quality, Biological
Resources, Environmental Education,
Water Resources
> Created in 1998
The Importance of Indicators
Quantifiable and measurable
> Illustrates County's environmental state
> Data may reveal trends
> Format can be used again every two years
to measure change
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Population and Land Use Impacts
> Population and land
use changes affect
natural resources
> County population
doubled 1970 -2000
> Amount of developed
land up 87% from
1982 -1997
]20000
100000
80000
01970
01980
",000, 01990
20000 ❑z000
8
Onoce c000ty
Popoletl0e.
Emissions Estimates
D NOx and 01-1f,
primary factors for
ground level ozone
> "Mobile" sources and
"area" sources
> Trend: Lack of local
data? Increased VMT
Other Air Quality Indicators
> Point source emissions > Commuting (in/out)
> Hazardous pollutants > Travel time to work
> Transportation modes
> Vehicle miles traveled
> Miles of maintained
state road lanes
AIR RESOURCES
(selected indicators)
• Emissions Estimates
• Ozone Levels
Ozone Levels - Exceedance Days
> Ground -level ozone =
heat/sunlight, NOx
and VOC's
oxs�.a�ar1
ow
�oqo~
> Triangle soon to be
"non- attainment"
> No ozone monitor in
Orange County
T
4
County Land Cover
> Data - US Natural
Resource Inventory
(1997)
> Forestland down 13%
1982 -1997
> Urban land uses up
87%
Other Biological Indicators
> Protected Identified Natural Areas (acres)
> Acres of Prime Forest
> Acres in Use Value Taxation Program
> Status of Rare Plants and Animals
Water Demand
> Finite Resource & A
Headwaters Area
> Per Capita Demand Up
15% -1985 -2000
> Present Safe Yield 15
MGD
> Need 18 MGD by 2030?
Acres of Prote
— -�
R
m:
cted Land
> Comprehensive
Resource GIS
Database
> 8,000 acres (3.1 %)
permanently
protected
> 17,000 acres total
(6.7 %) protected
Groundwater Contamination
_..__. »._.. --------- _ -_ -.--
> State database
-
"i
> Reported versus
closed -out incidents
_
.,
a r r
> 91 spill incidents
f --
reported 1996 -2001
_.__.._......- ... ... ..::._.....
> 38 "closed -out >'
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3
Other Water Resources Indicators
> Public Safe Yields > Impaired Streams
> Household Sources
> Type/size of service
providers
> Wastewater permit
violations
> % streams with 50 -ft
undisturbed buffer
> Stream Protection
Programs
> Wetland Destruction
RECOMMENDATIONS
AIR RESOURCES (continued)
✓ Develop in -house air emissions inventory
capabilities (area and mobile sources)
✓ Hire a full -time staff person to support
strategy development, coordinate
inventories and evaluate trends
Critical Issues — SOE Report 2002
> Developed land per person up 31%
> Ground -level ozone an increasing problem
> Wildlife habitats destroyed/degraded by land
conversion
> Per capita water use up 15%
> Groundwater — out of sight, out of mind?
AIR RESOURCES
✓ Form an Air Quality Team to develop
strategies to improve ambient air quality
and reduce regional/local ozone
✓ Team should coordinate regionally with
other efforts/counties on strategies
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
✓ Ensure 10% of County land area (25,600
acres) permanently protected by 2010
(10 By '10)
✓ Intensify efforts to protect identified
natural areas and prime forests — using a
variety of methods
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BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
(continued)
✓ Expand conservation plan to address
threats to natural areas, connectivity and
coordination with neighboring counties
✓ Institutionalize means to monitor status of
prime forests and identified natural areas
For More Information — SOE '02
a Copies of report
available today
> ERCD web site
www.co.oranee.nc.us/ercd
> Emsil:
cmelton(ako. oranee.nc.us
for copy
> Or call 245 -2590
WATER RESOURCES
✓ County take lead in facilitating water
reclamation programs — reducing demand
on limited resources
✓ Expand monitoring/action on ground
water contamination, and expand ground
water education for residents
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