HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE agenda 080816AGENDA
Commission for the Environment
August 8, 2016
7:30 p.m.
Orange County Solid Waste Administration Building
1207 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill
Time
Item
Title
7:30
I.
Call to Order
7:32
II.
Additions or Changes to Agenda
7:35
III.
Approval of Minutes — June 13, 2016
The CFE will consider approval of minutes from the last meeting. (Attachment 1)
7:45
IV.
CFE Facebook Page
The CFE will continue its discussion on the use of Facebook and other social media to
communicate with the public about CFE activities and other environmental matters of interest to
residents of Orange County. (Attachments 2 -3)
8:15
V.
Hydrilia treatments in Upper Eno River basin (update)
Staff will update the CFE on year two of a two -year pilot study to treat the aquatic weed hydrilla
in the Eno River and other water bodies in the watershed. (Attachment 4)
8:45 VI Inter -Local Clean Energy Working Group
Staff will update the CFE on recent discussions by the Inter -Local Clean Energy Working Group
about the County's potential participation in a Phase I Solar Feasibility Analysis. (Attachment 5)
8:50 VII. The Nature of Orange Contest Winners 2016
Staff will present the winners of this year's contest (Attachment 6)
9:00 VIII. Updates and Information Items
Staff and /or CFE members will provide updates on the following items:
➢ Legislative wrap up — NC League of Conservation Voters (Attachment 7)
➢ Overview of 2016 environmental legislation — Robin Smith (Attachment 8)
➢ State rejects plan to preserve land in Falls Lake watershed (Attachment 9)
➢ County study to help justify wider stream buffers (Attachment 10)
➢ Mountains -to -Sea Trail in Orange County (Attachment 11)
➢ Orange County recognized by NC Coastal Federation (Attachment 12)
➢ Impact of tree harvesting on wildlife (Attachment 13)
➢ NC's Butterfly Highway (Attachment 14)
➢ Coal and gas expected to decline in next decade (Attachment 15)
➢ Antarctica ozone hole beginning to heal (Attachment 16)
➢ The healing power of nature — Time Magazine (Attachment 17)
➢ Any other new information from CFEmembers and staff
9:15 VIII. Adjournment
Next meeting; September 12 (Hillsborough — West Campus Office Bldg.)
CFE Meeting Ground Rules (Adopted 9112111)
1. Keep to agenda topic under discussion
2. Share relevant information
3. One person speaks at a time after recognition by the Chair
4. Everyone is invited to participate in discussions / no one person should dominate
discussions
,. Strive to reach consensus first before voting
Activities the CFE expects to carry out in 2016:
• Continue to update the Orange County State of the Environment 2014 report
• Continue to explore ways to improve the County's ability to foster local sustainable
energy production and energy efficiency strategies, including developing incentives
for increasing energy efficiency in new construction
• Recommend ways to reduce the County's "carbon footprint" and implement the
County's Environmental Responsibility Goal (BOCC Priority #10)
• Continue to help with public outreach and management efforts related to hydrilla in
the Eno River
• Help initiate the development of a comprehensive conservation plan for Orange Co
• Co- sponsor the annual DEAPR photography contest (The Nature of Orange)
• Help plan for and participate in County's annual Earth Evening event
Concerns or emerging issues the CFE has identified for 2016:
• The CFE will continue to advocate for an expansion of the County's commercial food waste
pickup and composting services to reduce food waste in the solid waste stream
• The CFE remains interested in developing incentives for increasing energy efficiency in new
construction
• The CFE will continue to learn more about environmental justice matters and incorporate
relevant information and considerations in the State of the Environment report and its other
activities
• The CFE will continue to follow the Solid Waste Advisory Group's discussions of how to
improve the handling and disposal of Orange County's solid waste, and will advocate for
better long -term solutions
• The CFE will continue to advocate for increased efforts to gather information related to water
resources in Orange County and to increase public awareness and understanding of water
supply sources, related concerns, and what steps can be undertaken to maintain or improve
the quantity and quality of Orange County water supply resources
• The CFE will continue to address, as appropriate, the critical environmental issues for Orange
County as enumerated on page 3 of the 2014 State of the Environment report, which include
potential adverse effects from a) invasive, non - native, plant and animal species; b) reductions
in State -led collection of water resources data; c) potential drilling for natural gas in the Deep
River basin; d) urban sprawl; and CFE support for e) the responsible deployment of clean and
appropriately -sited renewable energy and reductions in energy use to help fight climate
change
Orange County
Commission for the Environment
DRAFT Meeting Summary
June 13, 2016
Richard Whitted Meeting Facility, Hillsborough
PRESENT: Lynne Gronback (Acting Chair), May Becker, Peter Cada, Bill Kaiser, Bill Newby,
Jeanette O'Connor, Rebecca Ray, Sheila Thomas -Ambat
ABSENT: Thomas Eisenhart, Loren Hintz, Lydia Wegman, David Welch
STAFF: Tom Davis, Brennan Bouma GUESTS: Bruce Sinclair, Tim Turner
Call to Order — O'Connor (on behalf of Gronback) called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.
Additions or Changes to Agenda — O'Connor suggested moving the discussion of the
landfill solar array proposal ahead of the CFE Facebook item to accommodate guests
from the Carrboro Environmental Advisory Board. Cada offered a motion; seconded by
Ray. CFE members approved of rearranging the agenda accordingly.
III. Minutes — O'Connor asked for comments on the May 9 meeting summary. Cada
motioned approval as written; seconded by Newby. Motion approved unanimously.
IV. Potential Solar Array at the Closed County Landfill — The CFE received information
from the Town of Carrboro's Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) about that board's
interest in collaborating with Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill on investigating
the possibility of installing a solar array at the closed landfill. This project has not yet
been endorsed by the Town of Carrboro. EAB members Bruce Sinclair and Tim Turner
presented information from their preliminary investigations for CFE consideration and
discussion.
The EAB is looking into several ways of promoting solar power development in the area,
and wanted to speak with the CFE specifically about larger ground- mounted solar arrays
(20 -40 acres, 4 - 5 MW capacity), ideally near 3 -phase power substations. Sinclair said
the EAB has received guidance from Strata Solar
The Orange County landfill is one of few large parcels of land remaining for solar
development that are close to the potential users of that energy. It is also bordered by
large powerlines, and both of the parcels at the landfill that might work for solar
development have good southern exposures, so solar might work well at that location.
Sinclair and Turner said they have spoken with Orange County Solid Waste Director
Gayle Wilson and Solid Waste Planner Blair Pollock about this idea and learned that
there are two possible sites at the landfill. They also learned that Strata Solar considered
the landfill previously but decided not to develop there.
Some of the challenges associated with developing solar on a landfill are that you have
to accommodate for future settling of the land surface and for the active landfill gas
recovery system that is operating on both parcels.
Sinclair and Turner said there is a landfill site called Hickory Ridge near Atlanta that has
a flexible TPO plastic cap with flexible solar panels laid down on top. It cost $7 million
($5 million with a $2 million grant). This would be a possible solution as it would not
cause settling and it would flex with the settling the might occur. The efficiency of the
panels is less than for the rigid panels. More exploration is needed to ensure that the
plastic cap would be durable enough to walk /drive on, and to make sure it would not be
susceptible to damage by animals.
There are several ways to pay for and develop solar power systems. Third party sales
are prohibited in NC. The owner of the panels cannot sell the electricity generated. "Use -
all" or "Sell -all" (sell all energy generated to Duke Power) or net metering (use as much
power as you can and then sell the remainder to Duke Power) arrangements are all
possible. The use can be changed in the future based on need if more facilities are
developed out there. The EAB is uncertain whether there are facilities nearby that could
take advantage of this power (Orange County Animal Shelter might be one).
A developer could also lease the land from the County and then operate his or her own
system. This is the most straightforward way to go as all the risk goes to the developer.
Community solar is also possible, where individual investors buy into and own the
system, and lease the land or roof space to install it. This was done on the Carrboro
Farmers Market (-$40- $50,000). This can be done less formally by allowing the panels
to be sponsored by community members, but owned by the property owner. These
options are sometimes desirable for those who want to invest in solar, but whose land or
roof space is shady or otherwise inappropriate for solar development.
Sinclair and Turner said the EAB is interested in taking the appropriate next steps in
exploring the possibilities for landfill solar development with Orange County. Their
presentation is available upon request.
Brennan Bouma offered some of the history of Orange County staff's exploration into
solar development on the landfill and other sites including the previous interests of
Cypress Creek Renewables, Strata Solar, and UNC. Bouma offered to continue
conversations with the EAB on this issue.
V. CFE Facebook Page - Gronback and O'Connor provided an overview and
demonstration of how Facebook and other social media sites could work in practice to
communicate with the public and other stakeholders about CFE activities, and how these
sites can be used to share information about environmental issues of interest to
residents of Orange County.
CFE members feel social media (not just Facebook) is an important communication tool
to make the work of the Commission more visible, especially to the young residents of
the county. There is also an interest in hearing from county residents since many people
do not have time to attend meetings.
The CFE discussed the need for some internal protocol (or code of conduct) for
structuring and using these media, reflecting the Orange County Social Media Policy. It
was explained that creating and maintaining an official social media presence as an
appointed Orange County commission, implies that statements made on the site are
officially sanctioned. This can be difficult to manage if the site is structured so that
anyone can post comments. The Orange County Social Media Policy guides the creation
of these sites so that they avoid any foreseeable issues.
2
The merits of several possible structures were discussed, including the thought of
"piggybacking" our comments on an existing County social media site such as the one
set up for DEAPR. It was decided that Gronbeck and O'Connor would succinctly
summarize the options that the Social Media Policy allows for a future CFE meeting and
would reach out to David Hunt to learn more about what levels of response are allowed
to comments or emails received through the site. This would allow everyone on the CFE
to make the decision about the best way to move forward including the possibilities of
making on overall media and outreach strategy and /or subcommittee.
VI. Committee Meetings — Gronback suggested no committee meetings and CFE
members agreed.
VII. Updates and Information Items — Information on the following subjects was provided in
the meeting package; selected items were discussed: a) tri- county conservation plan
proposal, b) Hollow Rock Nature Park opening, c) NC regulating renewable energy, d)
state senate eyes mussels for cleaning Jordan, Falls lakes, e) coal ash pond closures
update, f) solar farm field trip, and g) woman tackling her city's food waste problem.
VI 11. Adjournment — Cada motioned to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Ray. Gronback
adjourned the meeting at 9:15 pm.
Summary by Brennan Bouma, AMS Staff
3
Orange County Commission for the Environment
Orange County Commission for the Environment
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This commission represents the public and advises
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22 his
Free Food Waste Drop Off Pilot Program at the Carrboro Farmers Market
Starting June 18, 2016 the Carrboro Farmers' Market will partner with
Orange County Solid Waste Management to offer a free food waste drop-
off for local residents and Farmer's Market attendees, continuing every
Saturday market day through September! Participants can bring all food
scraps (veggie scraps and all meat, bones and dairy too) and food related
paper such as paper napkins and paper plates. This is See more
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Orwige Counly Com"flssion for fl)e Environniterit
19 May at 18: 18
Spring migration is happening in Orange County. Rose-breasted
Grossbeak spends most of fall, winter and spring in Latin America and
stays for a few weeks in Orange County in the spring and fall while
travelling further north to breed.
VISITOR POSTS
Lorenz Hintz
22 April at '12.49
Come to Hillsborough Friday April 29,2016 for
Earth Evening.
2 Likes
hke - GornmoriP
SLorrnug Hintz
J 22 April at 12:44
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1 share
14,11k Write a comment..
https://www.facebook.com/CommissionfortheEnviro=ent/
Orange County Commission for the Environment
Now is your chance to show off your photos.
Send them to Orange Coun cofltiruu romfirig
Like Canirn,mt
9) Lorenz [fintz
10 July 2015 at 17_:56
1 haven't visited this site in a few months. Seems
thanks to the heavy snow last winter the number of
ticks is down.
Lik,e (-offifn(mt
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orange County COTnrn ssion for tho Environiinent
19 May at 18:16
- Hollow Rock Opening Celebration Rescheduled - -
Due to the combination of forecast heavy rain overnight Friday, potential
thunderstorms early Saturday, and already-wet and poor trail conditions,
the planned Hollow Rock Nature Park grand opening for Saturday, May 21,
2016 at 9:30 a.m. is being rescheduled.... See nmre
Like Comment Share
Orainge County Commission for the Environment
16 May at 14:59
Hollow Rock Nature Park in Durham will have its grand opening the
Saturday, May 21 st, at 9:30am. Come join us as we celebrate this new
park!
The address is 692 Erwin Rd. Durham, NC. You can park and take a
shuttle to the site from Forest View Elementary School (3007 Mount Sinai
Rd., Durham NC).
For more information, please contact Lynn Hecht at 919-245- 2510 or at
lthecht@orangecountync.gov.
Like Comment Share
Fop comments
A, Writea cornment
Orange County ConnqnNMW fair the Env ronmenr - Hollow Rock Opening
Celebration Rescheduled - -
Due to the combination of forecast heavy rain overnight Friday, potential
thunderstorms early Saturday, and already-wet and poor trail conditions, the
planned Hollow Rock Nature Park grand opening for See more
Like R pfy 19 May at'18:20
r �,W aOlnge COUIrity Cornrnoss on for the Environs ent
shared Jeff Herr0('s event.
25 April
Come to Carrboro Town Hall tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7:30 to support the
town's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint!
Support Carrboro Climate Change Plan
https://www.facebook.com/CommissionfortheEnviromnent/
Orange County Commission for the Environment
rues 19:30 Carrboro interested
A people interested 7 people going
A A:rp
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j,
Oran ,g: County Ca:unninnii sioni for the Environment
shared a link.
25 Aprit
Nature of Orange Photography Contest
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks amp Recreation
along with the Commission for the Environment announces the 2015 Nature of
Orange Photography Contest. The purpose of the contest is to get people outside...
ORANE " "ECOUN) V IC.f_OV
Like Comment Share
The, Chiaptq Hit News Like Page
3May.
Planting flowers in your yard? The Orange County Commission for the
Environment wants you to take another look at native species and be wary
of invasive outsiders.
Choose native species of plants for garden
While some of us value plants in our landscapes primarily for the beauty they
provide, we may not realize that plants are in fact critically important components of
food webs and essential to the life cycles of birds and insects.
4 Ynn Btecht sharec9 i)ia¢rrie €- ;oiunuy+ IJivii1criment, Agricultme,
°'fy�.p Parks W „k 9du r Re�:rPirrR't's fr4icrto.
23 April 2015
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Orange County Social Media Policy
Effective September 30, 2011
Purpose
Orange County has recognized the need to augment traditional communication methods with the use of
social media channels. Public demand and the rapid growth of social media (aka: Web 2.0) use by other
local, state and federal government entities has highlighted the usefulness of social media as an effective
mode of enhancing constituent communications. The use of social media presents opportunity and risk to
individual County agencies and departments, as well as the County as a whole. In general, the County
supports the use of social media technology to enhance communication, collaboration and information
exchange to meet business mission and goals.
This document establishes the countywide social media use policies, protocols and procedures intended to
mitigate associated risks from use of this technology where possible. This policy will be revised and
Department social media activity shall be adjusted accordingly, in the event the County changes its
direction on social media use.
Definitions
A. Social Media Network(s) / Site(s) — An online service or site that focuses on building social networks
or social relations among people, and permits users of the site to share information, interact and
communicate with each other.
B. Approved Social Media Site(s) — An online service or site sponsored by the County permitting
information exchange, interaction and communication between the public and the County, its Agencies
and /or Departments and listed on the Social Media Policy Site Guide.
Applicability
This policy applies to all Orange County employees and volunteers, interns, consultants, service providers
and contractors performing business on behalf of County Agencies/ Departments.
Departments using social media technology shall achieve policy compliance within 30 days of the
approval of this policy by the County Manager.
Implementation
The County Manager, or his/her designee, is responsible for facilitating the County's Social Media Policy
in compliance with established Board rules and protocols.
This includes the responsibility to audit Department use of social media and enforce policy compliance.
Within the terms of this policy, Department Heads have authority to determine and establish social media
activity at the Department program level.
Policy
A. Department use of social media technology shall conform to the policies, protocols and
procedures contained, or referenced, herein.
B. A Department's decision to embrace social media shall be a risk -based business decision
approved by the Department Head and supported by a strong business case that considers the
Department's mission and goals, audience, legal risks, technical capabilities and potential
benefits.
C. A Department's decision to use social media technology shall be documented in writing and
approved by the Department Head, County Attorney, Chief Information Officer and the County
Manager.
D. Access to social media networks from within the County's IT infrastructure is limited to
individuals performing official County business and to agencies /departments with sufficient
information and technology security controls.
E. Department Heads are ultimately responsible for determining who is authorized to use social
media on behalf of the department, and for designating appropriate access levels, while
maintaining ultimate account ownership.
F. Departments shall only utilize County approved social media networks for hosting official County
social media sites.
G. County Department social media sites shall be created and maintained in accordance with County
social network usage standards and with identifiable characteristics of an official County site.
H. Departments are responsible for establishing, maintaining and monitoring the activity on the
social media sites, and shall follow the measures outlined herein to prevent inappropriate or
technically harmful information and links.
L The same standards, principles and guidelines that apply to Orange County employees in the
performance of their assigned duties apply to social media technology use on behalf of the
County.
J. Department use of social media shall be documented and maintained in an easily accessible
format that tracks account information and preserves items that may be considered a record
subject to disclosure under the North Carolina's Public Records Act.
K. Department social media sites shall be monitored regularly and prompt corrective action shall be
taken when an issue arises that places, or has potential to place, the County at risk.
Procedures
A. Authorized Use of Social Media
1) Departments utilizing social media shall:
(a) Have a strong understanding of the risks associated with using social media.
(b) Prior to opening an account, consult with the Chief Information Officer and County Attorney
to assess the risks utilizing a specific County approved social networking site in comparison
with the business opportunities expected.
(c) Establish and document a well thought out and documented social media strategy.
(d) Implement the security controls mandated by the Chief Information Officer to protect County
Information and Technology assets.
(e) Only access social media networks authorized by the Chief Information Officer.
(f) Comply with all applicable federal, state, and county laws, regulations and policies including,
but may not be limited to, copyright, records retention, North Carolina Public Records Act,
First Amendment, privacy laws, employment related laws and County policies.
2) Department Heads shall designate at least two employees (one primarily authorized user and
secondary authorized user) to monitor the Department's social media sites with specified access
levels.
3) Departments shall determine the appropriate access levels which include identifying what sites, or
type of sites, the individual is approved to use, as well as defining capability: publish, edit,
comment or view only.
4) Only the Department Head and designated employees shall have permission to create, publish or
comment on behalf of a County Department.
5) Only the Department Head associated with a particular Social Media Site and the County Manager
shall have the authority to increase or decrease the access levels to the social media sites.
6) The ability to change account credentials shall be the responsibility of the Department Head and
not delegated within a Department.
7) Employees authorized to monitor content on social media sites shall comply with the guidelines
provided in Section D — Site Content.
8) Authorized users shall be provided a copy of the County's social media policy and are required to
acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of this Policy.
B. Approved Social Media Networks
1) Departments shall utilize only approved social media networks for hosting official County social
media sites.
2) County social media sites shall be used only to provide information about County Departments or
County related events or programs.
3) Social media networks under consideration will be reviewed and approved by the Chief
Information Officer in with consultation from County Attorney, HR and Risk Management when
appropriate.
4) For each approved social media network, usage standards will be developed and documented by
Information Technologies to optimize government use of the site in correlation with the County's
overall business mission and County Social Media Use Policy.
5) Chief Information Officer is responsible for maintaining the list of approved social media
networks and site related usage standards.
6) Social media networks on the approved list shall be reviewed at least bi- annually for changes to
terms of use agreements and /or new /expired offerings or as needed.
7) A Department may request review and approval of additional social media networks as needed.
C. Official County Social Media Sites
1) County Department social media sites shall be created and maintained in accordance with County
social network usage standards and with identifiable characteristics of an official County site.
2) County social media network accounts shall be created and maintained using an official County
email account, solely owned by the respective Department Head.
3) Sites shall contain visible elements that identify them as an official Orange County, North Carolina
site. Among other items, this includes displaying official County seals, Department brands, contact
information and a link to Department websites.
4) County social media sites shall display, or provide a link to, the County's Content Disclaimer and
Social Media Disclaimer and any applicable policies.
D. Site Content
1) Departments are responsible for establishing, monitoring and maintaining content posted to their
social media sites and shall have measures in effect to prevent inappropriate or technically
harmful information and links.
2) As is the case for Orange County web sites, agencies /departments are responsible for the content
and upkeep of their social media sites.
3) County websites shall remain the primary and predominant source for Internet information.
4) Content available through an online source shall:
(a) Be deemed of value, useful and appropriate for the general public;
(b) Shall use proper grammar and standard AP style whenever possible, avoiding the use of jargon
and acronyms that may not be widely understood by the public;
(c) Be factual and properly vetted;
(d) Be approved by the Department Head, when deemed potentially provocative.
(e) County content available through an online source shall not contain, or hyperlink (link) to,
information that:
(i) Threatens, condescends, or degrades any group belonging to a particular race, culture,
religion, sex, sexual orientation or political party;
(ii) Is profane, vulgar, obscene, or sexually explicit;
(iii) Promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age,
religion, gender, marital status, status with regards to public assistance, national origin, physical
or mental disability or sexual orientation;
(iv) Can be classified as confidential, private or proprietary, or can be classified as personal
health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA);
(v) May infringe on a third party's copyright or intellectual property rights;
(vi) Contains a solicitation of commerce;
(vii) Contains paid advertisements or endorsements, with the exception of a County contracted
business lessee;
(viii) Contains plagiarized material;
(ix) May be illegal or encourages illegal activity;
(x) May compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.
(xi) Discloses confidential or proprietary information.
E. Comments
1) Sharing or posting content owned by others shall be performed in accordance with copyright, fair
use and established laws pertaining to materials owned by others. This includes, but is not limited
to, quotes, images, documents, links, etc.
2) Electronic information posted to a social media site by the County, or a member of the public, may
be considered a record subject to North Carolina's Public Record Act.
3) Social media sites are not intended to be used in a manner that guarantees the right to protected
free speech. Each Department is responsible for monitoring postings, and taking appropriate
action when necessary, to protect general site visitors from inappropriate or technically harmful
information and links.
0
4) Sites that allow public comment shall inform visitors of the intended purpose of the site and
provide a clear statement of the discussion topic introduced for public comment so that the public
is aware of the limited nature of the discussion and that inappropriate posts are subject to
removal, including but not limited to the following types of postings regardless of format (text,
video, images, links, documents, etc.):
(a) Comments not topically related;
(b) Profane language or content;
(c) Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed,
color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regards to public assistance, national
origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;
(d) Sexual content or links to sexual content;
(e) Solicitations of commerce;
(f) Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;
(g) Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public
systems;
(h) Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.
5) Department's choosing to establish a blog or allow posts from the public on County social
network sites, shall prominently display, or provide a link to, the County's Social Media
Disclaimer and Comment Policy.
6) Departments choosing to use public comments shall consult with County Attorney to develop and
document Department - specific disclaimers to meet the County's legal needs. County Attorney
may also be consulted to determine whether to remove comments that violate this policy
7) Authorized employees shall respond to all comments not topically related, but concerning the
performance of the Orange County Government as follows:
"Thank you for participating in this discussion and for your feedback on the performance of the
Orange County Government. Your comment has been forward to the appropriate authorities for
further action. If you need additional information please contact the Office of the Orange County
Clerk at (919) 245- 2130 ".
F. User Behavior
1) The same standards, principles and guidelines that apply to Orange County employees in the
performance of their assigned duties apply to employee social media technology use.
2) County workforce members authorized to use social media technology shall do so only within the
scope defined by their respective Department and in compliance with all County policies and
practices.
3) Social media use by County workforce members shall be performed within the County's
established Social Media Policy.
4) Authorized social network spokespersons participating in personal social networking discussions
related to County business matters shall indicate that viewpoints are personal and may not reflect
County opinion.
5) Employees performing County social media work beyond normal work hours shall receive pre -
authorization from the Department.
6) Employees shall obey all laws and shall refrain from engaging in partisan political activity when
using social media sites on behalf of the County.
7) All questions concerning implementation of the Social Media Policy shall be directed to the
County Attorney.
G. Account Deactivation
IT reserves the right to monitor and terminate any underutilized social media accounts.
H. Records Management
1) Department use of social media shall be documented and maintained in an easily accessible
format that tracks account information and preserves items that may be considered a record
subject to disclosure under the North Carolina's Public Records Act or required to be retained
pursuant the records retention laws.
2) Departments are responsible for the creation, administration and deactivation of social media
accounts.
3) Only the Department Head associated with a particular social media site shall have the credentials
to control the email access account for the site or social media account. Account password
information shall only be shared with authorized staff designated by the Department Head, or
her/his designee, to fulfill the role of Site Account Administrator.
4) Passwords shall conform to County complex password requirements when permissible.
5) Account password shall promptly be reset when an employee is removed as an account
administrator.
6) Departments shall maintain a record of social media sites created for County use, including, but
may not be limited to:
(a) A log file containing the name of the social media network, account id, password, registered
email address, date established, authorizing representative and name of person who created
account and agreed to the sites terms of use agreement and /or policy.
(b) A record of the sites usage agreement at the time the site was created and any updated
versions.
(c) A list of authorized site content authors and editors.
(d) Electronic information posted to a social media site by the County, or a member of the public
if permitted, may be considered a record subject to North Carolina Public Records Act.
7) Any content maintained in a social media format that is related to County business, including a
list of subscribers and County or public posted communication, may be a public record.
8) IT shall have procedures in effect to preserve published social media content.
9) The Department maintaining the site is responsible for responding completely and accurately to
any public records request for public records on social media.
10) Site content shall be maintained in accordance with its respective Records Retention Schedule
and in accordance with County IT policies and procedures. If the content constitutes a public
record, it must be disclosed to the public unless an exemption applies.
11
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ORANGE COUNTY
I 11 C �o� ��ill �� ��
Department of Environment,
.A griculture, Parks Recreation
To: Commission for the Environment
From: Tom Davis, Water Resources Coordinator
Re: Eno River Hydrilla Management Pilot Study Update
Date: August 3, 2016
Recently, the Eno River Hydrilla Management Task Force (Task Force) met to
discuss the status of the hydrilla management pilot study activities in the Eno.
Quoting the update from SePro, the firm under contract to conduct the Eno River
herbicide (Sonar) treatment:
Overall, the Sonar program appears to have provided full control of early -stage
hydrilla growth present at time of application start. Representative photos of
hydrilla condition near the start of the 2016 treatment program and at 1 month into
the treatment (June 10) are at the end of this update. NCSU staff indicated that
recent surveys have not been able to detect hydrilla in the treatment zone.
Regarding nontarget plant effects, riffleweed appears healthy and unaffected by
management activities and water willow stress is almost non - detectable. The
minimal willow stress contrasts with the relatively strong chlorosis noted in
mid - summer of a hot and dry 2015 when a single injector was used versus the two
used this season.
Thorough late July, flows in the Eno have been above the long -term mean, resulting
in above - expected usage of herbicide. As a result, additional funds are needed to
continue the management effort through the remainder of the growing season.
Several of the funding partners involved with this project, including Orange County,
have pledged funds to continue the hydrilla management project.
Additional discussion focused on the next phase of this project. Consensus seemed
to be emerging that the goal of the next phase of this project should be to reduce the
presence of hydrilla throughout the main stem of the Eno to non - nuisance levels, and
once when that is achieved the Task Force can then work to determine if hydrilla is
present in other areas of the watershed at nuisance levels. This goal would build on
the pilot study, as well as ongoing hydrilla management activities in Corporation
Lake, Lake Orange, West Fork of the Eno River Reservoir, and Compton's Pond.
This would also likely involve herbicide addition at more than one location in the main
stem of the Eno. SePro is interested in working with the Task Force to develop a
wider -scale management plan for the Eno this fall.
M4,11 °ll„JI) °111.., and Pa'll, I Illl„JII ° I RESOURCES S IlMVllSllON
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation
PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245 -2510 Fax: (919) 644 -3351
This process will postpone the immediate need for the Task Force to somehow
survey the entire watershed, comprised mostly of private land, during the hydrilla
growing season. Recently, Task Force members surveyed ten ponds in the upper
Eno watershed and determined that hydrilla was present in five of the ponds.
Lastly, this should allow the Task Force to solicit input from the public about whether
or not hydrilla is present elsewhere in the watershed at nuisance levels.
April 26.2016 — limited, earlly -stage growth of rnonoeciious hydriill1ai at Pheasant Green access
F77
June 10, 2016 — Sonair Injured hydrnlllai (left) and healthy ri'Effleuweed (right) at Pheasant Green access
M4,11 °ll„Jll °111.., and Pall, I IllUII ° I RESOURCES °a IlMVllSllON
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation
PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245 -2510 Fax: (919) 644 -3351
Orange County Interloca) Clean Energy Work Group
Draft Scope of Work
Joint Solar Energy Feasibility Study
The Orange County Interlocal Clean Energy Work Group ( ICEWG), comprised of Orange Water and
Sewer Authority, Orange County, Carrboro, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools, and the
Town of Chapel Hill, seeks consulting service proposals for a joint solar energy feasibility study. The goals
of this project are to provide each organization with a prioritized list of possible renewable energy
deployment sites and to help the group prepare for a potential joint procurement of solar PV in the
future. There are up to total facilities that ICEWG members will wish to include in this analysis.
To this end, the ICEWG anticipates the following scope of services:
• Pre - project due diligence — this step is to ensure that the consultant has an adequate grasp of
local and organizational conditions. This research would include, but not be limited to: local
economic conditions with regards to solar, state regulatory structure, local ordinances and other
applicable laws, and potential financial (and ownership) models for funding the project.
• Initial data collection — the consultant will provide members with a standardized data collection
method and assist in collecting asset data for each of the potential sites to be evaluated. This
includes buildings, parking structures, vacant land, and any other potential sites that could host
a solar array.
• Technical analysis - after screening the data for potential sites, the consultant will conduct site
visits to field- verify data and conduct a technical analysis of solar potential. For each site, this
includes, but is not limited to, the following: kW potential, shading analysis, roof condition, and
annual energy output. All analysis should cover the entire life of the system (25 -30 years), and
the consultant should use an industry standard software package, such as NREL's System
Advisor Model.
Financial analysis - the consultant will create a pro forma for each potential site, analyzing costs
and benefits for the life of the system. This should include, but is not limited to, the following:
capital costs, financing and insurance costs, O &M costs, REC values, and annual energy revenue
(both energy and demand using actual rate tariffs). The analysis should also provide a breakeven
analysis, which should include simple payback (accounting for inflation and system degradation),
levelized cost of energy, cash flow, and net present value.
• Synthesis and prioritization — the consultant will create a final report for each group member,
prioritizing each site based on its financial performance. The report and rankings should include
current and projected capital costs, roof replacements, site suitability, and any other relevant
factors. Additionally, the consultant will provide the entire group a report and presentation on
potential bundling opportunities for collaborative procurement.
Proposals should include a fixed fee and /or a per site cost. Proposals should also include: an anticipated
schedule; list of key personnel that will work on the project and brief description of their qualifications
and experience; work capacity of the firm; and three references for similar projects completed for other
clients.
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From: NC League of Conservation Voters [mailto:cib @ncicv,org]
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2016
To: Tom Davis
Subject: CIB 7/11/16: Legislative session wins
1
Nord) Carolfi,)a LcagLIC 0.f % Wal
("on twat on Insiqler, I iffletin: .Idly 11, 2016
Conservationists held off some of the worst ideas proposed during this legislative session.
This week in CIB:
,t,gh .t im `'.dIch- t,n ironniental Wins of the 2016 Session
Sometimes important wins come in the form of damage not done. That was the case with the
North Carolina General Assembly's "short session" this year. Conservation advocates, allies, and
bipartisan supporters of better judgment succeeded in blocking some of the worst proposals
made this year on key environmental issues.
As is often the case in life, a measure of luck also helped. House and Senate conferees were
hammering away in the last days of the session on a collection of the latest "regulatory reform"
(i.e., environmental protection repeal) bills. A few especially controversial topics were delaying
the conclusion —and then the Senate decided to wrap matters up and leave with the deals still
hanging. Some observers believe that the House's surprise rejection of Senate strongman Tom
Apodaca's controversial overhaul of Asheville city government helped spark the abrupt
departure.
Let's take a look at some of the bad ideas that didn't pass:
Draconian restrictions on wind energy development
which would have barred wind energy farms from most of the
statein the name of `military operations protections' that in fact
were not requested by the military. (Early warning, though: Bill
sponsors have already promised to bring back this bad idea for
another push next year.)
Unnecessary permitting requirements designed to
hinder solar energy development (added state bonding,
filing, and general red tape requirements).
Elimination of the state's electronics recycling program.
Broad elimination of riparian buffer protections and nutrient management plans that reduce
pollutants impacting sensitive watersheds (provisions affecting the Neuse, Tar- Pamlico, and
Catawba basins, as well as the Randleman Reservoir watershed).
Hodgepodge of other cutbacks of environmental protections and land use rules (most of the latest
round of "rules reform" bills).
Finally, we point to one of the few real positive environmental moves in this year's budget, an
increase of $8.6 million in funding to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund ( CWMTF), for
an annual total of $22.4 million. (For comparison purposes, though, don't forget that before the
current state leaders came into power, North Carolina was investing up to $100 million a year in
CWMTF projects. We're a long way down from that peak.) There was also an increase in
recurring annual appropriations of $315,000 to the Natural Heritage Program, for an annual total
of $765,000.
We bring you this list of positives now in part to give credit where due, and in part to encourage
all our friends and allies to continue your advocacy efforts on behalf of our shared environment.
Even during the dark times —like North Carolina state government today —those efforts are
extremely important and can have critical positive impacts.
At the same time, don't forget the anti - environmental measures which did pass: new coal ash
legislation letting Duke Energy off the hook for urgently needed cleanups, the blocking of badly
needed cleanup plans for key water supply reservoirs (Jordan and Falls), and other cutbacks.
Ultimately, the only way to prevent a continuing retreat on clean water, air, and land in our state
is to elect new leadership committed to a clean, green, and healthy North Carolina.
Who we elect matters to our environment and health —and the election this November will be as
important to our environmental future as any in our lifetimes.
With the importance of this fall's elections in mind, we encourage our friends and supporters to
get involved in helping to ensure the broadest possible opportunities for all our citizens to vote.
One key way to do that is to see to it that one -stop early voting is as convenient and accessible as
possible.
Our friends at Democracy NC are asking citizens to help support accessible early voting
opportunities this month as county boards of election finalize their early voting arrangements for
the November election. To learn more about the issues involved, when your county's meetings
will be held, and how you can help, see here.
dmimst at ve Watch.- Ifigh Arsenic Levels P I trend in Water, Supply Lake Near
Power Plant
Mecklenburg County officials have acknowledged finding high arsenic levels in Mountain Island
Lake—Charlotte's principle water supply lake —near where Duke Energy has been draining
water from coal ash storage pits. Reported levels reached almost ten times the state safety
threshold for arsenic in surface waters.
Officials assert that there was no risk to public drinking water because the contamination was not
found at these levels near the drinking water supply intake. Duke says it stopped draining the
water into the lake after getting the county test results. However, Duke said it expected to resume
discharges of the coal ash pond water after a new treatment system is ready, and that it expects to
get a state permit allowing arsenic in lake water near its discharge at over seven times the state
safety threshold.
Of course they do. The McCrory Administration has already assured us that There Is No Danger
to the Public from Duke.
Education & Resources:, I low's Your Waterway'�
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced an interesting and handy tool
for citizens to check up on the status of the local waters nearest you. It's called "My Waterway"
and it's available in regular website and mobile app formats. It provides maps, as well as
information on pollutants, sources, and even what's proposed to deal with problems. The mobile
app offers location - specific information for those who don't know the waterways for the area
they're in. See the fact sheet with links here.
'Onservat oni ts.- Stanback Intern Laura Marie Davis
NCLCV welcomes our Stanback Interns each summer to join our team
of citizen advocates for a clean, green, and healthy North Carolina.
That's our report for this week.
From: NC League of Conservation Voters [mailto:cib @ncicv.org]
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2016
To: Tom Davis
Subject: CIB 7/4/16: Session is officially over. What happened:
North Carolina League of.
t1
CONSERVATION RVA:l'ION VOTE R S
"on ervation Insider Bulletin: July 4,, 2016
The NC General Assembly has adjourned for the summer, but left an environmental mess
on its way out the door. That news, plus more positive items, this week in CIB:
,e ' t 9 "t ; � � � i � t
1,]nviron enl.
The good news is that they've gone home for the summer—we hope for the year. The bad news
is the mess they left on coal ash (again!) and other issues, including the budget.
Let's start with coal ash. In another late- session 'gut-and-stuff, the NC Senate took the already
weak HB 630, titled "Drinking Water Protection /Coal Ash Cleanup Act ", and replaced its
provisions with new contents that would neither clean up coal ash nor protect drinking water.
The new bill swiftly passed both chambers—despite outspoken opposition from environmentally
concerned legislators —and was sent to the governor as the General Assembly's latest gift to
power giant Duke Energy. The bill eliminates the Coal Ash Management Commission (which,
while flawed, served as some check on the anti - environmental leanings of the McCrory
environmental department leadership). It gives Duke over two years to begin providing safe
drinking water to residents whose wells have been contaminated by coal ash pollution. Worst of
all, it lets Duke off the hook altogether for cleanup of a full half of its coal ash pits, which can be
"capped in place" and left to leach pollution into ground and surface waters indefinitely.
NCLCV Director of Governmental Affairs
Dan Crawford said, "The anti -clean water
NC Senate has brokered yet another
sweetheart deal for Duke Energy. Right
now, there are families in North Carolina
who can't drink their own well water
because of coal ash pollution. When we say
these politicians put polluters over people,
this coal ash bill is exactly what we're
talking about."
He could also have been talking about the NC Senate's propensity for attaching special anti -
environmental riders as special provisions in the budget— without proper review and debate
by substantive area committees or the public. They did it again this session, and some of those
anti - environmental riders made it into the final budget version passed by both chambers and sent
to the governor last week.
We'll take a closer look at the entire budget over the next week, as well as other late - passing
rules "reform" provisions that hit environmental protection. For now, we'll mention one of the
riders that stands out as a special problem: rule changes delaying and weakening pollution
clew in the Falls of the Neuse and Jordan reservoirs. This provision represents the
"compromise" version which came out of the House /Senate budget conference committee's
negotiation over the Senate's sweeping assault against key clean water standards from the
mountains to the coast. While we appreciate the efforts of House negotiators to apparently keep
parts of that assault out of the final budget bill, the provisions which remain still create new
problems. Among other effects, they cancel the cleanup plans adopted for those two key water
supply reservoirs and require another start-over. They also interfere with local governments'
ability to implement stormwater management protections that they are required to provide under
the federal Clean Water Act. These items may easily result in yet another federal court
smackdown of the scofflaw legislators of North Carolina.
ampa g `dIch.- A New Wind; NC' in Play
A New Wind: Renewable energy advocates have seen with alarm the increasingly aggressive
efforts by some state legislators to protect their patrons in the fossil fuel industry by creating
additional barriers to the development of new wind energy projects. That makes especially
timely the recent formation of a new player in the political energy debates. American Wind
Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group, launched last week with its announcement of plans to spend
m9ney in Congressional and state legislative races to "inform and educate the public on the many
benefits that wind energy brings to our nation and communities across America." The new
organization is partisan with connections to major actors in the wind power development
industry.
NC in Play: Signs are strengthening that North Carolina is regarded as very much "in play" in
the presidential, gubernatorial, and US Senate races this fall. Democratic presumptive nominee
Hillary Clinton will visit the state for a major campaign event tomorrow (July 5) for the second
time in three weeks. The event, to be held in the Charlotte Convention Center, features the first
2016 joint campaign appearance by Clinton and President Barack Obama. That major campaign
rollout had been previously scheduled to take place in Wisconsin, but was delayed after the mass
shooting in Orlando last month. By the time the campaign was ready to reschedule, national polls
had shifted in Clinton's direction, and North Carolina had emerged as arguably the closest
presidential swing state. The decision to re- locate such a politically significant event here reflects
an apparent decision by the Democratic ticket to take the offense in stretching the political map
not only in the presidential campaign, but in the contest for control of the Senate as well. Both
Democratic Senate nominee Deborah Ross and gubernatorial nominee Roy Cooper are expected
to be present for the event as well. This anticipated joint appearance marks a dramatic change
from many recent past campaigns in North Carolina, when major state office Democratic
nominees made themselves scarce around the visits by their party's presidential candidates.
Environmental issues have become a major point of contrast between Clinton and Republican
presumptive nominee Donald Trump. As noted in a Washington Post article on the North
American leadership summit last week, 'Democrat Hillary Clinton has said if she's elected
president she will work to ensure that half of the nation's electric power will come from clean
energy sources by 2030. GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump has emphasized the need to
continue extracting fossil fuels, including coal, to power the nation's electrical grid and has
questioned much of the Obama administration's effort to forge international climate
agreements."
Cl nale Clian.,g e pdale.- North rth ! merican Leader (("onimit to Clean 1,,nergy
At the North American Leaders Summit last week, the presidents of the United States and
Mexico and the prime minister of Canada announced agreements on steps to fight climate
change, including the goal of producing per cent of the continent's energy from clean sources
by 2025.
Measures specifically cited in the leaders' ioint statement included expanding renewable energy
generation in the power grid, adding to cross - border transmission lines to share renewables-
produced electricity, expanding clean vehicle fleets and other efficiency investments, and
extending tax credits for clean energy production and investment.
The joint statement reads in part, "The Paris Agreement was a turning point for our planet,
representing unprecedented accord on the urgent need to take action to combat climate change
through innovation and deployment of low- carbon solutions. North America has the capacity,
resources and the moral imperative to show strong leadership building on the Paris Agreement
and promoting its early entry into force. We recognize that our highly integrated economies and
energy systems afford a tremendous opportunity to harness growth in our continuing transition to
a clean energy economy. Our actions to align climate and energy policies will protect human
health and help level the playing field for our businesses, households, and workers. In
recognition of our close ties and shared vision, we commit today to an ambitious and enduring
North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership that sets us firmly on the
path to a more sustainable future."
[ZdD�1 W 2tth
Sessl�a� i liii i IIIZeV IVHMIII Vrne� IIII IIII R4 IIIat I�� I
July 12, 2016. The 2016 General Assembly session resulted in changes to several environmental
laws, but ended without final action on a major regulatory reform bill. Among the more significant
environmental provisions enacted outside the budget bill:
rr� 111 1111 1 1
M i
1. What kinds of operations will be covered by the mulch exemption? Mulch operations include
large-scale municipal waste disposal facilities that mulch yard waste and have no relationship to
agriculture.
by Robin W. Smith
A New Trend Toward Funding Environmental Studies at UNC-CH -- The legislature directed (and in
most cases funded) the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study or convene stakeholder groups
on environmental and natural resource policies rather than assigning those projects to the Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) or to a legislative study committee:
* A I rIC-led stakeholder group will study efforts to "ecologically restore and achieve economic
sustainability" the state's shellfish aquaculture industry. The budget provision directs the UNC-Chapel Hill
Chief Sustainability Officer (Brad Ives, former Assistant Secretary in DEQ) to lead the stakeholder group.
The legislature did not appropriate funds for the effort.
Earmarked Funds for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure. Most new funding for DEQ's Water
Infrastructure Division to support local government water and wastewater projects has been earmarked for
specific projects. Of the approximately $18.8 million in water/wastewater funding added to DEQ's 2016-
2017 budget, the legislature directed approximately $16.6 million to the following projects:
$400,000 to an unnamed municipality (population < 100) for wastewater improvements needed to
eliminate illegal wastewater discharges.
r ♦ s Rfjs ♦ s IRM I OR ff III s ssi
BY PAUL A. SPECHT
'aspecht @nervsobsenrer. com
RALEIGH
The state environmental
department rejected a
proposal by local govern-
ments to preserve land
along Falls Lake because
state officials say they're
not sure land conservation
would prevent pollution -
causing nutrients from
entering the drinking -
water source.
Falls Lake is considered
impaired under the Clean
Water Act because of its
high nitrogen and phos-
phorus levels. The Upper
Neuse River Basin Associ-
ation, which represents
Raleigh, Durham and 12
other municipalities,
sought to prevent such
nutrients from entering
the lake by curbing devel-
opment around it.
The state already has
some rules for building in
the Falls Lake watershed,
which spans 770 square
miles across the northern
Piedmont. Developers and
government members of
the Upper Neuse wa-
tershed can build reten-
tion ponds or stormWater
drainage systems to earn
points under North Car -
�olina's "nutrient credit"
system.
The number of credits a
developer must earn be-
fore starting construction
varies depending on the
size of the project and its
environmental impact.
Currently, the state
awards no credits for pre -
Iserving land around Falls
Lake.
"Land preservation has
so many environmental
benefits that it seems a
logical extension to make
it part of the solution to
restoring Falls Lake," said
Ken Waldroup, Raleigh's
assistant public utilities
director. "Right now, (de-
velopers) can't choose
preservation as a means
'for complying with the
Falls rules. We were trying
To open that door."
The proposal identified
260,000 acres - about
406 square miles, - of land
as high - priority conserva-
tion areas.
The state Department of
Environmental Quality
rejected the proposal on
grounds that it doesn't
comply with state require-
ments for offering in-
centives.
North Carolina's rules
require private and mun-
icipal land owners to re-
duce pollution- causing
nutrients to qualify for
credits. Because land
CHUCK LIDDY cliddy @newsobserver.com
Bryce Tuton,16, of Raleigh paddles Friday across Falls Lake at the Highway 50 boat ramp. The lake is considered
impaired because of high nitrogen and phosphorus levels.
FALLS LAKE
State rejects plan to
help preserve land
preservation keeps nutri-
ent levels status quo rather
than reducing them, the
state cannot by law offer
credits, Jay Zimmerman,
director of the depart-
ment's water resources
division, wrote in an email
to the Upper Neuse Asso-
ciation.
"Offering a credit for
land conservation could
incentivize it at the ex-
pense of other practices
for which actual reduc-
tions can be estimated,"
Zimmerman said.
He suggested that de-
velopment may do more
than conservation to re-
duce nutrients.
"(T)here is a consensus
understanding that securi-
ng a conservation ease-
ment alone, without addi-
tional restoration efforts,
will not result in net nutri-
ent loading reductions,"
he wrote.
Zimmerman said the
state would, however,
consider reinstating the
conservation tax credit.
Property owners who want
to preserve their land in
sensitive areas can apply
for federal tax deductions,
but not state deductions.
"Moving forward, I have
also asked staff to pri-
oritize consideration of
land conservation as a
potential enhancement for
TRAVIS LONG [long @newsobservecmm
A doe grazes along a hiking path near Falls Lake. The
lake's watershed stretches across 770 square miles.
other restoration mea-
sures," he wrote.
Waldroup said Raleigh
has had a good relation-
ship with DEQ officials as
they've worked together to
create a nutrient- manage-
ment credit system. This is
the first time the depart-
ment has rejected one of
the city's proposals, he
said.
Forrest Westall, exec-
utive director of the Upper
Neuse association, said he
can see where DEQ is
coming from with its deci-
sion. The state is requiring
his group's member cities
to help offset pollution
that occurred amid ram-
pant development be-
tween 2006 and 2012, and
64
HOW CAN WE
PROTECT WATER
WITHOUT
COMPLETELY
BANKRUPTING
COMMUNITIES?
Durham councilwoman
Jillian Johnson
he said the state may want
cities to take more active
measures against pollution
than merely buying unde-
veloped land and keeping
it the way it is.
But Durham council-
woman Jillian Johnson
noted that other miti-
gation strategies are more
expensive.
Municipalities are
finding it to be really diffi-
cult to get in range of the
standards established by
the Falls Lake Rules,"
Johnson said. "How can
we protect water without
completely bankrupting
communities ?"
Westall, for his part,
said DEQ rejected his
group's proposal by fol-
lowing the letter of the
rule rather than the spirit
of it.
"This is an important
public policy issue and
represents a narrow view
of the importance of land
conservation in helping to
maintain and improve
water quality in the wa-
tershed," he wrote in an
email.
Stopping pollution be-
fore it happens is easier
than cleaning it up after it
happens, said Reid Wil-
son, executive director of
Conservation Trust for
North Carolina.
"Think about when a
person gets a flu. They
take medicine to make
themselves feel better,"
Wilson said. "But in the
future, they take better
steps like washing their
hands and eating well to
make sure they keep from
getting sick.
"An ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure."
Paul A. Specht:
919 - 829 -4870,
@AndySpecht
. .arum i-
PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director
Current Planning 131 W. Margaret Lane
(919) 245 -2575 .., Suite 201
U N
(919) 644 -3002 (FAX) ��' SO I Y P. O. Box 8181
www.orangecountync.gov N013,11 1, ::: R(.') --L1N ^ . Hillsborough, NC 27278
July 26, 2016
Michael Calhoun, PE
Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers, Inc.
1318 -F Patton Avenue
Asheville, N.C. 28806
RE: NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION — Completion of study consistent with Orange County
RFQ # 5219
Dear Mr. Calhoun:
Orange County released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), number 5219, associated
with the completion of a scientific study providing an avenue for the County to comply with
recent changes in State law associated with the enforcement of riparian buffers. Specifically the
County was looking to complete a study justifying the enforcement of more restrictive riparian
buffer standards than presently required under State law.
Your firm submitted a response outlining a process for the completion of this study on
May 24, 2016.
After an internal review of all submissions, and completing project team interviews,
through this letter we are delighted to inform you the County has selected your firm to complete
the aforementioned study.
We will be reaching out to you to complete contract preparation and to schedule initial
project scoping meetings. We look forward to working with you on this project and will be in
touch soon.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Harvey AICP, CFM, CZO
Current Planning Supervisor
Orange County
CC: Board of County Commissioners
Bonnie Hamersley, County Manager
Craig Benedict, Planning Director
John Roberts, County Attorney
David Cannell, Financial Services
File
1L E E__
R
e in
llar
1D
arch
Id
)66144
W
ty
Tl
s
- WILL A NEARBY HIKING TRAIL MAKE A SECLUDED
ORANGE COUN1"Y NEIGHBORHOOD MORE DANGER01 S"?
A brief tornado watch followed by a
thunderstorm Thursday night likely
depressed attendance inside Chapel Hill's
Town Hall. But several dozen residents of
affluent, secluded homes near Cane Creek
reservoir, owned by Orange Water and Sewer
Authority, made it to the OWASA board
meeting anyway, to passionately oppose the
Mountains -to -Sea Trail coming through
OWASA land near their properties.
"Our homes, our lifestyles, we feel like
we've been hijacked," said Ann Charles, her
voice quivering. "It doesn't feel good."
The neighbors cite a variety of rea-
sons for their opposition: invasion _
of privacy, potential safety hazards,
a spoiling of the natural habitat for
rare creatures such as the bald eagle.
Some expressed concerns about
water quality suffering due to con-
tact with careless hikers or their
dogs. One said she was told by her
insurance agent that her rate would
go up, due to increased risks associated with
a nearby recreational trail.
Many objections, however, seem rooted in
what those homeowners valued most when
they bought their properties. "My wife and I
moved in there when I was sixty," says Cane
Creek neighbor Jim O'Connor. "We moved
there for the seclusion!
The county's parks staff will plot the
trail's route through Cane Creek, though the
OWASA board of directors has to approve it.
Since extending an invitation for the trail to
be built on OWASA land, the board has been
creating a list of conditions that need to be
met before the actual construction.
The first public discussions about the
MST started some forty years ago. Former
state senator Howard Lee, who was elected
as Chapel Hill's mayor in 1969, took some
credit. "The idea for the trail, obviously, was
planted as a seed when I was mayor," he said
at the OWASA meeting. "I made this propos-
al in 1977 that we have a trail stretching for
the mountains to the sea. I couldn't believe
that it would develop to where it is today."
Since then, the nonprofit group Fends
of the Mountains -to -Sea Trail, in collabora-
tion with the state parks system, local gov-
ernments, and other agencies, has worked
toward building a continuous trail from the
Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey's Ridge
State Park on the Outer Banks. Built mostly
by volunteers, the MST currently consists
of 680 in of trails and 470 miles of roads
connecting them.
Between 2005 and 2007, the state parks
wur homes, our
... we .. ..
iey'�e been ..
division and other stakeholders met publicly
to plan a trail through Alamance, Durham,
and Orange counties. In 2009, OWASAs
then - chairman, Randy Kabrick, sent a let-
ter to Orange County Board of Commission-
ers chairwoman (now state senator) Valerie
Foushee, in support of allowing a portion of
the trail to be built on OWASA property.
Soon, residents living near Cane Creek
started pushing back.
John Silva, a Cane Creek resident,
describes himself as an avid hiker who gen-
erally supports the MST. He's owned proper-
ty in the area since the early 1980s and lived
there since 1995. "This particular segment of
the trail is flawed in many ways," Silva said at
Thursday's meeting.
Silva and others argue that people often
set little fires on trails, which means a gust
of wind in the wrong direction could spark
disaster. Silva told board members that
'the residential area near OWASA land is a
potential "tinderbox" that would be near-
impossible for firefighters to protect.
(Reached by the INDY Friday, Orange
Grove Volunteer Fire Company chief Steve
McCauley Sr. said he doesn't see the proxim-
ity of a trail as a worrisome hazard. A light-
ning strike, he points out, would do much the
same thing.)
Opponents also warn that the trail could
present new opportunities for criminals.
"Unfortunately, trails have become soft
spots for crime" Silva told the OSAWA
board. "They're considered `blueberry patch-
es' now —easy places to go to commit crime
and get away with it" (The Wake
County Sheriff's Office reports zero
incidents in the trails surrounding
Falls Lake since January 2015.)
Not all residents feel the same way.
In fact, at Thursdays meeting, sup-
porters were about equally represent-
ed. Many are volunteers who've helped
build sections of the MST. Supporters
say the trail would be an economic
driver for Orange County and a gift to future
generations.
"I'm strongly in favor of having the MST
trail go through OWASA property," said Carl
Shy, a thirty- four -year resident of Bingham
Township, which borders OWASAs land.
"This area has extraordinary scenic beauty,
being heavily forested, with undulating ter-
rain bordering the waters of the reservoir.
It would be highly appropriate to make this
beautiful tract of land available to the public."
The board didn't take any action last week.
Members talked about looking at alternative
routes for the trail. They didn't rule out the
possibility of not allowing the trail on OWASA
property after all and said that any site agree -
ment will likely take a couple ofyears.
"[Board members] really want to be
respectful of adjacent neighbors," says Kate
Dixon of Fends of the Mountains -to -Sea
Trail. "We really want that, too. We're really
not trying to invade people's privacy at all."
dhooley@indyweek.com
July 5, 2016
Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager Orange County
200 S. Cameron Street
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Dear Bonnie:
I am very pleased to inform you that Orange County has been selected to receive
a 2016 Pelican Award for your resolution opposing offshore oil along the North Carolina
coast.
The federation annually recognizes the exemplary achievements and actions by
people who have made significant contributions to the coast. This year we are
recognizing the 33 local governments that passed oil resolutions.
Please join us on Saturday, August 6, 2016 for our Pelican Awards and Boathouse
Boil. The event will be held at the Boathouse at Front Street Village, 2400 Lennoxville
Road in Beaufort, NC 28516. The awards program and festivities are from 5:00 p.m until
9:00 P.M.
We invite you to join us for this enjoyable evening that includes the awards
program, reception., dinner and silent auction. Additional tickets may be purchased by
going to http: / /www.nccoast.org /event /pelican- awards - and - boathouse - boil /. Please
RSVP to Lauren Kolodij at laurenk@nccoast.or by July 20 so she can provide you with
additional event details.
Congratulations and thank you for your continued stewardship of our beautiful
North Carolina coast!
With m best regards,
Todd Miller
Executive Director
Northeast Office Headquarters & Central Office Southeast Office
128 Grenville Street 3609 N.C. 24 -Newport, NC 28570 •252393.8185 309 W. Salisbury Street
Manteo, N C 27954 VVWW.nccaast,org Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
252.473.1607 910.509.2838
f®
wood
NCSU -study: Harvesting
has no impact on oo o dl a fy ,
Researchers cataloged
small animals in clear -cut
areas in N.C. where wood
debris was removed
Animals use the debris
when available but do not
depend on it
Instead, they say, the
animals are resilient and
adapt to changing
conditions
BY STEPHEN GINLEY
Correspondent
RALEIGH
Harvesting wood debris
from areas that have been
clear -cut of timber does
not affect the animals that
live there, according to a
study from researchers at
N.C. State University.
Chris Moorman, a pro-
fessor of forestry and -
environmental resources,
and his students spent
four years cataloging
small animals such as
mice, toads, bugs and
mourning doves at loblolly
pine plantations. They
found that the'populatnons'
in clear -cut sites were .
unaffected regardless of
how much wood debris
was removed.
This low -value wood, or
"biomass," left over from
logging is pulverized to
make wood pellets that
are used as a carbon
friendly alternative to coal
in Europe and in parts of
the United States. Wood is
classified as a renewable
energy source by the Eu-
ropean Union, which
burns wood pellets from
the southeastern U.S. to
comply with the Kyoto
Protocol to curb green-
house gas emissions.
The biomass left after a
forest has been clear -cut
supports a host of critters.
It is home to bugs at the
bottom of the food chain,
which are eaten by bur-
rowing shrews and am-
phibians and small reptiles
such as salamanders.
Some of the biomass is a
fertilizer for smaller vege-
tation that feeds birds and
rodents. The cold- blooded
biomass. The quarters
were separated by low
current electrical wire that
would track when it was
crossed by the toads Fritts
kept in the box. She found
that during the day, toads
spent their time in the
debris because it retains
- TRAVIS LONG tlong @newsobserveccom
Logging leaves low -value wood that can be harvested to
create wood pellets that are used as fuel.
citizens of the sites make
their homes in the wet,
woody debris left by log-
ging
Moorman and his stu-
dents wanted to know if
removing large amounts
of this biomass to make
wood pellets could hurt
the communities that
spring up after the lumber
is chopped down.
Moorman says clear -cut
logging has a well -known
effect on b'iodiversity by
displacing forest - dwellers
such as deer and nesting
birds. Less understood
water and shielded them
from the sun. When it
cooled off at night, the
toads ventured out to find
food.
According to Moorman,
the animals that live in
clear -cuts "evolved to
respond to disturbances.
was the effect of clearing
the debris left after log-
ging. Ecologists have pre-
dicted that harvesting
biomass would remove
potential habitats and
sources of food from
clear -cut areas, causing
animal populations to fall.
Sarah Fritts, an ecologist
who studied the mam
mals, amphibians and
reptiles at the logging
sites, speculated that toad
populations would be
lower in areas where more
wood debris was harvest-
ed. But after four years ui
Forest clearing events like
forest fires and hurricanes
are even more destructive
than logging, and the
populations in coastal
North Carolina are resil-
ient. Moorman noted the
study may not apply to
biomass harvesting in
logging sites in the moun-
tains.
Stephen Ginley:
919- 829 -4520
research, she says, she
"captured thousands,and
thousands of toads," and
there was no variation
even in the most harvest-
ed sites.
The- 150 -acre pine plan-
tations in the study have
so much wood debris left
over after logging that
even the most heavily
harvested sites were left
with 10 percent of their
biomass, Moorman said.
The harvesters start to
lose money if they chase
down every last branch
and pile of wood chips,
some of'which are water -
damaged and would not
make 'good wood pellets
anyway: Even 10 percent
of the debris is enough to
satisfy the population that
survives after clear -cut-
ting.
To count the popula-
tions at each site, Fritts '.set
live traps and put -a tag on
each animal so it would
not be counted again. She
was curious about why the
toads were not as affected
by lack of debris as she
hypothesized.
To find out what they
preferred she built a 30-
square -foot rink divided
into four sections, each
with different amounts of
SEE LOGGING, 4A
Pollinators around the
w-tr4I
says
butterfly
Volunteers provides oases of food
2nd water
multiplied 16-fold
February
BY BRUCE HENDERSON
bhendenon@charlotteobserver.com
com
he bees and but-
terflies flitting
through your yard
this summer don't
hint at a dark reality: The
pollinators that feed the
world are starving.
More than 200,000
species, mostly insects,
carry pollen grains from
male to female parts of
flowers for reproduction.
Three- quarters of the
globe's food crops rely on
pollinators.
But up to 40 percent -
chiefly bees and butter-
flies - face extinction, the
United Nations reported
earlier this year. Habitat
losses leave too few of the
native plants that feed'
pollinators and nurture
their young. Pesticides,
invasive species, disease
and climate change all
take tolls.
Charlotte is part of the
growing response to a
global crisis.
Earlier this year the
Charlotte -based N.C. Wild-
life Federation launched
the Butterfly Highway. The
program recruits volunteers
to create a network of oas-
es for the hardworking
insects.
The response was un-
expected. The program
began in February with 50
volunteers in west Char-
lotte. By June more than
800 people had signed on
statewide, tending plots
from apartment balconies
to 100 -acre farms.
"This is something that
anyone can do because it
doe.m't cost any money,
R
SA VIN BFESn
F �
Resting on a honeysuckle vine, an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, the state butterfly
of North Carolina, warms up near a Butterfly Highway.
and you can belong to a
bigger network," said the
federation's Angel Hjard-
ing, a UNC Charlotte
doctoral student who
leads the program.
The basics are simple:
Tend native plants; offer
water; avoid insecticide
use.
The plight of pollinators
is gaining international
attention. Before the UN's
jarring report, the Obama
administration announced
a plan last year to make 7
million acres of federal
land more pollinator -
friendly. There's also a
federally sanctioned
National Pollinator Week,
which began June 20.
Just as striking is that
ordinary people want to
help.
The Asheville -based
nonprofit Bee City USA,
which works to raise
awareness of pollinators,
got its start in 2012. Now
22 U.S. cities, including
Matthews, are Bee Cities
and 13 university campus-
es have signed up to hold
public awareness events.
"The sad news is that
because pollinators are so
small and work so hard
and go about their busi-
ness, they just haven't
been noticed," said foun-
der Phyllis Stiles. "People
have gotten the memo
that no bees, no food."
Stiles was named U.S.
advocate of the year in
2015 by the Pollinator .
Partnership, the largest
nonprofit in the field. But
after z`ears of work for
said.
In Chatham County,
west of Raleigh, extension
agent Debbie Roos cre-
ated a demonstration
pollination garden in
2008. Since then, she's
led more than 100 garden,
tours while presenting
programs across the state.
"People come to my
workshops and go home
with milkweed plants" on
which monarch butterflies
lay their eggs, Roos said.
"Then I get the proud
pictures the next year of a
monarch."
The enthusiasm can be
contagious.
Ron Ross, a mortgage
auditor and caregiver in
Charlotte, wanted to find
a project that would en-
gage his community off
Beatties Ford Road. He
found it in the pollinator
nonprofit groups, she gardens that a half -dozen
knew little about pollina- neighbors have tended
tors until 2007. since last summer as fore -
That's when news broke_
that 30 to 90 percent of
domestic honey bee hives
were being lost, the vital
worker bees are disap-
pearing. Losses have mod-
erated since, but the cause
of colony collapse
disorder, as it is called,
remains a mystery. Re-
searchers suspect a mix of
reasons, including in-
vasive mites, new diseases
and pesticide poisoning.
"Our goal is being PC -
pollinator conscious - so
that when you start to pull
out that bottle of Roundup
(weed killer), you might
pause and think of pollina-
tors and say `maybe I
don't need that,' " Stiles
.-
Highway
pollinator
gardens:
• Have no minimum size.
• Get at least six hours of
sun a day.
e Offer native trees,
shrubs or flowers,
including nectar plants.
e Have places for insects
to raise young, such as
butterfly eggs.
® Use no chemical
pesticides.
Details: www.butterflyhighway.org
runners of the Butterfly
Highway.
"Once it took hold, it
seemed like all of a sud-
den we started seeing
butterflies that we hadn't
seen before," Ross said.
Neighbors use charts to
identify species they see,
reporting the data to
Hjarding. They also ex-
panded their initial work,
seeding wildflowers on a
vacant acre owned by
Piedmont Natural Gas and
installing bluebird houses.'
"1 call myself a city
boy," Ross said, "but
that's changing."
Bruce Henderson:
704 -358 - 5051, @bhender
A new Butterfly Highway sign sits high on a screech owl
nesting box post.
ClimateProgress
Coal and Gas to Begin `Terminal Decline' In Less Than A Decade,
Bloomberg Says
by Joe Romm Jun 13, 2016
A stunning new forecast on "peak fossil fuels for electricity" by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)
concludes that "coal and gas will begin their terminal decline in less than a decade."
It's been clear for a while that coal demand is plateauing, if it hasn't already peaked. But BNEF explains that
of the "eight massive shifts coming soon to power markets," #1 is "There Will Be No Golden Age of Gas."
Here is the core finding of BNEF's "annual long -term view of how the world's power markets will evolve in
the future," their New Energy Outlook (NEO):
Cheaper coal and cheaper gas will not derail the transformation and decarbonisation of the world's power
systems. By 2040, zero - emission energy sources will make up 60% of installed capacity. Wind and solar will
account for 64% of the 8.6TW [1 Terawatt = 1,000 Gigawatts] of new power generating capacity added
worldwide over the next 25 years, and for almost 60% of the $11.4 trillion invested.
These conclusions may come as a surprise to the vast majority of U.S. policy- and opinion - makers, but all the
way back in November the International Energy Agency came to a similar conclusion: "Driven by continued
policy support, renewables account for half of additional global generation, overtaking coal around 2030 to
become the largest power source."
I've been reporting on this trend in my ongoing series "almost everything you know about climate change
solutions is probably outdated" (see, for instance, "We Can Stop Searching For The Clean Energy Miracle. It's
Already Here ").
BNEF, however, keeps putting out the most comprehensive, up -to -date, chart- filled, data - driven analyses of
the clean energy revolution — and it is all must -read stuff.
Let me single out two charts in particular, an amazing one you've probably seen before, and an equally
amazing one you probably haven't.
http: / /thi n kprogress.org /cl imate/ 2016 /06/13/ 3787700 /coal- gas - plants- cheap - renewables/
ClimateProgress
Solar and Wind Prices Plummet
In a section headlined, "Solar and Wind Prices Plummet," BNEF says "The chart below is arguably the most
important chart in energy markets. It describes a pattern so consistent, and so powerful, that industries set their
clocks by it."
The 0of' Solar
Every time the world's sdar �powier doubIes, the cost of panelsfafls 26iO�,o
100 -.00MOMINIffelinft—,
1976
1
1108 a
2000 2000'
w
0.1
1 10 1100, 1,0010 10,000 1001,000 1,000 „000
"Wind -power prices are also falling fast — 19 percent for every doubling,” explains BNEF. They project that
over the next quarter- century, dropping prices and improving performance (see below) will drive the world to a
stunning $3.4 trillion investment in solar, and $3.1 trillion for wind — and both of those exceed the cumulative
investment of $2.1 trillion projected for all fossil fuels through 2040. BNEF expects an investment in new
hydropower of some $900 billion through 2040, and an investment of about $1.1 trillion in new nuclear.
The result of these investments and the continued learning by solar and wind means make "these two
technologies the cheapest ways of producing electricity in many countries during the 2020s and in most of the
world in the 2030s."
2
http: / /thi n kprogress.org /cl imate/ 2016 /06/13/ 3787700 /coal- gas - plants- cheap - renewables/
ClimateProgress
Significantly, the $7.8 trillion investment in renewables and ongoing price drops are all just what BNEF
expects to happen on our current path. It's "business as usual." It does not assume the world embraces the
policies needed to drive the investments necessary to stabilize below the 2 °C (3.6 °F), as the nations of the
world have unanimously agreed to do in Paris last December. In the below -2 degrees Celsius scenario, "the
world would need to invest another $5.3 trillion in zero - carbon power by 2040."
Also, given how increasingly cost competitive solar and wind are on their own over the next decade or two, the
trend to put a price on carbon in a growing number of countries around the world means that, for those nations,
renewables will be competitive even sooner.
Capacity Factors Go Wild
BNEF explains that one of the "massive shifts coming soon to power markets" is: "Capacity Factors Go Wild."
The capacity factor is the "percentage of a power plant's maximum potential that's actually achieved over
time."
50%
40%.
301%,
2'01%
to
0%
tON)
(jxr,rrraara'r,age of ft, nwaxirrrum rated
capacity tlhat's ac"Nevu Over^ tfknn )
t dt t W, t J2 JIttr 4000 20041 2006 IV' 2 12ttt 02
Wind, for instance, "varies in strength with the time of day, weather, and the seasons." That means "a project
that can crank out 100 megawatt hours of electricity during the windiest times might produce just 30 percent of
that when averaged out over a year." That would be a 30 percent capacity factor.
3
http: / /thi n kprogress.org /cl imate/ 2016 /06/13/ 3787700 /coal - gas - plants- cheap - renewables/
ClimateProgress
BNEF's key post is that the capacity factors for renewables keep going up as the technology gets better and we
get smarter about figuring out the optimal placement. BNEF reports that "Some wind farms in Texas are now
achieving capacity factors of 50 percent" (!) and offer up this remarkable chart of capacity factors over time:
As capacity factors and prices improve, renewables become more attractive. Moreover, once built, the
marginal cost of operating a solar and wind plan is "pretty much zero — free electricity — while coal and gas
plants require more fuel for every new watt produced." Choosing free zero - pollution power over not -free dirty
power isn't a tough choice for utilities.
And that brings us to BNEF's jaw- dropping conclusion: "As natural gas and coal plants are increasingly idled
in favor of renewables, their capacity factors will take a big hit, and lifetime cost of those plants goes up. Think
of them as the expensive back -up power for cheap renewables."
4
http: / /thi n kprogress.org /cl imate/ 2016 /06/13/ 3787700 /coal- gas - plants- cheap - renewables/
NIOEN
a beg,,rins f
Antarctica's ozone noie
BY SETH BORENSTEIN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
Antarctica's ozone hole
finally is starting to heal, a
new study finds.
In a triumph of intema -'
tional cooperation over a
man-made environmental
problem, research from the
United States and the Unit-
ed Kingdom shows that the
September- October ozone
hole is getting smaller and
forming later in the year.
And the study in Thurs-
day's journal Science also
shows other indications
that the ozone layer is
improving after it was
being eaten away by chem-
icals in aerosols and refrig-
erants. Ozone is a combina-
tion of three oxygen atoms;
high in the atmosphere, it
shields Earth from ultravio-
let rays.
The hole has shrunk by
about 1.7 million square
miles in the key month of
September since the year
2000 - a decline of about
one - fifth, the study found.
That difference is more
than six times larger than
the state of Texas. It also is
taking about 10 days longer
to reach its largest size,
according to the study.
The hole won't be com-
pletely closed until mid -
century, but the healing is
appearing earlier than
scientists expected, said
study lead author Susan
Solomon of MIT.
"It isn't just that the
patient is in remission,"
Solomon said. "He's actual-
ly starting to get better. The
patient got very sick in the
'80s when we were pump-
ing all that chlorine" into
the atmosphere.
"I think it's a tremen-
dous cause for hope" for
fixing other environment
problems, such as man-
made climate change, said
Solomon, who led two U.S.
Antarctic expeditions to
measure the ozone layer
in the 1980s and has also
been a leader in studying
global warming.
In the 1970s, scientists
suggested that Earth's
ozone layer - about 6 to 30
miles high in the strato-
sphere - was thinning be-
cause of chemicals called
chlorofluorocarbons from
aerosols and refrigerants.
Those chemicals would
break down into chlorine
that attacked ozone,
which at that level pro-
tects people from ultravio-
let rays linked to skin
cancer. Then in early
1980s, a hole in the ozone
layer over Antarctica start-
ed appearing in October -
and then, September and
October - making the
problem more urgent.
Ozone thinned elsewhere
on Earth and already has
begun healing in the mid -
dle section of the planet,
but the Antarctic ozone'
hole was the gaping
wound that grabbed the
world's attention.
The Montreal Protocol,
a 1987 global treaty to
phase out many of the
ozone - depleting chem-
icals, led companies to
develop new products that
didn't eat away at the
ozone layer.
"There is a sense of
mission accomplished,' "
emailed University of
California San Diego's
Mario Molina, who shared
the 1995 Nobel Prize for
chemistry for his charac-
terization of the ozone
problem.
power of
nature
IT SOUNDED MORE LIKE A LARK THAN
a scientific study when a handful of
Japanese researchers set out to discover
whether something special —and clini-
cally therapeutic — happens when peo-
ple spend time in nature. They were in-
spired by a new recommendation from
the Forest Agency of Japan, which in
the early 198os began advising people
to take strolls in the woods for better
health. The practice was called forest
bathing, or shinrin yoku, and it was be-
lieved to lower stress —but that hadn't
been proved. Since then, a large body of
evidence has shown that spending time
in nature is responsible for many mea-
surable beneficial changes in the body.
In one early study, Yoshifumi Miya-
zaki, a forest- therapy expert and
researcher at Chiba University in Japan,
found that people who spent 40 minutes
walking in a cedar forest had lower levels
of the stress hormone cortisol, which is
involved in blood pressure and immune -
system function, compared with when
they spent 40 minutes walking in a lab.
"I was surprised," Miyazaki recalls.
"Spending time in the forest induces a
state of physiologic relaxation:'
Another researcher, Dr. Qing Li,
a professor at the Nippon Medical
School in Tokyo, found that trees and
plants emit aromatic compounds called
0
phytoncides that, when inhaled, can
spur healthy biological changes in a
manner similar to aromatherapy, which
has also been studied for its therapeutic
benefits. In his studies, Li has shown
that when people walk through or stay
overnight in forests, they often exhibit
changes in the blood that are associated
with protection against cancer, better
immunity and lower blood pressure.
Recent studies have also linked
nature to symptom relief for health
issues like heart disease; depression,
cancer, anxiety and attention disorders.
"The quiet atmosphere, beautiful
scenery, good smells and fresh, clean air
in forests all contribute to the effects,"
says Li. ❑
Plants and trees release compounds
that protect them from pests; when
humans inhale those compounds, it
promotes healthy —and measurable —
biological changes
COREY HENDRICKSON— GALLERY STOCK;
ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER RYAN FOR TIME
-el,
V,r( .R ) R i:'i
time outside is good for the heart, research shows,
high blood pressure costs the U.S. approximately
on per year and affects 1 in 3 Americans, visiting green
ay be a simple and affordable way to improve heart
arge June 2016 study found that nearly 10% of people
Mood pressure could get their hypertension under control
ntjust 30 minutes or more in a park each week. "If
,vere to make time for nature, the savings on health care
d be incredible," says study author Danielle Shanahan, a
ellow at the University of Queensland in Australia.
ash air could be one factor, since air pollution has been
i higher risk for heart attacks, but since the study
is lived in cities (and therefore were also being exposed
ition), that likely isn't the only driver. Scientists think
uction also plays a part. "Nature is undemanding," says
i. "It requires effortless attention to look at the leaves of
ike the constant emails at work or the chores at home."
natural fragrance may also play a role, as some studies
vn that phytoncides lower blood pressure by quelling the
it -or- flight response, which stresses the body.
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or undulating countryside
stagram feed: it can
(ring a number of health ?
archer Paul Piff of the ?l1
ound that people
up at towering trees
g awe, after which
stranger than
y tall —but far less
CA�.ICIICIIVGJ VI avvG auullc people to thi ngs larger than
themselves," says Piff. "They cause individuals to feel less 1/k
entitled, less selfish, and to behave in more generous and helping
ways." The benefits of awe are physical too: regularly experiencing
moments of awe has been linked to lower levels of inflammatory
compounds in the body.
Everyday interactions with nature can also benefit. An April 2016
study of 44 cities found that urban areas with more parks scored
higher on measures of community well- being. That's likely because
parks give people opportunities to socialize and be active with their
neighbors, which could improve health, the researchers say. People
in cities with lots of green space were more likely to report having
more energy, good health and a sense of purpose too.
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Not surprisingly, urban dwellers are far more likely to
have anxiety and mood disorders than people who
live in rural areas. That's the bad news, since about
80% of Americans live in cities. The good news is
that a small 2015 study published in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences found that
people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural
setting, such as a forest or a nature park, were less
likely to ruminate—a hallmark of depression and
anxiety—and had lower activity in an area of the brain
linked to depression than people who walked in an
urban area. "Accessible natural areas may be vital
for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world," the
study authors write.
The exact mechanism of how nature helps
mood disorders is unclear, but researchers agree
that at the very least, time in nature tends to lift
spirits. "When you have a short blast of nature
exposure, people's moods go up," says Ming Kuo, an
environment and behavior scientist at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Another possigility
is that the air near moving water, forests and
mountains contains high levels of negative
ions, which are thought to potentially reduce
depression symptoms, according to a study in
Frontiers in Psychology.
An April 2016 study published in thejournal
Environmental Health Perspectives reported that
Before you start planning your escape to the
women living in areas with a lot of vegetation had a 12%
countryside, consider this: "There is plenty of
lower risk of death from all causes compared with people in
evidence that you will get a range of benefits even
the least green places. That could be thanks to cleaner air,
if all you can manage is putting a plant in your room
or looking at trees through your window at home,"
but nature may also offer its own medicine. Li's research
says the University of Queensland's Shanahan.
at Nippon Medical School shows that when people walk
Research shows that even if they're artificial,
through a forest, they inhale phytoncides that increase their
the images, sounds and smells of nature can have
number of natural killer (NK) cells—a type of white blood cell
positive health effects. Listening to nature sounds
that supports the immune system and is associated with
over headphones, for instance, has been shown
a lower risk of cancer. NK cells are also thought to have a
to help people recover faster from stress—which
role in combating infections and autoimmune disorders and
might explain why so many spas employ nature
tamping down inflammation, which contributes to a wide
sounds in their treatment rooms.
range of ailments, including heart disease and diabetes.
In a 2010 study, researchers found that people who
Several studies have also shown that having
took two long walks through forests on consecutive days
a window view can improve attention, reduce
increased their NK cells by 50% and the activity of these
cells by 56%. Those activity levels remained 23% higher than
usual for the month following the walks. In another study,
Li and his co-authors found that infusing people's hotel
rooms with phytoncides had some of the same
anti-cancer-cell effects as those seen among
people walking through forests.
V it W fJ'H, /ir, ,v D S$N'Aflf, i'T V` 'Vf,, S
Small studies in kids with attention - deficit /hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) have suggested that nature walks could
be a potential natural treatment to improve attention. In
one study, a team led by Kuo of the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign had kids with ADHD take three
20-minute walks, without their medication, in different
locations: a park, a neighborhood and an urban area.
When the researchers tested the children afterward,
they found that after a park walk, the kids were able to
concentrate substantially better than after a walk in the
other settings. In a separate 2011 study, Kuo and her
colleagues found that children who regularly played in
outdoor areas had milder ADHD symptoms, according
to their parents, than children who played indoors or in
areas with less nature access. "Nature gives the part of
the brain that's used in effortful concentration a rest,"
says Kuo. "If you spend time doing something mentally
relaxing, you feel rejuvenated."
People without ADHD symptoms can also improve
their attention and concentration by interacting with
nature, evidence suggests. One University of Michigan
study found that people improved their short-term
memory by 20% after a nature walk but had no
changes after walking through city streets.
26 TIME July 25,20i6
9116
0
I
Before you start planning your escape to the
IE
V
countryside, consider this: "There is plenty of
evidence that you will get a range of benefits even
if all you can manage is putting a plant in your room
or looking at trees through your window at home,"
says the University of Queensland's Shanahan.
Research shows that even if they're artificial,
the images, sounds and smells of nature can have
positive health effects. Listening to nature sounds
over headphones, for instance, has been shown
to help people recover faster from stress—which
might explain why so many spas employ nature
sounds in their treatment rooms.
Several studies have also shown that having
a window view can improve attention, reduce
stress and even help people in hospitals heal
after operations. One widely cited study of people
recovering from abdominal surgery found that
those with tree-lined views were released faster
from the hospital, experienced fewer complications
and required less pain medication than people
whose rooms faced a brick wall.