HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE agenda 031218AGENDA
Orange County Commission for the Environment
March 12, 2018
7:30 p.m.
Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead 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 Draft Minutes – February 12th, 2018
The CFE will consider approval of minutes from the last meeting. Action needed (Attachment 1)
7:40 IV. Discussion of Draft Resolutions
The group will discuss two draft resolutions: the first proposes a federal carbon fee and
dividend program, and the second draft resolution supports state divestment from fossil fuel
companies. Action needed (Attachments 2 and 3)
8:00 V. Discussion of Committee Priorities and Functions
The group will discuss the functions of the CFE committees, and then the committees will meet
independently to determine the priorities that each group would like to work on in 2018.
Action needed. (Attachment 4)
8:40 VI. No Idling Campaign Petition
Commissioner Marcopolos requested the CFE review information and provide a recommendation
to the BOCC concerning supporting a “No Idling” campaign in the county. Action needed.
(Attachments 5 and 6)
9:00 VII. Roadside Wildflower Conservation
The group will briefly discuss this request, with the desired outcome of determining how to
complete this item. Action needed (Attachments 7 and 8)
9:15 VIII. Earth Evening 2018
The group will briefly discuss CFE participation in the 2018 Earth Evening event in Hillsborough
that is scheduled to take place on April 27th. (Attachment 9)
9:22 IX. Updates and Information Items
Staff and/or CFE members will provide updates on the following items:
Continuing Action Items from previous CFE meetings:
Updates:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2018-triangle-
area
http://www.townofchapelhill.org/town-hall/departments-services/public-
works/stormwater-management/public-education-and-participation/water-
week-2018
Any other new information from CFE members and staff
9:25 X. Adjournment
Next Meeting: April 9th, 300 West Tryon Street,
Hillsborough
CFE Meeting Ground Rules (Adopted 9/12/11)
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
5. Strive to reach consensus first before voting
Activities the CFE expects to carry out in 2018:
Plan and develop the State of the Environment 2019 report.
Continue to write news articles on environmental issues of importance to Orange County,
including climate change, energy conservation, and other important topics.
Create “Green Tips” as a means of communicating brief sustainability messages.
Continue to explore ways to improve the County’s ability to foster local sustainable energy
production and energy efficiency strategies, including making Orange County an even better
place for appropriately-sited solar energy generation, 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).
Advocate for an update to the County’s greenhouse gas inventory.
Continue to help with public outreach and management efforts related to invasive species
Participate in a County effort through the Lands Legacy Program to identify and preserve
important landscape corridors that connect significant natural areas and open space (BOCC
Priority #1).
Co-sponsor the annual DEAPR photography contest (The Nature of Orange).
Concerns or emerging issues the CFE has identified for 2018:
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, maintenance and improvements, including educating citizens about existing
programs for up-fits.
The CFE will continue to learn more about environmental justice and incorporate relevant
information and considerations in the next State of the Environment report (2019) and elsewhere
The CFE will continue to follow discussions of how to improve the handling and disposal of
Orange County’s solid waste, and advocate for 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
Attachment 1
Orange County Commission for the Environment
Draft Meeting Summary
February 12, 2018
Richard Whitted Building, 300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough
Present: Bradley Saul (Chair), Bill Kaiser (Vice Chair), Bill Ward, Will Stanley, Kim
Piracci, Alan Parry, Bill Newby, Lynne Gronback
Absent: Matt Crook, Marshall Gray, Sheila Thomas-Ambat, Jeremy Marzuola,
Jody Eimers, Laura Doherty
Staff: Tom Davis, Brennan Bouma
I. Call to Order – Saul called the meeting to order at 7:30.
II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – Staff informed the CFE that the BOCC
made a petition on Jan 23rd concerning a “no idling” campaign. After Chair/Vice-
Chair review, this was referred to the CFE to study and make recommendations.
The CFE agreed to consider the item in March but requested clarification of:
Target (County operations or the County as a whole), focus (education or
regulation), and if regulation how would it be enforced. Staff offered to research
those questions and provide info to the CFE before the March meeting.
Ward described his draft resolution on divestment from fossil fuel companies.
The aim would be for the CFE to send to the BOCC, and pending their approval
to send approved resolution to the State Treasurer. The CFE agreed to address
this item on the March agenda.
III. Approval of Draft Minutes from January 8, 2018 – Parry made a motion to
approve the minutes as written. Ward seconded. Approved unanimously.
IV. SOE 2019 Indicators – Dr. Lama BouFajreldin introduced herself and then the
ten students from the UNC Institute for the Environment who are assisting the
CFE analyze and improve their State of the Environment (SOE) indicators. The
students’ have reviewed the previous reports and have split into three groups
based on the three main sections of the report and committees of the CFE.
The students gave a presentation on the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State,
Impacts, Responses) Framework and the process that they will be using to
organize their indicator analysis. This framework has been used in previous SOE
reports and it has been adapted by the EPA in various ways as well. The hope is
that this framework will help organize the indicators analysis and help tell a
coherent story.
Saul asked about the ability to show causality between chosen indicators. Dr.
BouFajreldin responded that this would be difficult without in -depth statistical
Attachment 1
analysis, but the framework will still be useful. The students may be able to refer
to other indicator studies who have established causal relationships. Saul also
expressed interest in giving some weight to indicators that are used widely.
Ward asked how the framework would be used, and the response was that it will
mostly be used to organize the students’ task into categories. Some of the impact
ratings relate to health and CFE members confirmed their interest in indicators
that show overlap of environment and health.
Saul asked how environmental justice might overlap with this framework.
BouFajreldin asked for us to begin by defining justice, and then relate to the
conceptual framework they are creating. Davis mentioned that the BOCC
specifically requested that the next SOE address environmental justice.
Once useful indicators are identified, availability of the data will be considered.
The students were asked to point out data gaps. The final product of the
students’ course work will be a technical report which will share the details of
their process. Saul and Ward indicated an interest in seeing this.
The students will be attending the CFE meeting in April to discuss their
recommended indicators and formats.
V. 2018 CFE Activities – The CFE agreed on the need for specific deliverables and
discussed what amount of work would be reasonable for a volunteer commission.
There was a desire to reduce the list to a short list of focus areas. Gronback
suggested making the SOE update the main deliverable and focus. Stanley
suggested that several of the CFE’s existing priorities be addressed through the
SOE effort. Davis said that the SOE and the priorities can be linked together and
have been in the past.
Ward asked to add an action item to help Orange County Schools to improve
energy efficiency. It was decided that this was not the best role for the CFE as
the Schools have their own elected bodies beyond the Board of Orange County
Commissioners. It was recommended that Bill Ward reach out to Steven Halkiotis
as an interested resident for guidance on how to approach the School Board.
Piracci suggested focusing on trying to help the County be fossil fuel free. This
was agreed to be a possible focus of the Air and Energy Committee, but perhaps
not the whole CFE in order to maintain broad enough focus to include water and
land resources. Parry made a motion to return to committees to re-prioritize the
priorities as interest areas, and select one to act on outside of the regular
meetings. In place of a vote on this motion, Saul suggested that he would send
an email to each of the committees to charge them with updating their focus
areas in advance of the next meeting.
Attachment 1
VI. Carbon Fee and Dividend Discussion – Parry gave a brief summary of the
presentation given at the last meeting by a Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL)
member on their proposed federal climate legislation. This legislation may be
proposed as early as this year, and CCL is looking for local governments to show
support.
Ward moved that Alan make a few changes to his drafted resolution of support
and provide it to the CFE for a vote next meeting, Kaiser seconded. The motion
passed unanimously. Staff confirmed it would be added to the next agenda.
VIII. Updates and Information Items – information on selected information items
was provided:
Roadside wildflowers – Additional information was received from the NC
Botanical Gardens clarifying the actions they are requesting from the County and
CFE on the roadside wildflower project. The attachments required to discuss this
item and the requested actions were inadvertently excluded from the agenda
packet for this meeting. Staff stated that they would share the information and the
discussion would be continued at a future meeting.
IX. Adjournment – Parry motioned to adjourn, and Ward seconded. Meeting
adjourned at 9:15.
Resolution in Support of Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies
WHEREAS the climate crisis, induced by the fossil fuel industry, is a severe threat to current and
future generations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report
found that anthropogenic global warming promoted heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and
wildfires that altered ecosystems, disrupted food production and water supplies, damaged infrastructure
and settlements, and increased morbidity and mortality; and
WHEREAS in order to mitigate the climate crisis a relentless drive to improve energy efficiency is
causing global energy consumption overall to decelerate and shift to renewable energy. Global
renewable electricity capacity is forecast to expand by 43% by 2022.
WHEREAS, “Measuring fossil fuel costs”, a 2015 study by University of Cambridge Judge Business
School, reported on 20 fossil fuel companies and found that, while highly profitable, the externalized
economic cost to society was also large. The report spans the period 2008–2012 and notes that: "for all
companies and all years, the economic cost to society of their CO2 emissions was greater than their
after‐tax profit, with the single exception of ExxonMobil in 2008; and
WHEREAS after assessing the degree of externalized, climate-change costs by the fossil fuel industry
and the proportion of those costs covered by the insurance industry, the president of the Reinsurance
Association of America stated, “it is clear that global warming could bankrupt the industry”; and
WHEREAS a 2013 study by HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services institutions in
the world, found that between 40% and 60% of the market value of BP, Royal Dutch Shell and other
European fossil fuel companies could be wiped out because of stranded assets caused by carbon
emission regulation; and
WHEREAS, scientists can now determine to what extent climate change made a particular event such
as a hurricane, wildfires, or drought more likely or more extreme. This advance in attributing climate
change to specific actors enhances the potential for successful of damage suites against fossil fuel
companies; and
WHEREAS, the value of stock in fossil fuel companies is severely jeopardized by improved energy
efficiency, transition to renewable energy sources, the magnitude of externalized costs, the potential for
stranded assets, and the increasing likelihood of large payouts for legal damages; and
WHEREAS, after two years of studying these and other deleterious factors and in fulfillment of their
fiduciary responsibility, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer and other trustees of the
City’s $189 Billion pension funds have announced a goal to divest New York City funds from fossil
fuel reserve owners within five years; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina State Treasurer, as the fiduciary of over 20 funds worth about 100
billion dollars, invests these funds for the benefit of residents of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina State Treasurer's fiduciary responsibility, in accordance with NC
General Statutes § 36E-3, requires consideration of expected total return from income and the
appreciation of investments and to preserve capital; and
WHEREAS, investments in fossil fuel companies are incompatible with the NC State Treasurer's
fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of North Carolina.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of County Commissioners calls
upon the State Treasurer of North Carolina to immediately stop new investments in fossil fuel
companies, to take steps to divest all holdings from fossil fuel companies and to release periodic
updates to the public, detailing progress made toward full divestment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of County Commissioners send a copy
of this resolution to the Governor of the State of North Carolina and members of the state Senate and
state Assembly representing Orange County, asking support for institutional divestment from fossil
fuels and for this resolution.
1
RESOLUTION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
CALLING ON THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO
ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE BY IMPLEMENTING A
PRICE ON CARBON BY WAY OF CARBON FEE-AND-DIVIDEND LEGISLATION
WHEREAS, on September 5, 2017, the Board of Orange County Commissioners passed
RES-2017-048, entitled “Resolution of the Orange County Board of Commissioners in Support
of a Local, State, and National Goal of 100% Clean Energy by 2050 and the Creation of Green
Jobs,” calling for Orange County, the State of North Carolina, and the United States to transition
from a fossil fuel-based economy to a 100% clean renewable energy for all energy sectors -based
economy, by January 1, 2050 or sooner to avoid climate catastrophe, to promote job creation and
economic growth, and to protect the Earth for current and future generations from climate
catastrophe; and
WHEREAS, (i) the scientific consensus that climate change is primarily due to human-
caused fossil fuel emissions, (ii) the documented impacts of climate change in Orange County,
the state, the country, and the world, and (iii) the public health, economic, and social justice
benefits of a swift transition to a clean energy economy are summarized in the Board’s
September 5, 2017 resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners remains committed to acting
locally to address climate change and its harmful impacts to the extent possible, and also believes
that the United States Congress has a responsibility to act swiftly to take meaningful action on
the issue at a national and international level; and
WHEREAS, presently the environmental, health, and social costs of carbon emissions are
not included in the price of fossil fuels, but rather these externalized costs are borne by all
citizens of the world, including the residents of Orange County; and
WHEREAS, assigning a cost to greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most efficient
ways to discourage consumption of fossil fuels and thereby encourage development of
alternatives; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has heard from local
volunteers representing the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a group that advocates for a carbon fee-
and-dividend legislative proposal at the federal level, and has reviewed information from
renowned economists and climate scientists in support of such a proposal; and
WHEREAS, the proposed carbon fee-and-dividend legislation would levy an annually
increasing revenue-neutral fee on the carbon in fossil fuels at the point of production and
importation, collect 100% of the net carbon fees in a trust fund, and distribute those fees directly
to American households in the form of a dividend that studies show would stimulate the
economy (creating a projected 2.1 million American jobs over a 10-year period, and 2.8 million
over a 20-year period) and would more than offset higher fuel prices for most Americans; and
2
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has specifically considered the
economic impact on those residents of Orange County who may be most vulnerable to an
increase in fuel prices, including both rural residents and low-income residents, and has found
that a 2016 economic impact study projects that the legislation would provide a net financial
benefit to the majority of rural and low-income households in America, due to the dividend; and
WHEREAS, considering these positive projected environmental and economic impacts,
the Orange County Board of Commissioners concludes that, in addition to local measures in
support of the September 5, 2017 resolution, a market-based, revenue-neutral carbon fee-and-
dividend program at the federal level appears to be a fair and effective means to significantly
reduce carbon emissions.
Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does
hereby approve of the following:
SECTION 1. Orange County, North Carolina supports the concept of federal carbon fee-
and-dividend legislation that would levy an annually increasing revenue-neutral fee on the
carbon in fossil fuels at the point of production and importation, and that would be sufficient to:
(i) accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuels and corresponding reduction in U.S. CO2 emissions;
(ii) make the transition from fossil fuels less onerous to consumers and to the economy by
returning net revenues gained from the fee to Americans on an equitable basis; and (iii)
encourage similar actions by other nations trading with the United States, by suitable carbon
content-based fees for imports and rebates for exports to nations that have not taken such actions.
SECTION 2. This resolution is effective upon adoption and shall be sent to the County’s
federal delegation.
Orange County Commission for the Environment
CFE Committee Priorities
(updated April 2017)
Air and Energy Resources Committee
(Bill Newby, Matt Crook, Alan Parry, Kim Piracci, Bill Ward)
1. GHG Emissions Inventory – Consider whether it is feasible and worthwhile to conduct a
comprehensive update of the County 2005 greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
2. Green Building – Help the County develop an incentive program for green construction.
3. Climate Change – Educate county residents about climate change, alternative energy sources
and efficiency, and steps to reduce their (and County government’s) carbon footprint.
4. Energy Efficiency – Partner with Piedmont Electric Membership Corp and/or Duke Energy
to take advantage of USDA program for low-interest loans for energy efficient upgrades for
its members/owners.
Water Resources Committee
(Bill Kaiser, Marshall Gray, Will Stanley)
1. Hydrilla Treatments – Continue to educate the public about hydrilla and other invasive species
of concern; continue to monitor chemical treatments to assure they are not harmful to rivers.
2. Surface and Ground Water Quality and Quantity – Increase the collection of data for surface
and ground water quality and quantity; increase public education so it might lead to more
funding for data collection.
3. Water Supply – Continue to educate county residents about our water supply and what steps
can be taken to improve/maintain quality and quantity of future water supplies.
Land Resources Committee
(Lynne Gronback, Bradley Saul)
1. Native Plant Habitats - Renew collaboration with NC Botanical Garden and others to identify
significant roadside habitat for native plants; then ask NCDOT and other utilities to eliminate
the use of herbicides to manage vegetation in those special roadside habitats.
2. Native Landscaping - Educate homeowners and businesses on reasons to choose a diversity of
regionally native species for landscaping and other ways to promote biodiversity.
Why is idling a problem?
▪Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to
increased rates of asthma, allergies, lung disease,
heart disease and cancer.
▪Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound
of body weight than adults.
▪Childhood exposures to air pollution build up over
time and can cause long-term lung damage.
▪Idling costs you money. Idling for more than 10
seconds uses more fuel than turning off and
restarting your engine.
What can you do?
▪Turn off your engine when you are stopped for
more than 30 seconds, except when in traffic.
▪Limit your warm-up time. Driving slowly is the best
way to warm up your car.
▪Avoid drive-thrus, especially in the summer.
▪Talk to your family and friends about how reduced
idling helps improve our region’s air quality.
For more information, visit:
www.cleanaircarolina.org
or call: (704) 307-9528
Why is idling a problem?
▪Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to
increased rates of asthma, allergies, lung disease,
heart disease and cancer.
▪Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound
of body weight than adults.
▪Childhood exposures to air pollution build up over
time and can cause long-term lung damage.
▪Idling costs you money. Idling for more than 10
seconds uses more fuel than turning off and
restarting your engine.
What can you do?
▪Turn off your engine when you are stopped for
more than 30 seconds, except when in traffic.
▪Limit your warm-up time. Driving slowly is the best
way to warm up your car.
▪Avoid drive-thrus, especially in the summer.
▪Talk to your family and friends about how reduced
idling helps improve our region’s air quality.
For more information, visit:
www.cleanaircarolina.org
or call: (704) 307-9528
Why is idling a problem?
▪Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to
increased rates of asthma, allergies, lung disease,
heart disease and cancer.
▪Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound
of body weight than adults.
▪Childhood exposures to air pollution build up over
time and can cause long-term lung damage.
▪Idling costs you money. Idling for more than 10
seconds uses more fuel than turning off and
restarting your engine.
What can you do?
▪Turn off your engine when you are stopped for
more than 30 seconds, except when in traffic.
▪Limit your warm-up time. Driving slowly is the best
way to warm up your car.
▪Avoid drive-thrus, especially in the summer.
▪Talk to your family and friends about how reduced
idling helps improve our region’s air quality.
For more information, visit:
www.cleanaircarolina.org
or call: (704) 307-9528
Why is idling a problem?
▪Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to
increased rates of asthma, allergies, lung disease,
heart disease and cancer.
▪Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound
of body weight than adults.
▪Childhood exposures to air pollution build up over
time and can cause long-term lung damage.
▪Idling costs you money. Idling for more than 10
seconds uses more fuel than turning off and
restarting your engine.
What can you do?
▪Turn off your engine when you are stopped for
more than 30 seconds, except when in traffic.
▪Limit your warm-up time. Driving slowly is the best
way to warm up your car.
▪Avoid drive-thrus, especially in the summer.
▪Talk to your family and friends about how reduced
idling helps improve our region’s air quality.
For more information, visit:
www.cleanaircarolina.org
or call: (704) 307-9528
What Is Idling?
Idling is running a vehicle engine when it’s not moving.
While some idling is hard to avoid, most idling is wasteful and avoidable.
Why Care About Idling?
Idling is expensive.
An idling car wastes up to .5 gallon per hour; a medium‐duty truck may waste even more.
While individual episodes may be small, the cumulative impacts of idling are large.
Idling pollutes.
Each gallon of fuel burned emits about 20 lbs. of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Idling threatens health.
Tailpipe emissions contribute to the formation of ground‐level ozone, which can damage lungs.
Idling can be against the law.
Idling laws differ by location, vehicle type/weight, fuel type, and outside temperature.
What Can YOU Do About Idling?
YOU CAN BE AWARE
Turn off vehicles when not moving.
When available, use waiting rooms at depots and assembly areas instead of idling.
YOU CAN EDUCATE DRIVERS
Adopt an idling reduction policy.
Ask drivers to make a pledge to reduce idling.
Host an idling reduction workshop or driver training sessions.
Post signs to remind drivers not to idle at your facility.
Dear Orange County Commission for the Environment: November 1, 2017
I met with your advisory group on June 12, 2017, to discuss the efforts to-date on the identification of
Orange County roadsides that have significant native wildflower occurrences. The goal is to provide the Board of
County Commissioners (BOCC) with data to support the 2012 resolution on the Conservation of Native
Wildflowers along Orange County Roadways (attached). The resolution appropriately points out that in addition
to aesthetics, native wildflowers are “essential to the fitness of native pollinator species necessary for productive
and profitable farms and forests.”
The Commission for the Environment (CfE), in 2012, recognized that the use of herbicides in the last
decade to control vegetation, rather than by the more traditional mowing method, was harming native
wildflowers. Mowing, even done at the “wrong” time of year (i.e., during flowering), is far preferable to the use
of herbicides. Mowing can actually benefit sun-loving plants (heliophytes) by reducing woody plant cover.
Herbicides, on the other hand, kill wildflowers even when the woody plants are the intended target, which
disrupts pollinator habitat and renders roadsides unsightly.
A recommendation was subsequently submitted by the CfE to the BOCC, who unanimously adopted the
following resolution on June 19, 2012:
The Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby commit and encourage
others to commit to the conservation of roadside native wildflowers along the roadways
in Orange County, and do hereby authorize the Commission for the Environment and
County staff to work with the NC Department of Transportation, utility companies,
and property owners to plan and implement roadside management practices that will
increase the visibility and enjoyment of North Carolina native wildflowers.
North Carolina Botanical Garden Conservation Department staff and University of North Carolina
Biology Department faculty created a roadside inventory check sheet (attached) that provides a target list of native
wildflowers. A “watch for” list was also prepared for the rare and extirpated plants of Orange County that might
be found on roadsides. Percent cover of each species was also collected as a way to evaluate relative abundance.
North Carolina Botanical Garden Conservation Department biologists took primary responsibility for
collecting these data between 2012 and 2017. Because the detailed roadside inventory was very time consuming,
NCBG staff began a more qualitative approach by driving Orange County roads when target wildflowers were in
bloom.
The inventory groups determined that virtually ALL of the roadsides in Orange County contain
significant stretches of native wildflowers. The inventory groups also saw a notable decrease in wildflower
occurrence over the 5-year inventory directly attributable to herbicide use.
The NC Department of Transportation appears to use mowing as the primary management tool, whereas
the power companies tend to use herbicides. Although possibly difficult to coordinate, we recommend that
NCDOT partner with the power companies and return to mowing Orange County roadsides.
NCBG Conservation Department biologists are happy to assist with the plans that might be developed to
maintain and celebrate the natural beauty and ecological importance of Orange County roadsides. Thank you for
forwarding this information to the Board of County Commissioners. I am happy to speak with the CfE, Orange
County staff, and BOCC members.
Sincerely,
Johnny Randall, PhD
Director of Conservation
Media Contact
Marabeth Carr, Landscape Architect
Orange County
Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation
Phone: 919.245.2516
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orange County Earth Evening
In celebration of the 48th annual Earth Day (April 22, 2018), Orange County will be hosting Earth Evening
on Friday April 27th from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. The event will take place at the Farmers’ Market Pavilion, 140
E. Margaret Lane in Hillsborough.
The first Earth Day event was held April 22, 1970, intended to promote environmental protection. Earth
Day founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson, estimates 20 million Americans participated in Earth Day activities
that year. Earth Day is now a global event with Earth Day 2017 projected to have over one billion
participants.
Orange County’s fifth annual Earth Evening will include several events and demonstrations for both
children and adults. There will also be a recycling drop off area for fluorescent light bulbs, cell phones
and used cooking oil. This year’s participates include the Orange County Departments of: Animal
Services; Asset Management; Cooperative Extension - Master Gardeners' & 4-H programs; Environment,
Agriculture, Parks & Recreation; Environmental Health; Library; Planning; and Solid Waste & Recycling.
Other agencies that will also be at Earth Evening include: Eno River Association; NC Forest Service; Town
of Hillsborough - Stormwater Management and Utilities Department; Hillsborough Tree Board; Orange
County Beekeepers Association; NC Greenpower; NC State Parks and the US Environmental Protection
Agency.
Join us as we promote a sustainable environment in Orange County. For more information, please
contact Marabeth Carr 919.245.2516