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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-04-2014-13 (9)INFORMATION ITEM COUNTY OF ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, AGRICULTURE, PARKS AND RECREATION I To: Board of County Commissioners Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager From: David Stancil, DEAPR Director Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager Date: August 25, 2014 Subject: State of the Environment 2014 and Environmental Summit The Orange County Commission for the Environment is nearing completion of its 2014 Orange County State of the Environment report. The purpose of the report is to describe the current status of Orange County's natural environment, identify trends, highlight the major environmental challenges facing the County, and to recommend actions to confront those challenges. The State of the Environment is prepared by the Commission for the Environment and DEAPR staff. The initial report was compiled in 2000 and has been updated every two or four years since then (2002, 2004, and 2009). For this 2014 report we also received help from Malcolm Munkittrick, a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. The State of the Environment report uses a template of around 22 measurable "indicators" of the current status of air quality, water quality, and other environmental conditions within Orange County. The indicators help reveal trends that can alert us to potential impacts on human health and suggest areas where additional information, research, and monitoring are needed. Finally, the report identifies critical issues and makes recommendations for future County actions to help address certain issues. The State of the Environment will be released in time for the Environmental Summit to be held October 11 (9:30am —12 noon) at the Maple View Agricultural Environmental Center. The summit will include a keynote presentation by Dr. Norm Christensen (Duke University) and a panel of speakers with presentations on environmental topics of interest to Orange County residents. For more information on either the report of the summit, please contact Rich Shaw at rshaw(aoranaecountvnc.aov or 919- 245 -2514. Attachment Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation PO Box 8181 1306 -A Revere Road Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 245 -2510 State of the Environment ® p Orange County Commission for the Environment a K Orange County Commission for the Environment Lucy Adams May Becker Terri Buckner Peter Cada Donna Lee Jones David Neal Steven Niezgoda Jeanette O'Connor Rebecca Ray Jan Sassaman Gary Saunders Lydia Wegman Loren Hintz Tom O'Dwyer David Welch Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks &Recreation ( DEAPR) 306 -A Revere Road / P.O. Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Phone: (919) 245 -2590 Fax: (919) 644 -3351 Staff Members David Stancil, Director Tom Davis, Water Resources Coordinator Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager Beth Young, Communications Manager Other County Contacts Commission for the Environment http: / /www.co.orange.nc.us /boards /indivbd.asp ?BoardlD =54 Health Department— Environmental Health Services Board of County Commissioners Planning and Inspections Department Cooperative Extension http: / /www.co.orange.nc.us /envhlth /index.asp http: / /www.co .orange.nc.us /occlerks /bocc.asp http: / /www.co.oran,i4e.nc.us /planning /index.asp http: / /orange.ces.ncsu.edu/ Copies of this report are available at the Orange County public libraries and at the DEAPR office in Hillsborough. The report can also be viewed online at: http : / /`www.co.orange.nc.us /deal2r/ - RA FT- - e County Commission for the Environen presents the mental Sum Saturday, October 11, 2014 (9:30 am -12 noon) Maple View Agricultural Education Center (see reverse for directions) ,A Featuring: • Keynote Speaker — Norm Christensen PhD, The Effects of Climate Change on Orange County, NC Presentation of Orange County's 2014 State of the Environment report • Additional presentations of local interest: The Future of Jordan Lake, Donald Francisco PhD Invasive Plant Species, Johnny Randall PhD • Tour of the Maple View Agricultural Education Center (Optional / Fee required) Refreshments For more information contact Orange County's Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) at 919 - 245 -2510 or http://www.co.orange.nc.us/deapr/index.asp M