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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE 031201 County of Orange Environment and Resource Conservatioi^i. Department P . O . E, ox 9181 f lill ; Ilolwutl II , ,'SIC 2727S P11012 ( ( 91 � ) 2 - 2259i In un ' ` ; I7A : ( ( 9 ) 0 - 3351Per, �3 44 E111i111 : C111 (' lfow :1 ? co . o1"1111 �c' . f1C . l ( ti _. . _ . . , •' A . d:., � tY ;`` 'y � . s . . Memorandum MAR -- 7 2001 To : Commission for the Environment From : Julie Tucker , Chair 4 Date : March 5 , 2001 Re : March 12 , 2001 Meeting Agenda Please find attached the agenda and materials for the next meeting of the Commission for the Environment , which is scheduled for : Monday, March 12, 2001 7 : 30 p . m . Southern Human Services Center 2505 Homestead Road Chapel Hill , NC We will receive a presentation from the Cape Fear River Assembly on Cape Fear watershed issues and discuss CfE priorities for 2001 . Near the end of the meeting , we will reserve 30 minutes of breakout session time for each CfE committee to address priority items pertinent to their committee that need to be addressed within the next few months . To help make meetings more efficient, we do plan to start promptly at 7 : 30 and adjourn to committee breakout sessions no later than 9 : 00 . I realize all of our schedules are quite busy, but please make every effort to arrive on time . If you have questions , or will be unable to attend , please contact Carol Melton ( 245 - 2597 , cmelton@co . orange . nc . us ) by the Friday before the meeting . I look forward to seeing you on the 12tn ` r i � • .I, � Q AGENDA Orange County Commission for the Environment March 12 , 2001 7 : 30 p . m . Southern Human Services Center 2505 Homestead Road , Chapel Hill , NC Time Page # Item 7 : 30 I . Call to Order 7 : 30 II . Additions or Changes to Agenda 7 : 31 2 III . Approval of Minutes ( February 12 , 2001 ) 7 : 32 IV . Cape Fear River Assembly Upon request, representatives of this group will present an overview of current efforts on basin - wide watershed protection in the Cape Fear ( western and southern Orange are in the Cape Fear basin ) . The Board of Commissioners would like CFE thoughts on this initiative . 8 : 00 9 V. 2001 CFE Priorities List Also included in the February agenda , this list is provided as Attachment 1 . Please review prior to the meeting and come prepared to discuss . 8 : 30 VI . Agenda Items for Next Meeting (April 9 ) 2002 State of Environment report planning , forestry pilot project, Lands Legacy Long -Term vision report, Cities/ Counties for Climate Protection , 8 : 40 VII . Committee Breakout Sessions Each committee has topics in need of discussion (AQ = Cities for Climate Protection and BOCC Air Quality goal ; BRC = Natural Areas Inventory and Element of Comprehensive Plan ; EIE = SOE report 2001 and sustainability interface ; SGW = May joint session with Water Resources Committee and USGS Ground Water Resource Investigation ) 9 : 30 VIII . Adjournment o � COUNTY OF ORANGE COMMISSION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT DRAFT Summary of Meeting February 12 , 2001 Held at Orange County Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill , NC Members Present : Mark Smith , Loraine Kohorn , Julie Tucker , Cara Crisler , Laura Cotterman , Annette Jurgelski , Hervey McIver , Roy Fortmann , Lee Rafalow , Richard Pratt , Dan Okun , Alice Gordon . Visitors : Jean Earnhardt, Jerry Gaertner , Will McDonald Staff Present : David Stancil , ERCD Director , Rich Shaw , Land Conservation Manager , Carol Melton , ERCD Administrative Assistant . I . Call to Order . Tucker called the meeting to order at 7 : 30 p . m . II . Additions or Changes to Agenda . Stancil reported that the Capital Needs Task Force is in place and McIver has been appointed to that group . III . Approval of Minutes (January 8 , 2001 ) . MOTION : Crisler motioned to approve the January 8 , 2001 with noted changes . Fortmann seconded the motion . VOTE : Unanimous consent . IV . Selective Forestry Opportunities Jerry Gaertner , forestry consultant ( North State Forestry Consulting Co . ) made a presentation on the lack of local markets for selective timber harvesting and the potential for a local cooperative of private landowners . Gaertner showed figures for the relative contributions of sediment runoff to water quality degradation from forestry , agriculture , road construction and urban land uses . The average corn field , tobacco field or cow pasture produces about seven times more sedimentation . Along with sedimentation comes pesticides , fertilizer nutrients and temperature change . He noted that although forestry is not a major contributor , there is still room for improvement . He recommends focusing more attention on reducing runoff Draft CFE 2/ 12/01 Minutes Page 1 of 6 03 from other sources rather than driving forest landowners to converting their land to agricultural or residential development . Gaertner discussed the importance of different tree species , and how some species are more valuable for wildlife food sources . He discussed the differences between softwood ( pine ) and hardwood species . Gaertner said that early succession species ( pines ) are favored after land is abandoned from agriculture or after a clear cutting . He noted that Jean Earnhardt 's property has a 30 - acre tract of pine that was planted in an former farm field and also pine that has resulted from the early 1900s when pastures and fields were abandoned . Pine can also valuable for certain wildlife . Mature pines ( age 20 or more ) produce cones and seeds . The top two on the list for wildlife , oak and pine , are also the two most valuable for lumber . Gaertner said that clear - cutting of timber and replanting with pines should not be stopped , but it should be avoided in some cases . It 's better than converting those lands to other uses . We don 't want forest regulations to force landowners to sell their land to developers rather than maintaining the property . Gaertner noted that the forest landowners , loggers , and timber consultants are not making a lot of money . The building suppliers and builders themselves are making the larger profits . If we want the landowner and logger to do better harvesting , we should be willing to pay more for a house and pass along an extra $ 1000 to the logger and landowner . Gaertner suggested assisting the landowners that opt for selective cutting with good forestry advice and offer some type of monetary incentives . C h a rt 0. A verage House - L umber Average 2 , 000 - sq . - ft . house has 16 , 904 board feet of lumber . ( equivalent to 4 1 / 2 truck loads of lumber ( 18 - wheel truck ) ) Cost of house to consumer ( homeowner ) = $ 200 , 000 Land / timber owner receives ( at max ) $ 5 , 000 Sawmill sells it for $ 10 , 000 to building supplier ( e . g . , Lowes/ Home Depot ) Logger receives $ 1 , 440 from sawmill Logger 's net profit after expenses = $ 40 for the house Draft CFE 2 / 12/01 Minutes Page 2 of 6 U Gaertner reported that according to the recent chip mill report ( Duke / NC State ) about 350 , 000 acres in NC were harvested (" cost shared ") and sent to chip mills over a 21 -year period through 1999 . Before 1978 , he estimates 250 , 000 acres . There was probably a million acres cost shared for bulldozer removal or herbicide removal - - the same kinds of junk trees that are being sent to chip mills now . The concern is whether more than just the junk " trees are being sent to the chip mills . Gaertner referred to an article " Forestry Pays the Most to Those with Patience & Vision " included in the handouts . ( Describes trees for selective cutting ) . He suggested focusing on finding ways to promote the benefits of selective cutting and being more patient with their timber harvesting . Many people who are so inclined have trouble finding foresters who will steer them in that direction . Compared with the cost of buying timberland or buying timber rights for conservation purposes , the cost of a forest management plan using Forest Stewardship Council criteria is about $ 20 per acre for a typical 100 acre tract . We should attempt to do more to guide forestry rather than regulating forestry , which frightens loggers and consultants . Gaertner suggested that Orange County consider establishing a county - sponsored cooperative of forest landowners . People shopping for houses might be willing to pay an additional $ 1000 fee if they knew the timber came from a certified source of sustainable forest trees . An example of a program with a certified sustained source in the U . S . is the Forest Stewardship Council . Where there are about 30 million acres certified in Europe there are only about 15 million acres in the US . Consumers look for the Forrest Stewardship Council logo on wood products . It 's so big in Europe , the majority of wood products have the logo , or otherwise the products are shunned . McIver asked what could be done to encourage timber owners to let their stands mature , then cut selectively $ and what type of things , ordinance - wise , can be done by a local government to encourage landowners not to clear - cut or develop their forest property ? Gaertner suggested setting up a program for purchase ( or donation ) of development rights with conservation easements . Stancil asked what would Gaertner suggest as a way to start making some things happen locally ; are there any foresters active in this county who are members of the Guild , or is there a way that the Forest Service might help ? Gaertner noted that he is one of five consulting foresters in NC who has used Forest Stewardship Council criteria in their timber management . Environmental groups pushing this sort of thing , but it needs to take hold at a more grass - roots level . Draft CFE 2/ 12/01 Minutes Page 3 of 6 05 Smith reviewed the figures that Gaertner presented earlier about landowner profit from harvesting timber . Gaertner noted that at the present time the only thing that forestry can compete with is agriculture . There is so much development in Orange County that a person has to really love his land to turn down a developer . Smith said if someone could come up with a way for the landowner to make $ 200 per acre per year without harvesting the timber it could help sustain mature forests . Gaertner noted that most timber owners plan to cut and sell their timber on a 30 - year cycle . Gordon asked how conservation easement compared with buying timber rights . Gaertner noted that price of purchasing timber rights takes into account the current and future value of the timber . The banker might value the current value at $ 300 per acre while the long - term value might be $ 2 , 000 per acre . McIver asked about the idea of " forest banking . " Gaertner spoke of an example from the Clench River ( Tennessee ) , where landowners were paid about half of what they could have realized . He said given the recent timber prices in the Piedmont , a landowner can make around $ 100 per acre per year growing timber . If you use the capitalization rate and feel like you need to make 8 % interest on your investment in your land then that only covers about $ 1200 per acre worth of value . Geertner explained a possible program of Timber Stand Improvement : treatment of a middle - aged stand that matures in 20 years verses a planting of seedlings that could take up to 40 years before harvesting . Tucker talked about the possibility of " niche markets . " Recreational leases were also discussed , noting that they only yield $ 5 - 10 per acre per year . Kohorn asked what is the economic incentative for landowners to selectively cut their timber . Gaertner explained that the tree value for an 8 " diameter pine is about $ 1 and for hardwood $ . 75 . By allowing the 8 - inch tree to grow to 10 inches it 's value increases to $ 4 ( pine ) and to $ 1 . 50 ( hardwood ) . He noted that so much clear cutting occurs because of the " Type A " forester attitude of growing trees like cabbages . He offered the following values : Age Diameter Tree Value Tree Value ears inches Hardwood Pine 20 8 $ 1 $ . 75 Draft CFE 2/ 12/01 Minutes Page 4 of 6 06 26 10 $ 4 $ 1 . 50 34 12 $ 15 $ 4 44 14 $ 35 $ 12 54 16 $ 70 $ 40 Rafalow asked what could County do to encourage the criteria promoted by the farm stewardship council . Gaertner suggested sending a representative to some place like Wisconsin , where they are already doing it , and maybe sending someone to a place where it has failed . Rafalow asked whether he would consider it helpful for Orange County to play a role of facilitating the birth of one of these programs . Gaertner said it should be considered because it is no more expensive than hiring people to enforce a lot of new regulations . Gordon suggested that the proposed new Agriculture Broker Specialist could work on this project . Smith asked if there is any education process for loggers . Gaertner said that there is a logger who uses horses to harvest timber ( Richard Drake ) , who could be asked to sponsor a training workshop . The CfE discussed the effects of standard logging equipment on the environment verses horse logging . Cotterman asked if there is a place to look at the existing sustainable criteria . Geertner suggested the web page < FSCUS . org > . Smith said CfE could do something similar to what it did with AFLEV and maybe make some recommendations about the county procurement process for wood products . Geertner mentioned that the county could do well to have the Cane Creek Reservoir area a certified forest . Everybody enjoys the water , air , wildlife , so everyone could contribute by buying certified lumber . Tucker thanked Mr . Gaertner and introduced William McDowell , Forest Policy Associate from the Southern Journal Law Center . McDowell stated that two things the CFE should consider are the present - use taxation program and the cost- share program . He noted that Orange County is about second or third in the state in the amount deferred taxes due to forest management . The cost- share program effects 1 / 10 of the acreage in the state that 's harvested every year . Ninety - five percent of the cost share percent goes to pines and about 0 . 3 percent goes to hardwoods . Gordon suggested that the Biological Resources Committee write a follow - up summary of these ideas , including the possible work with the Agriculture Draft CFE 2/ 12/01 Minutes Page 5 of 6 07 Broker and other boards ( for example , Agricultural Preservation Board ) to get this information to the commissioners very soon . V . Shaping Orange County 's Future Review The CfE discussed the different formats of each group 's draft comments on the Shaping Orange County Future report . It was agreed that there would be three separate committee reports under one cover memo . The members reviewed the three committee reports , and discussed : • Sustainability indicators , • The need to tie recommendations , actions and measures together , • The need to measure indicators to find out if the objectives where achieved ( or if they failed ) , • Lobbing the state for more extensive air quality monitoring in Orange County and a more environmentally responsive transportation system , • Increasing bus services , • Open burning , • Timber harvesting , • Water quality concerns , • Growth management and urban sprawl . It was decided that each committee would make changes to their section as discussed then forward revisions to Crisler who will prepare an introductory abstract/ summary and send back to the committees for review before going to Stancil for the next agenda packet by end of February . VI . Cities / Counties for Climate protection This discussion was postponed due to the lateness of the evening . VII . 2001 Priority List It was suggested to have the next couple meetings to clear out business . Members to review page 29 the CFE goals and objectives and have ideas ready for the next meeting . The CfE adjourned at approximately 10 ; 50 p . m . Draft CFE 2/ 12/01 Minutes Page 6 of 6 os A G 1T v0 Av ! p o w L v 0] m Q f � a o A ; 09 l O .- cm c Miami m n 3 aci o . � : � . � of `. addladdladO ' L� o W >1 N a m . !. � ; o > i o ` 0Awmams o K QI . �' o m oFAIL IF, A "0 '_ : Q a f l°, W c a IF A }. a) a) .c V E `� A. m ,� Rs ^ � ;, ao E . o if co i 3 U r E a d s .� Q p pptiFFIF ` 11% O 0O co radd fac Z co W a) � : 3 g E , p„ >Palo o u. '> a) a) c 3 . V ? • O i ° coi c n pC , `n � . O d _ U . � 0 1 U v� 3 _o . m o LL cn . 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O cti a) O c C C U cz a) c 0) c + O O O O U U CZ O J O at Q) ¢ QC) N � N a '0 WO t U to W O > MOC 0) cc CZ a) W a) coc a) W Co _ o o a -j E W Z co � W Ca) -o N U) co E (n a) O Q N 0 (n :� C C 00 O a E U a' ai a) L) w CZ N U a) °ts z U 3 CcLL (L : U o m N 10 11 Additional Information Items Commission for the Environment Agenda March 12 , 2001 12 13 flti� aty of a STEPHEN H. HALK/OT/S, CHAIR + BARRYJACOBS, VICE CHAIR ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS V wow _ ! 4 ,1 DID il MARGARETW. BROWN POST OFFICE Box 8 1 8 1 � q �� 41 ' y MOSES AU/SES, GORDON 2OO SOUTH CAMERON STREET HILLSBOROUGH , NORTH CAROLINA 27278 1� off ' l ` February 26 , 2001 erlb Zell Jane Hague, President National Association of Counties 440 First Street , NW Washington, DC 20001 Dear Ms . Hague : The County of Orange (N . C . ) Board of Commissioners would like to express our Board ' s concern with two public lands policies in the National Association of Counties (NACo ) American County platform : • Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, and • Requiring county approval prior to sale of private property to the federal government . All five members of our Board feel that these positions are contrary to important national efforts to promote energy conservation and investment in new energy resources , and that the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration will not result in sufficient energy supplies to justify the potential of compromising a national wildlife refuge . In action of February 20 , 2001 , the Board of Commissioners reviewed these matters , and unanimously decided to request that the Association reconsider these positions . Sincerely , 4 a Stephen H . Halkiotis , Chair Margaret W . Brown County of Orange Board of Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr . Barry cobs; ce Chair Alice M . Gordon Cc : Supervisor Ronald Christensen, Chair, Public Lands Steering Committee Peg Reagan, Executive Director, Conservation Leaders Network Protecting and preserving — people, resources, quality of life Orange County, North Carolina — You Count ! (919) 245 -2130 • FAX (919) 644 -0246 14 Farm and Open Space Preservation Work Group : Final Report Adopted by the Legislative Commission to Address Smart Growth , Growth Management and Development Issues on January 19 , 2001 Work Group Co - Chairs : • Senator Allen Wellons • Commissioner Barry Jacobs Commission Members : ■ Representative Andy Dedmon ■ Commissioner Mary Ann Enloe • Pricey Harrison ■ Todd Mansfield ■ Julian Philpott Work Group Participants : ■ Professor Lee Johnson ■ Sarah Robertson • Charles Roe Advisors : ■ Meg Ryan O ' Donnell , Senior Advisor, Commission to Address Smart Growth ■ Anita Watkins , Senior Policy Analyst, NC DENR For information , contact Meg Ryan O ' Donnell at smartgrowth@mindspring . com or call ( 919 ) 836 - 5261 Farm and Open Space Preservation Work Group Adopted by the Legislative Commission to Address Smart Growth , Growth Management and Development Issues — January 19 , 2001 Work Group Vision North Carolina must promote a flexible , incentive - oriented , community- based , state - supported approach to preserving and protecting open space . The state ' s open space resources include parks , water supply watersheds , active farming and forestry operations , wetlands and floodplains , historic sites , gamelands , and many other significant natural , recreational , and cultural features . A priority should be placed on protecting those natural areas that play a vital role in protecting the environment and our economy . Measures to preserve the benefits of open space for present and future generations should support private stewardship and respect private property rights . Purpose The goal of the work group was to understand existing state , local and private - sector policies , programs , and organizations that affect farms , forestry and other aspects of open space preservation in North Carolina . The work group heard from those responsible for program implementation and from individuals who utilized and/ or benefited from a program . Other- states ' approaches and programs were also reviewed . The work group examined the relationship of open space to water and air quality , sedimentation and erosion , economic viability of agriculture , hazard mitigation , preservation of cultural values , and quality of life . Principles ■ North Carolina has an obligation to protect its natural resources . Article XIV , Section 5 of the North Carolina Constitution states : "It shall be the policy of this State to conserve and protect its lands and waters for the benefit of all its citizenry , and to this end it shall be a proper function of the State of North Carolina and its political subdivisions to acquire and preserve park , recreational , and scenic areas , to control and limit the pollution of our air and water , to control excessive noise , and in every other appropriate way to preserve as a part of the common heritage of this State its forests , wetlands , estuaries , beaches , historical sites , openlands , and places of beauty . " ■ North Carolina has a commitment to protect its natural resources . GS 113A . 240 , enacted in 2000 to support the initiative to preserve one million acres , states : " It is the intent of the General Assembly to continue to support and accelerate the state ' s programs of land conservation and protection , to find means to assure and increase funding for these programs , and to improve the coordination , efficiency , and implementation of the various state and local land protection programs operating in North Carolina . " ■ Open space is integral to the lives and culture of North Carolinians . 1 17 ■ Open space takes many forms apart from parks , greenways and natural areas , including farms , forests and working landscapes . ■ Protection of water- supplies and waterways is essential to the public ' s health and safety . ■ The State of North Carolina must take a leadership role in providing a greenspace safety net by providing planning , funding , oversight , and other support . ■ The Million Acres Initiative is a key component of the state ' s efforts to protect open space . ■ Preservation of farmland and open space requires mutually supportive partnership between citizens and state and local governments . ■ Dedicated funding sources are crucial to the success of all significant state programs that protect open space . ■ State policies should promote private land stewardship and respect private property rights . ■ Open space and farmland preservation policies should be consistent with rural prosperity and affordable housing goals . ■ The cost of- open space preservation should be shared broadly among the beneficiaries . 1 . THE STATE ROLE A . STATE POLICY Objective 1A . 1 : Protect floodways , 100 - year floodplains and waterways . ■ Limit contributing state assistance to state or local government construction located in floodways or 100 - year floodplains , except for transportation projects , trails , and water access and wastewater collection and treatment facilities . ■ Strictly limit impervious surface generated by state - funded transportation facilities in floodways or floodplains . ■ Locate state - funded projects in a manner that minimizes destruction of existing wetlands . ■ Adopt stormwater management plans for state - funded projects consistent with state and federal stormwater regulations . ■ Ban the selling of, leasing of, and granting of easements to state lands to private industrial development projects that are located in floodways or floodplains . ■ Ban the use of state funds , state tax credits , and state bond proceeds to private or public industrial development pojects located in floodways or floodplai r ns . 2 ■ Make public acquisition for protection of land in high - hazard floodplain areas a priority . Objective 1A . 2 : Develop consistency with local plans . ■ Promote coherence between state government funding and permit decisions and adopted local land - use , agricultural preservation , open space , urban growth , watershed protection , environmental , transportation , and other plans . Objective 1A . 3 : Promote regional connectivity of dedicated open space . ■ Make additional matching state funds available for planning for those jurisdictions with adopted Park and Open Space (POS ) plans . ■ Provide state financial support for regional open space planning that assists the linkage of local government plans across jurisdictional boundaries . Objective 1A . 4e, Establish as a prime principle in locating state or state - funded facilities , including those funded with tax credits , respect for open space protected by state , local , or private entities . ■ Assess and minimize environmental impacts on open space protected by state , local , or private entities when siting state facilities following the guidelines set in the North Carolina Environmental Policy Act of 1971 . Objective 1A . 5 : Promote private land stewardship and respect private property rights . ■ Programs should be voluntary , incentive - based , and to the greatest extent possible achieve permanent protection of resources . Objective 1A . 6 : Make matching funds available for local governments , with preference given to those with adopted plans to protect farmland , watersheds , floodplains , and/or open space . ■ Preference should be given to projects initiated by local governments or private entities that offer matching funds and have adopted appropriate long - range plans . ■ Funds should be available to all local governments to execute the planning necessary to gain preference in acquiring matching funds . ■ Matching funds should be available to all counties , with low or no matches required of those least able to pay , based on the economic tiers established by the NC Division of Community Assistance , Objective 1A . 7 : Coordinate state programs and agencies dedicated to preserving , acquiring or otherwise protecting open space . 3 19 ■ Review state programs devoted to protecting open space to assure they are effectively coordinated and efficiently administered . • Create an entity to coordinate all state programs associated with protecting or preserving open space , including farmland . ■ Require long - range strategic plans for state entities that acquire and protect open space . ■ Coordinate the dissemination of information about activities of state programs and agencies that acquire or protect open space , including the issuance of a comprehensive annual report . Objective 1A . 8 : Support the Million Acre Initiative . ■ Fund a coordinator and support staff for the Million Acre Initiative . ■ Incorporate the Million Acre Initiative into existing state programs to acquire and protect open space . ■ Create a Million Acre Advisory Panel , with representatives appointed by the governor and General Assembly to include private interests and local government . B . STATE LAND ( universities , colleges , prisons , government facilities , parks , historic sites , gamelands , etc . ) Objective 1B . 1e, Lead by example ■ Survey existing resources and significant natural features ( unusual botanical communities , buffers along perennial streams , etc . ) . ■ Develop protection plans for significant natural features . • Prohibit construction of buildings , *except wastewater treatment facilities , in identified floodways or in floodplains . ■ Minimize impervious surfaces , including transportation - related facilities , located within floodplains . ■ ridge , coastal , and other environmental regulations in siting Respect floodplain , watershed , state facilities and executing state policies . Objective 1B . 2 : Support parks , natural areas , recreation areas , trails , historic sites , and . other state - owned lands and state-protected waterways with adequate funding . ■ Strengthen and expand the state park system to preserve sites of statewide significance . ■ Update a long - range plan for acquisition and operations within the state park system . 4 VA ■ Develop and protect park properties as components of larger landscapes . ■ Maintain the practice of free access to state parks for all North Carolinians . ■ Charge a park entrance fee to non -North Carolina visitors . ■ Station collection personnel only at single - entry , high - volume park facilities . ■ Employ honor- system collections at all facilities not staffed to collect fees . ■ Incorporate protection of historic properties and vistas into state parks and recreation projects to the greatest extent possible . C . EDUCATION Objective 1C . 1 : Publicize existing parks and recreations facilities ■ Improve signage indicating proximity of state parks , forests , and other natural areas along major interstate and U . S . highways and on public transportation routes . ■ Create a map highlighting the existence of state , local and national parks , forests , wildlife refuges , historic sites , and other protected areas in North Carolina , Objective 1C . 2 : Publicize existing programs that assist private property owners , including businesses , such as the Conservation Tax Credit program , Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program ( CREP ) , Farmland Preservation Trust Fund , and the Forest Stewardship Program . Objective 1C . 3 : Understand and promote the economic impact of greenspace . ■ Work with the N . C . Department of Commerce to develop economic impact data that quantify the positive effect of protected open space at a local and state level in terms of park visits , enviro - tourism , agri - tounsm , active recreation , public and environmental health benefits , increase in property values in urban areas , etc . ■ Planning money should be available to local governments for cost of community service studies to demonstrate the fiscal impact of specific land uses . ■ Develop market data to compare the sales value and tax value of conventional versus open space subdivisions . Objective 1C . 4 . Develop a program for Smart Growth awards . ■ Establish Governor ' s Smart Growth Awards to be given annually for significant achievements by government , non -profit , business , and private entities in different categories , with a spec category of recognition for protection of open space . Objective 1C . 5 : Develop database of land- use design techniques for conservation . 5 21 ■ Enlist an appropriate public entity ( such as the Institute of Government , Division of Community Assistance , Council of Governments or agency designated to address smart growth ) to compile model strategies that incorporate protected open space into developments through land - use plans , subdivision designs , and local ordinances . ■ Develop a defensible model for protecting open space in new developments and through the subdivision process in North Carolina . ■ Encourage compact urban service areas by asking the Institute of Government or other appropriate entity to investigate a model land use classification of public water/wastewater line that will restrict the capacity of tap - ons according to local land- use or watershed protection plans . Objective 1C . 6 : Promote understanding of farmland and forestland as open space . ■ Educate urban and suburban residents on the contribution of farmland and forestland to preservation of open space , protection of the environment , and promotion of economic vitality and cultural values . ■ Enlist the Institute of Government or other appropriate institution to educate local and state elected officials on what statutory and programmatic resources are available to promote preservation of open space by individuals and government . Objective 1C . 7 : Consider developing an environmental educational /training program at the Institute of Government or other similar entity for elected and appointed officials . Objective 1C . 8 : Provide benchmark reports . ■ Track annual progress toward state objectives in open space protection programs , and report to the General Assembly and the people of North Carolina . D . PLANNING AND MAPPING Objective 1D . 1e. Assist local governments in providing baseline data , with matching funds available based on ability to pay and on the existence of an appropriate plan . ■ The state should undertake studies on behalf of the poorest counties . ■ An adopted farmland preservation plan should continue to qualify for preference in gaining matching funds . ■ An adopted Park and Open Space plan should qualify for preference in gaining matching funds , as in agriculture , based on ability to pay . Objective 1D . 2 : Encourage regional open space planning . 6 22 ■ Supply matching funds for regional open space planning . ■ Encourage inter- connectivity of regional open space plans . Objective 1D . 3 : Identify prime , threatened , and culturally or environmentally significant farmlands in every county for protection through voluntary , incentive - based programs . Objective 1D . 4 : Develop a state priority protection plan for farmlands . ■ Once mapping is completed , reserve funds to preserve farmlands that merit high priority from a statewide perspective , consistent with providing an open space safety net . Objective 1D . 5 : Finish update of mapping of floodplains in North Carolina , Objective 1D . 6 : Develop accurate mapping of wetlands and a wetlands inventory tracking system . Objective 1D . 7 : Pursue completion of natural areas inventories in all 100 counties for protection through voluntary , incentive -based programs . Objective 1D . 8 : Notify owners of relevant mapping designations that might affect their property . Objective 1D . 9 : Make Natural Heritage Trust Fund monies available to counties and qualifying land trusts on a matching basis to protect identified significant natural areas . Objective 1D . 10 : Assist local governments to develop land - use inventories and land suitability analyses which portray the areas of development most at - risk to natural and environmental hazards . 2 . PARTNERSHIPS A . LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Objective 2A . 1 : Encourage local governments to protect open space . ■ Provide incentives to secure state funding for planning and acquisition programs . All local governments should be eligible for matching funds in acquisition . Objective 2A . 2e. Empower local governments to more easily protect open space . ■ Provide legislative authority to allow broader avenues for raising revenue and devising innovative regulatory and land - use strategies . B . LAND TRUSTS Objective 2B . 1 : Support efforts by non - profit land trusts to preserve open space . 7 23 ■ nding for building capacity to protect more land and to educate Allow supplemental grant fu landowners about conservation options and tax incentives through the existing Conservation Grant Fund . ■ Allow some part of matching grant funds to be applied for operations . ■ Authorize the NC Attorney General to enter into agreements to defend and enforce conservation lands and easements held by land trusts . ■ Amend statutes to allow direct grants to qualified land trusts from the NC Natural Heritage Trust Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund , as is already the case with the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund . ■ Make low -interest loans available to qualifying land trusts to acquire , protect and manage open space . C . PRIVATE LAND OWNERS Objective 2C . 1 : Encourage private property owners to protect open space . ■ Provide incentives to secure state funding for easements and other protection measures . ■ Improve publicity for , and dissemination of, information for landowners on open space protection strategies . Objective 2C . 2 : Include private property owners in planning . ■ Farmland and open space plans should be crafted through a public process that specifically includes participation by affected property owners . D . BUSINESS COMMUNITY - Objective 2D . 1 : Encourage private - public partnerships . ■ Develop an Adopt - A - Greenspace program , similar to the existing Adopt - A -Highway program . ■ Encourage the banking industry to provide revolving/low - interest loan funds to qualified land conservation organizations to acquire and protect important open space lands . E . FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Objective 2E . 1 : Coordinate protection efforts with existing federal facilities . ■ Encourage the federal government to develop plans to protect significant natural areas on its properties within North Carolina . 8 24 ■ Extend state open space protection planning to complement federal parks , forests , historic sites , wildlife refuges , military bases , and other resources . ■ Seek partnerships where appropriate to combine resources with the federal government . F . OTHER JURISDICTIONS Objective 2F . 1 : Coordinate protection efforts with tribal nations and tribes recognized by the state of North Carolina ■ Encourage development of plans to protect significant natural areas on tribal properties . ■ Offer planning support and funding incentives to develop protection strategies . ■ Seek the same protection standards upheld elsewhere in North Carolina. Objective 2F . 2e. Coordinate protection . efforts with neighboring states . ■ Stress the interconnectivity of open space , and pursue joint planning efforts . ■ Promote joint efforts based on protection of water- quality . 3 . FORMS OF OPEN SPACE A . IMPROVE FARM PRESERVATION Objective 3A . 1 : Retain and improve existing programs that strengthen the ability of farmers to sustain economically viable agricultural operations and to serve as prime stewards of the land . (For example : present use - value , Farmland Preservation Trust , CREP , wetland restoration ) . Objective 3A . 2 : Adopt a statewide goal to minimize loss of prime , threatened , culturally or- environmentally significant farmland after surveying the state ' s farmland . Objective 3A . 3 : Support N . C . based agricultural economies . ■ Encourage universities , colleges , prisons , and other state institutions to give first buying preference to NC food and fiber . ■ Develop the capability , either within the NC Dept . of Agriculture or in coordination with local governments , to provide small operators with financial planning assistance and brokerage of products to local institutions . ■ Create regional value - added agricultural processing centers where producers can lease or purchase services or facilities . 9 25 ■ Devote research funds to develop alternative crops to replace tobacco , and to finding alternative uses for the tobacco plant . ■ Support environmentally sensitive aquaculture . Objective 3A . 4 : Streamline state regulations to simplify agricultural diversification by small operators . Objective 3A . 5 : Increase participation in , and use of, Voluntary Farmland Preservation Districts . ■ Institute speed limit reduction within designated Voluntary Farmland Preservation Districts so farmers may safely move equipment on secondary public roads . ■ Waive the rollback tax on farmer- to -farmer transfer for non - linear descendants . ■ Allow easement leasing , as for 10 - year periods . (The state ' s priority funding should continue to go to property owners granting permanent easements . ) ■ Permit a local government option to forgo some taxes in exchange for short- term easement leasing , such as property tax on buildings and equipment or deferring property tax . ■ Increase protection from condemnation , such as requiring a hearing before the local agriculture board . Objective 3A . 6e. Improve the existing Present Use - Value Taxation program . ■ Establish uniform interpretation for calculating value . ■ Allow a low - impact conservation option for forestry ( county option ) . ■ Allow reduced size , but not income , to qualify under agricultural operation . ■ Waive rollback tax for all [ farmer•- to - far-mer] transfers , and provide that a purchasing farmer is immediately eligible for the use - value tax benefit . ■ Allow land protected by conservation easement to qualify for present - use value . Objective 3A . 7e, Provide funds to local governments and land trusts engaged in farmland preservation . ■ Continue to allow counties with adopted agricultural preservation plans to qualify for matching state funds for farmland protection . Objective 3A . 8 : State Responsibility . ■ Reserve part of any funding pool for projects directly sponsored by the state . (For instance , protection of farmland that meets numerous preservation criteria such as containing prime 10 25 soils , located in water supply watershed , culturally significant , and/ or includes significant natural area . See 1DA ) . Objective 3A . 9 : Increase annual state funding for the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund , Nvith establishment of dedicated funding sources to supplement general appropriations . ■ Increase funding for trust fund from the present $ 1 . 5 million to at least $ 15 million . ■ Establish a surcharge on public water supply users , to be set aside for protection of critical water- quality protection lands in the watershed where the water resource is to be protected . ■ Establish a mitigation fee for every acre of farmland taken out of agricultural production for development purposes , either a flat amount or a percentage of the sale price . ■ Dedicate rollback taxes obtained within a county to fiend farmland preservation . Objective 3A . 10 : Enable counties and municipalities to defer or eliminate property taxes on private land subject to conservation easements or other long - term conservation management agreements . B . ENHANCE PROTECTION OF FORESTS Objective 3B . 1 : Support increased coordination with local government . ■ Improve coordination of state forestry management staff and practices with local government land- use , open space , watershed , and natural area protection plans . ■ Enable counties to enact ordinances for tree protection that are equivalent in statutory authority to those powers already afforded to some municipalities . Objective 3B . 2e. Support notice prior to cutting . ■ Support legislation to give the NC Forest Service and local government pre - harvest notification of thirty ( 30 ) days . Objective 3B . 3e. Develop strategy to protect significant natural areas . ■ Encourage purchase of timber rights for significant natural areas identified and adopted by a county following a natural areas inventory . Require Forest Service to notify property owners of areas that are so designated , and to coordinate cooperation between the local government and private landowners . ■ Add low - impact conservation forestland as another category of private property eligible for present use property tax assessment , in addition to lands used for active forest management , agriculture , and horticulture . Currently only forest plans that include cutting qualify for property tax reductions . ( See 3A . 6 ) . 11 27 Objective 3B . 4 : Encourage forestry protection programs . ■ Increase the assessment per ton on processed wood and use to fund Forest Legacy Program , more water quality monitoring personnel , and possible purchase of timber rights program . ■ Encourage forest cover in protected watersheds and wetlands , and to buffer waterways . ■ Require the Forest Service to promote selective harvesting techniques and consultations with registered foresters . ■ Examine environmental impacts of forestry practices to achieve improved methods for protecting forestland , especially in urbanizing counties where forested cover is crucial to watershed protection and to reduction of runoff and erosion , air quality , wildlife habitat , and connectivity of natural and wildlife resources . Objective 3B . 5 : Update state forest inventory analysis and develop a comprehensive state plan for forest sustainability . C . IMPROVE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION Objective 3C . 1 : Enhance Clean Water Management Trust Fund ■ Provide greater flexibility for the use of funds within watersheds to allow , among other things , installment purchases and application of grant monies not tied strictly to a 300400t distance from a waterway . ■ Support reclaimed water programs . ■ Refine standards for funding by convening a conference with the CWMTF board and previous award winners , those denied funds , land trusts , representatives of local government and of the development and agriculture communities . ■ Give added weight in granting funds to jurisdictions that have an adopted land - use , watershed protection , or other plan that bans development in floodways , floodplains , and wetlands , ■ Give added weight in granting funds to jurisdictions that have AN adopted Park and Open Space plan , watershed protection , or comparable plan that are linked to water quality protection and restoration . ■ Consider some geographical , as well as strictly merit - based , criteria for allotting funds , with special attention to river basins . Objective 3C . 2e. Enhance programs to assure optimal operation of on - site wastewater treatment systems . 12 28 Develop a pilot septic tank monitoring program through the N . C . Division of Environmental Health to be possibly replicated by local governments . ■ Enhance educational programs to inform homeowners on the function and maintenance of septic tanks and non - conventional wastewater treatments systems . ■ Develop a repair fund to assist low - income individuals to pay for repair- of failing systems in water supply watersheds and sensitive coastal areas . Objective 3C . 3e. Develop measures to improve stormwater management . ■ Require vegetative buffers along all waterways in North Carolina , and mitigate to an equivalent degree any exceptions to the preservation of the buffers . ■ Ensure low tax value , as in present use value taxation , for required buffers . ■ Develop policies that eliminate loss of streams to piping and other development . ■ Adopt stormwater management plans for state - funded projects consistent with state and federal stormwater regulations . ■ Develop and implement a coordinated and comprehensive statewide stormwater management education and awareness program . ■ Encourage local governments to require stormwater management plans consistent with state and federal stormwater regulations . ■ Allow local governments to include stormwater management fees in annual tax billings , including applying unpaid fees as a lien against property . ■ Link funding for infrastructure to implemented stormwater management plans that are sufficient to meet water quality standards . Objective 3C . 4 : Wetlands protection should be strengthened . ■ Articulate statewide goal of no net loss of pristine and coastal wetlands , as defined in Section 404 of the Clean Water Act . ■ Develop accurate mapping of wetlands and a wetlands inventory tracking system . ■ Locate state - funded projects in a manner that avoid wetlands where possible or practical and requires mitigation where impacts are unavoidable . ■ Support and adequately fund the Wetlands Restoration Program , already in existence . ■ Develop the long - term capability within state government to check and monitor all lands set aside for protection . Maintenance , enforcement , monitoring should be a general requirement 13 29 for all land conserved . There should be special provisions for maintenance , monitoring , and enforcement for wetlands due to their unique nature . ■ Link funding for infrastructure to adopted and implemented plans that protect wetlands . Objective 3C . 5 : Require urban water users to participate in protection of the watershed from which their water supply is derived . ■ Establish a surcharge on public water supply users , to be set aside for protection of critical water- quality protection lands in the watershed where the water resource is to be protected . D . PROMOTE ESTABLISHMENT AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL PARKS , GREENWAYS , RECREATION AREAS , AND HISTORIC SITES . Objective 3D . 1 . Encourage comprehensive open space planning at a state and local level . ■ Promote creation of local Park and Open Space plans that address both low - impact and active recreation . ■ Achieve a general statewide balance , geographically and along urban / rural lines , in securing protected open space . ■ Give preference in granting state funds or other support to facilities that are shared by multiple local governments or by schools and local governments . ■ Promote connectivity of greenways and recreation areas across jurisdictional boundaries . ■ Support coordination of open space planning and watershed protection . ■ Support increased funding and planning for protection of historic landscapes and scenic viewsheds . Objective 3D . 2 : Recognize the public benefit of open space in urban areas . ■ Pursue acquisition and protection of open space for active recreational purposes as well as low - impact purposes . ■ Respect privately held open space . ■ Preserve open space as a key component in urban settings , and provide low - impact recreation in urban areas . E . PROMOTE ESTABLISHMENT AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL AREAS AND WILDLIFE HABITATS Objective 3E . 1 : Encourage linkage of water quality and open space planning . 14 30 ■ Provide incentives for local governments that include floodplain protection in Park and Open Space plans . ■ Provide incentives for local governments that exceed required buffers on all waterways , including greenways and wildlife corridors , within their jurisdiction . ■ Provide state matching fiends to compile regional and statewide inventories and mapping of high priority environmentally sensitive areas . ■ Encourage local governments to incorporate information about locations of threatened species , habitats , or natural areas into local land- use and open space protection plans . ■ Increase funds available to Natural Heritage Trust Fund . Objective 3E . 2 : Refine state policies to increase protection of natural areas . ■ Improve coordination of economic development with open space protection . ■ Prevent state - funded projects , including those funded by tax - credits and other assistance , from creating adverse impacts on protected open space as well as wetlands , floodplains , and other sensitive natural areas . Objective 3E . 3 : Keep beaches public and unspoiled . ■ Continue to aggressively defend the public right to the sandy oceanfront beach by maintaining the state ' s ban on hardened structures and the public right to use the beach . ■ Identify which barrier islands , or parts of barrier islands , are appropriate candidates for renouiishrnent and which are not , based upon a beach plan that is scientifically and technically defensible , and includes realistic cost estimates . ■ Develop density restrictions as well as specific public access requirements for beach communities that receive public funding for beach renounshment . ■ Develop and implement exit strategies for those beach communities where beach renounshment is not appropriate or feasible . ■ ritage , recreation , and water quality protection Existing trust funds dedicated for natural he should not be used or allocated to fund beach renounshment projects . 4 . TOOLS A . EXPAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT FLEXIBILITY Objective 4A . 1 : Give local governments greater access to land - use tools . 15 31 ■ Support the transfer of density within a jurisdiction as the simplest and potentially most equitable method for shifting development toward and away from certain areas . ■ Support legislative authority for pilot programs at the local level for use of transfer- of development rights program with a review of the program after- a certain period of time . Objective 4A . 2 : Expand application of the present use value system . ■ Allow local governments , at their option , to establish additional categories of land use to qualify for present use value taxation . ' Objective 4A . 3 : Grant local governments equivalent taxing authority . ■ Grant to all local governments the taxing powers already allocated to some local governments . ■ Allow local governments to expand their taxing options subject to voter approval foi purposes of protecting open space through application of impact fees and taxes , increased real estate transfer and local option sales taxes , prepared meal and other- levies . Objective 4A . 4 : Promote planning . ■ Give preference in providing state matching and grant funds to jurisdictions with adopted Park and Open Space plans , farmland preservation plans , watershed protection plans , stormwater management and other natural resource protection plans . Be PROMOTE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS Objective 4B . 1 .e Broaden means of extending tax benefits to conserved land . ■ Automatically qualify land subject to conservation easements at present use value rate . ■ Allow counties and municipalities to defer- or eliminate property taxes on private properties that are subject to conservation easements . ■ Grant counties the ability to qualify low - impact forest conservation plans for present use value taxation . Objective 4B . 2e, Improve Conservation Tax Credit program . ■ Increase to 10 years the period to recover allowable state income tax credits for land conservation . ■ Expand categories of land qualifying for the conservation tax credit to include all types of environmentally significant land resources . 16 32 ■ Assure adequate dissemination of information and other technical assistance to promote conservation tax credit system among all property owners . Objective 4B . 3 : Protect land covered by a conservation or other open space preservation easement . ■ Discourage the siting of state . or locally - funded projects , or utility projects , in a manner that adversely impacts land previously protected by easement . ■ Require a public hearing at which reasonable alternatives are considered piior to permitting state , local or utility projects to cross or destroy land subject to a conservation easement . 5 . FUNDING OPTIONS A . SUPPORT EXISTING OPEN SPACE PROTECTION PROGRAMS Objective 5A . 1e. Support the broad range of existing North Carolina open space protection and other land conservation programs . ■ Ensure adequate funding for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund , Farmland Preservation Trust Fund , Natural Heritage Trust Fund , and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund . ■ Long -range plans to sustain open space efforts require a reliable and predictable source of funding . ■ Dedicated sources are key to providing stable funding . Be IDENTIFY. AND AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION Objective 5B . 19. Identify potential funding sources to bolster existing resources dedicated to open space protection . Some potential sources are . ■ Allow North Carolina income tax payers to specifically designate a portion of their taxes for open space protection programs . ■ Increase the fee for a North Carolina driver ' s license by one dollar ( $ 1 . 00 ) per year, dedicating the additional revenue to open space protection programs . ■ Remove the tax ceiling on luxury vehicles , dedicating the additional revenue to open space protection programs . ■ Consider a seven hundred fifty million dollar ($ 750 , 000 , 000 ) bond issue to support open space protection and the Million Acre Initiative . 17 33 ■ Establish a surcharge on public water supply users , to be set aside for protection of critical water- quality protection lands in the watershed where the water resource is to be protected . ■ Establish a mitigation fee for every acre of farmland taken out of agricultural production for development purposes , either a flat amount or a capped percentage of the sale price , to be shared between state and local farmland protection programs . ■ Charge a two - dollar park entrance fee to non - North Carolina visitors , to be dedicated to the Natural Heritage and the Parks and Recreation trust funds . ■ Increase the real estate transfer tax ( deed stamp tax ) statewide by one dollar per one thousand dollars ( one - tenth of one percent) , including an exemption from the increase for farmer- to - farmer transfers and lower income housing , to be shared equally between the state and the originating local unit of government , the additional revenue to be dedicated to appropriate state and local open space protection programs . ■ Increase assessment per ton on processed wood and use to fund Forest Legacy Program and possible purchase of timber rights program . ive 5B . 2 : Authorize all local governments that meet smart growth planning criteria to Object make use of revenue sources currently authorized for a limited number- of jurisdictions . — 0 — For information , contact Meg Ryan O ' Donnell at smartgrowth@i"nindspring . com or call 836 - 5261 18 r t 35 TM Vol . 12, No . 2 January—March 2001 Will Bush Deliver - t ;: - `� I . 9 it ?; i .N x !? _ rV - ti- �G�f�.jxu:�+t } _� 4.v �F ;`a�.sk r, tt,e � 0 r . } ® n Land Fund "Ing ? Editorial: Corporations are embracing g sustainable development to boost their economic and environmental performance . The changing of the guard in Washington gives conser- vationists a chance to see if President- elect Bush ' s support , for land conservation during the campaign will translate into more funding for land protection . Conservation , Smart conservation, the new partner to smart growth, gives states and The only detailed environmental positions that Presi- communities a new approach to plan their dent-elect Bush outlined during the campaign were his green infrastructure . support for land conservation and brownfield cleanups . Bush favors drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Watersheds : CF Industries highlights Refuge and boosting timber sales in national forests . He partnerships in Florida, Minnesota , opposes implementing the Kyoto global warming treaty and breaching the Snake River dams to restore salmon Missouri and Montana . runs . He questions the national monuments that President Clinton created . One overarching theme : he favors allow- ing greater flexibility in federal regulations and giving Small Tracts : Wetland loss drops overall, See Bush, page 6 but the devil is in the details . Also , how to avoid forest defragmentation, where to find model green buildings and how to Turtle and Cram-Habitat determine a region' s wealth index . Protected, Forest and Open Space Preserved Corporate Notes : Oregon issues nation' s first green permits to Louisiana Pacific and 0The Richard King Mellon Foundation and The Conser- LSI Logic Corp . as computer makers face a . staggering problem : what to do with 500 vation Fund recently helped protect increasingly scarce nesting habitat for sea turtles in Florida and the U . S . Virgin million obsolete PCs . Islands . The foundation, with assistance from the Fund, donated 36 acres to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge . The land includes oceanfront property where Election : President-elect Bush says the 19 , 000 threatened loggerhead, 2, 800 endangered green and federal government has a crucial role to play v 13 endangered leatherback sea turtles nested last summer . f' In a separate transaction, the Fund transferred two 2- acre in conservation . tracts to the refuge . The refuge , located along the beaches in Brevard and Indian River counties , is one of the most important nesting areas for loggerhead sea turtles in the Databank : Vermont, Rhode Island and Western Hemisphere . Minnesota show that high environmental See Turtle, page 7 standards and booming economies do mix . 36 COMMON GROUND VOL, 12 NO. 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 ti. t•1 ' . Lt �. L .. t e�„ F . r "s L . 4. . Y':! ''r 2 r` f':+i ,: ••"li7T%:i„a 7i �L`•, "� • `1- �• tk D , _ © t3 I a , - i ;,• f t , Sustaining Corporations have entered a decade that Leading global companies compete will radically alter industry ' s relationship fiercely for talent , Corporations possessing Industry with the environment . Not since the Indus - strong values will attract and retain the best trial revolution in the late 1800s have such people . Novo Nordisk ( the Danish pharma . opportunities for innovation existed . Success ceutical company ) , well known for its strong will balance economic, environmental and corporate values, has a staff turnover rate of social performance . 5 % , half the industry average . Consider these developments : Becoming one of Fortune ' s most ad- • 1 ,000 CEOs at the World Economic Forum mired companies requires innovation . in Davos, Switzerland, chose global climate Thinking deeply about sustainability ex- change as the number one business—not en- pands how comporations perceive future vironmental—issue facing industry. risks and opportunities . Such companies lay • BP, DuPont, Interface , Monsanto, Motorola, the groundwork—through investments in Procter and Gamble and Royal Dutch / Shell technologies, markets and efficiencies—for have endorsed sustainable development. . increased rewards from effective innovation . • Some leading corporations recognize the Companies that better serve the global oil era is ending, as water perhaps be population with their products and services the oil of the new century . will emerge as winners . IN • BP Amoco and Royal Dutch / Shell created Tomorrow ' s business leaders look be- carbon- trading programs to cut emissions . yond enhancing returns from existing prac- is published quarterly as a These actions follow intense discussions tices . They drive companies toward radical service to the conservation over the principles of sustainable develop - sources of innovation and value creation community by ment . Critical elements include understand- that address three fundamental drivers of The Conservation Fund ing the global environmental and social the new world economy : Patrick F. Noonan trends that shape industrial society; asking A dramatic increase i Chat n public scrutiny that irman John F. Turner tough questions , e . g. , " Is our business sus- will spark new partnerships , the single most President tainable ? " and then having the courage to important driver for companies to address; Mike McQueen act . A successful strategy must provide a • A rapidly growing population; and Editor lon -term vision for innovation and growth g g The appropriate pricing of resources that Jack Lynn , Editorial Consultant as it meets today s challenges . now are regarded as cheap or free . Meg West The days have ended when corporate Now is the time to decouple wealth cre- Art Director leaders talked strictly with their peers in ation from one -way, one - time consumption For address corrections and industry associations . Engaging with key of natural resources . Doing so will enable information, contact: stakeholders and making company actions companies to sustain innovation, growth April Berry more public allow corporations to learn more and prosperity well into the 21st century . Circulation Manager about their customers , markets and competi- —Gilbert S . Hedstrom The Conservation Fund 1800 N. Kent St., Suite 1120 tors . Rio Tinto, the Australian mining con- The aitthor is a vice president of Arthttr D . Arlington, VA 22209 cern, has established a commitment to com- Little, Inc . This editorial was adapted from an 703 / 525-6300 munity investments that blends long-term article in Prism (www . arthurdlittle . com) , the COMMON GROUND routinely sustainability with short-term operations . company 's manasPment journal . grants permission for reprints. Address editorial correspondence and reprint queries to : COMMON GROUND 940 Stillwater Lane Earlysville, VA 22936 804 / 9731,,7324 Is 4 IN tIII 'tfir ON coground®aol. com \ , { \� COMMON GROUND is available ; on the World Wide Web at It 1 , �, t.� � http: // www, conservationfund.org '1�/�1 � ��� ^` �'� �.`� }� Printed on recycled paper, k�r~' r ~ f' o Imp, 1 ! U ` 1 z Wi IN o • a0 "I ' ve always felt that my role as a beaver transcends ativ political chatiges at E.P.A . " Q O � c7 COMMON GROUND VOL. 12 NO . 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 . 54 Q ) Err( - •.. j • . \ ;' f i ' 1 M� ;J.flrc� t ttrFi s t f 3 :; r - °� ! - u p. .} Y . ',,c . s . .c `.t Y . ' h._1n ) '" ,t, n •. . . . .y i , . Greening the Infrastructure ® Green infrastructure represents a new guide community, regional and statewide approach that allows land planners and con- green infrastructure initiatives , servation biologists to forge a stronger link • Embrace green infrastructure as the frame- between the use of land and its preservation . work for conservation . • Finance the protection and management of Planning for green infrastructure will green infrastructure as a primary public in- Linkage is the enable communities to avoid haphazard vestment, key for Creating conservation just as improved land use • Design and plan green infrastructure be-planning addresses poorly conce an ecologically ived devel- fore development . opment . Until now, many conservation • Understand that linkage is the key for viable green efforts have been reactive, site-specific, nar- creating an ecologically viable green infra - infrastructure . rowly focused or not well integrated with structure , other efforts . Smarter conservation promotes Provide an open forum to engage key part- protection, management and resource plan- ners and create a shared green infrastructure ping activities that are proactive, holistic, vision that excites people with diverse back- multifunctional and multi-scale . grounds and interests . Examples include efforts to create a • Design a green infrastructure system that statewide greenways system in Florida and functions across multiple landscapes and a statewide green infrastructure design in scales and is grounded in scientific and land Maryland . Both states aim to elevate green planning theories and practices . infrastructure closer to equal footing with Engage the public in developing a green Design a green gray infrastructure—the roads, power lines infrastructure plan that stimulates action by inf astructure and water systems that undergird modern all participants . S Stem thatsociety . Properly planned and developed, • Document and promote the diverse ben- Y green infrastructure connects natural areas efits of green infrastructure , functions across and preserves conservation lands and work- The group, led by Mark Benedict of The multiple landscapes ing landscapes . It supports native species, Conservation Fund, is developing a course, and Scales . maintains natural ecological processes , sus- " Green Infrastructure : A Strategic Approach tains air and water resources and benefits for Land Conservation, " which will be taught the health and quality of life for everyone . this year at the National Conservation Train- To encourage planning and develop - ing Center (304 / 876- 7462) in West Virginia . ment of green infrastructure, federal, state This article was adapted from Benedict 's and local officials joined nonprofit groups in article, " Green Infrastructure: A Strategic Ap- mid- 1999 to form the Green Infrastructure proach to Land Conservation , " which appeared in Work Group (www . greeninfrastructure . net) . the October 2000 issue of PAS Memo, by the The group has drafted eight principles to American Planning Association (312/431 -9100) . � •, M � � s f ' d , _ Dl .� ;i T-•. ,:n_' y. itJf . t . t y -`. t � _ _i .- -y , t . - .:- . j-' " -- 4 4:= _ . , i,.4 ' 2' " ' < t. i .: f .t: - " c. :s �}; L . v � � .. � ;� _, _7� 14% r -_�` ,a^.fir li . '�''-, �� -:.n E�. .:; t ,,r.,?' "' � •l.,r �,-`� ,s�� , Qf-ptEsz�rw • �'C CF Industries Honors Watershed Partnerships Careless Creek 0 CF Industries has honored partnerships in 893-2765 ) , which has exceeded by 60 % its Watershed Project Florida , Minnesota, Missouri and Montana goal of an 84- ton reduction in nitrogen enter- restored 7 miles of with National Watershed Awards , ing the estuary , stream banks and • Chain of Lakes Clean Water Partnership , CF Industries, a North American coop - Minneapolis, Minn . ( 612 / 3704900) , which re- Cut Sediment erative, established the award in 1996 to rec- stored shoreline along four lakes and created runoff by 25 % into ognize effective nonregulatory approaches wetland and pond systems to filter runoff. Musselshell RiveY, to improving water quality. The Conserva- • Sugar Creek SALT Project, Bethany, Mo . tion Fund administers the awards , which (660 / 425- 7655 ) , which helped farmers and were presented at a ceremony Nov . 13 in ranchers plant 141 acres of vegetative filter Washington, D . C . , attended by Agriculture strips to capture runoff nutrients . Secretary Dan Glickman and Sen . Max • Careless Creek Watershed Project, Baucus (D-Mont . ) . Roundup, Mont. (406 / 323-2103 ) , which re - The winners : stored 7 miles of stream banks and cut sedi- `t • Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Fla . ( 727 / ment runoff by 25 % into Musselshell River . 38 COMMON GROUND VOL, 12 NO . 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 r ._} . t -c` '.; � y� ". iF fit•. a .k,ti : '� . 1 ' -�..+, :�'.� �..`, � x . _ - I , 1 �'i•. r s+ ' r ,'\ l �i1. -�r � '� ' S�,tu��' � ' �? r1 +F� - .+`> , '4 r �:. . ' S Z• ,�a rs ,- ,�. ' �'-4 -=• - iu • . '.c d , _ .� �• fin .- . 4 S M A L L Only Maine harvests its forests faster than Landowners sell 2 . 6 million acres of timber The Conservation Fund they grow in the 33 -million acre region and 1 . 4 million acres of forestland annually Vital Statistics known as the Northern Forest . Manufactur- to pay estate taxes . Developers buy 350 ,000 Land protected by TCF ing jobs in the forest-product sector provide acres annually as a result, says John Greene, and partners, 2000 : some of the higher salaries in the region . The a Forest Service researcher . Paying off estate Acres protected: 580 ,474 " Northern Forest Wealth Index " ( $ 15, 603 / taxes is one factor driving fragmentation of Est. value : $238 ,018,9847 229 - 0679 , www . northernforest . org) , recently private forests in the U . S . , attendees were Cumulative land protected, published by the Northern Forest Center, told at the Forest Fragmentation Conference 1985-2000, by TCF and brings together data on 39 indicators of re- held in Annapolis , Md . , in September . partners : gional wealth in five categories—commu- Among the recommendations to slow frag- Acres protected : 2, 858, 151 nity, culture , economy, education and the mentation : Change estate tax rules and other Est. value : $ 1 ,329,400, 848 environment . The study attempts to identify government policies that favor development TCF ' s three-year average the core assets and values that contribute to over holding land in private forests, and cre- fund-raising cost: the region' s overall wealth, or well-being . ate market-based approaches that pay own- 2% of total income " The center is a strong believer that long- ers for environmental values produced by The Conservation Fund is term conservation depends upon building their forests , e . g . , clean water protection, car- a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit understanding and addressing the needs of bon sequestration and air quality improve~ organization established to people just as much as the needs of nature, " ment . A 389 -page compilation of conference advance land and water said Steve Blackmer, the center ' s resident . proceedings is available for $ 50 (attendees ) , conservation in America . p p g ( ) The Fund is a member of or $ 75 ( others ) from the Sampson Group Earth Share and participates The Natural Resources Conservation Ser- (703 / 924-0773 , www . sampsongroup . com) . in the Combined Federal vice has issued a revised version of its 1997 Campaign as #0930 . National Resources Inventory (www .nhq. The state of Pennsylvania has emerged as nres . usda . gov / NRI) that cuts by 30 % the a national leader in the implementation of ". Earth Share amount of land developed between 1992 and sustainable building practices . The U . S . Green Building Council (www . us bc . or g)1997 . The original inventorY (see CG 113 ) , released in December 1999, estimated that 16 chose the state ' s first green building, an of- Conservation Leadership million acres had been developed in the fice in Harrisburg, as one of the first projects Courses 1992-1997 period, or 3 . 2 million acres a year . to receive its LEED certification, which rates New figures , which reflect a correction in buildings according to environmental per- The Practice of Environ- statistical software, drop the total to 11 . 2 mil- formance . Another Department of Environ- mentally Sensitive Development, " April 2-3 , lion acres, or 2 . 2 million acres per year . Texas mental Protection building in Ebensburg, Chicago, Ill . , and April retains the number 1 ranking in the rate of equipped with a photovoltaic array and an 19-20, Washington, D . C . , land development in the 1992-1997 period, advanced air distribution and heating sys- 800 / 321 -5011 . at 179,000 acres per year . Georgia ( 170,000 tem, has an energy consumption 60 % below " Conservation Options : acres ) , Florida ( 165, 000 acres ) , California the industry standard . Improved energy effi- The Land Protection . ( 111 , 000 acres ) and Pennsylvania ( 109, 000 ciency is a key 4': of the Governor ' s Green Toolbox," April 1-4, acres ) round out the top five . Government Council because commercial Charleston, S . C . , buildings consume 40 % of the nation' s elec - 202 / 638-4725 . The New York Parks & Conservation Asso- tricity . " Our next focus is to encourage en- " Conservation Easements ciation and the Business Council of New ergy efficient renovations and green school Stewardship , " April 20- York State have published a " Greenways buildings, " said James Self, secretary of the 22, Shepherdstown, and Trails " brochure , (518 / 434- 1583 , state ' s Department of Environmental Protec- W .Va . , 202 / 6384725 . www . nypca . org) that demonstrates the eco- tion and co-chair of the council . Visit www . " GIS Overview for Com- nomic benefits of the state ' s 700-mile trail gggc . state . pa . us / building / scrob . html or call mun Resource Conservation, " Con Natural system . Amon their findmi s Three cor o- 717 / 787-4190 for information on the ro - servation, " rate leaders in Olean—Cutco Cutlery, Dexter gram or its " Guidelines for Creating High Shephererdstdstown, W .Va . , April and Dresser-Rand—contributed $ 10 , 000 each Performance Green Buildings " or " Model 919 / 967-22239 to complete the Allegheny River Valley Trail . Green Office Leasing Specifications . " " Good recreational facilities are a critical part of the mix when recruiting employees, " said James Stitt, who heads Cutco . The bro - Beginning with this issue, COMMON { chure cites a survey of 4, 000 residents in the GROUND will be published four times a Syracuse area that found that bicycling and year—in January, April, July and Octo - walking paths are the top priorities for mak- ber—rather than bimonthly . I 9 ng the city a better place to live . COMMON GROUND VOL, 12 NO , 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2001 39 � 1 �A . .y�,. a- t -qtt � . _ _ j r.i : �� • yesz >< - ` . 1 > (C.�� Strn ,,i 1 r �� • L t ..d. TTU RACTS More land was developed in the Triangle National wetland loss slowed to 58, 500 region of North Carolina between 1987 and acres per year between 1986 and 1997, an 1997 ( 190,500 acres ) than has ever been pro - 80 % drop from the previous decade , accord - Overall wetland tected as open space in the area . Three lakes ing to the Fish and Wildlife Service . In 1997, loss numbers and a state park account for two-thirds of the the U . S . had 105 . 5 million acres of wetlands mask a shift from 146, 068 acres of preserved land and water in the lower 48 states . Overall numbers mask area in the six-county area that includes a shift from vegetated wetlands, which in the vegetated wetlands Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill . Only one case of hardwood wetlands can take 80 years to open water county—Chatham—has more protected land to replace, to open water wetlands, which are wetlands , which than recently developed land, thanks to Jor- the easiest to create . The nation lost 1 . 2 mil- dan Lake , built by the Army Corps of Engi- lion acres of forested wetlands and 1 million are the easiest to veers . Protecting water quality is the driving acres of freshwater emergent wetlands dur- create . force behind local open space preservation, ing the study period . Urban development de- according to " State of Open Space 2000 , " stroyed 30 % of the wetlands lost, followed by ($ 12, 919 / 833 -3662; free, www . tic-nc . org) , an agriculture (26 % ) , logging (23 % ) and rural analysis of the region' s green infrastructure development ( 21 % ) . The Southeast led the published by the Triangle Land Conser- nation in wetlands loss , primarily freshwater vancy . The group recommended the creation wetlands on the coastal plain, according to of a regional greenprint to identify lands to " Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Con- be protected and an increase in conservation terminous United States 1986 to 1997 " ( free, activity to help implement it. 703 / 358 -2161 , wetlands . fws . gov) . �� 0 (,fir : : °;i�/ . ♦ 4 � _ -f� ` " !r 1r _ h � . Sr L � ; . r .t� .t- �' - n .,_ K �• 4 r 'T�� R'.� +,wq�e , 'Rcs�'vC^+". r"r?14s{�._ . < • > . M Oregon' s Department of Environmental 3 A 1999 survey by the National Recycling Quality (503 / 229 -5946, www . deq. state . or . us Coalition ( 703 / 683-9025 , www . nrc-recycle . / programs / greenpermits ) approved the org) found that 500 million personal comput- nation ' s first green permits for Louisiana Pa- ers will become obsolete by 2007. Consumers cific Corp . and LSI Logic Corp . The permits and small business owners can ship old comm give regulatory flexibility to companies that puters to IBM ( 877 / 999- 7115 , www . ibm . plan to exceed federal and state environmen- com / environment) for $29 . 95 . IBM will reuse tal standards . LP 's wood products plant in as many parts as possible or refurbish the A green stock Hines has set goals to curb energy and water system and donate it to Gifts in Kind Inter- index of 11 use and expects to eliminate all landfill national . Gateway ( 888 / 285 -6201 , www . emer' in ever' waste by 2005 . " Under CEO Mark Suwyn ' s gateway . com / recycle) offers up to $50 g g gy leadership, in the past five years LP has gone rebates on new computers if customers re- companies from worst to first when trr-L' mes to environ- cycle old computers . Parents, Educators and outperformed the mental performance, " said Paul Hansen, ex- Publishers (www . microweb . com / pep site ) seven largest oil ecutive director of the Izaak Walton League lists groups that assist with donations . of America and LP board member . and gas High-efficiency equipment at LSI ' s M Winslow Environmental News ( 617 / 788 - corporations in Grisham facility has saved 5 million kilo - 1600, www . w *mslowgreen. com) reports that the S &P 500 by a watt-hours of electricity over two years . LSI a green stock index of 11 emerging energy also plans to cut the facility ' s wastewater companies outperformed the seven largest huge margin over discharges by 80 % ( 180 million gallons ) per oil and gas corporations in the S &P 500 by a the last year. year . Epson Portland, Kingsley Field Air huge margin over the last year . Despite the National Guard, PacifiCorp and Wacker surge in oil prices, the oil and gas stocks rose Siltronics also have applied for the green just 8 % for the 12 months ending Oct . 4, permits . Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado and while the green index of wind, solar, fuel Arizona are launching similar programs . cell, battery and flywheel companies sky- Nationally, the Environmental Protection rocketed 113 % . The green index : Vestas Agency announced the 225 charter members Wind Systems , NEG Micon, IMPCO TechLLL " of its National Environmental Performance nologies , Evercel, AstroPower, American Track program (www . epa . gov / performance Superconductor, Ballard Power Systems , y track) , which highlights companies that cut FuelCell Energy, SatCon Technology Corp . , pollution more than required . Active Power and York Research Corp . 40 COMMO�,N, GROUND vOL , 12 NO . 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 _k - y ; •I�ti �1�r : y'l !ta:J ' .i ' iy-. ' L !'. " - i�i'R `{s tt _ i __ . .+f , � �5;r r� '.V..4, _ IIA.i• Y6 . {S _ �y _ F". — ' _ - Wr ,: � .i .. , - - �'- fir : i ! - - .'I.v[; • 5 t- s` s :a R . . ,i ate . y'a ' n � v - 'h-4 4!r' (� - �ja �'J_:. - )!'• �, tx. ; �i 1 Bush , from page 1 the Department of Agriculture from 1984- state and local governments more of the 1985 , She then moved to the Interior Depart- power that the federal government now ment, where she was associate solicitor for wields . Conservationists will anxiously wait conservation and wildlife from 1985-87 , to see how Bush' s ideas are implemented as In 1990 , she was elected Colorado attor- federal policy over the next four years . ney general, winning reelection in 1994 . She Bush ' s nominee to implement natural re- lost to Sen . Wayne Allard in 1996 in the source policy was unexpected . Attorney Gale Republican Senate primary . In 1999 , she Norton, 46, started her law career in the late joined Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, a Denver 1970s at the Mountain States Legal Founda - law firm , tion, the property rights group in Denver . Described as smart and politically In 1981 , President Reagan tapped the found. savvy, Norton has one thing going for her ation' s president, James Watt, to run the that Watt didn' t—a Republican Congress . If Interior Department . He resigned two years she and her boss try to open the Arctic ref- later amid controversy . uge to drilling, she could offset some of the After four years at the foundation, political heat by championing Bush ' s request Norton went to Washington, where she ' for full funding of the Land and Water Con- served as assistant to the deputy secretary at servation Fund . i d5 "i!' . 'e i.y i a L't, � �c .} i 1 {j., :f+? . :.Ei i, f: 't •. if 1 .` t i ' S 4i f ; �i � r :}'.w i .rt. { .`'ct 1. ' 'f' n'r ,%7- 'Y. . `.:•; R " a 5 , aaT i '. � _ t i . . t . ,a . ! President - elect George W. Bush : In His Own Words M Below are excerpts from a speech given by servation easements receive a tax credit . President- elect Bush on June 1 , 2000 , . at Lake In all these efforts , we see the future of Tahoe, Nev . conservation . What is the federal role ? To provide the scientific and financial resources The federal government has a crucial to help states, local communities and private role to play in conservation . At its best, the landowners preserve land and wildlife . To federal government can lend support to local provide flexibility, decentralization arid and state conservation efforts . The federal positive incentives to involve more Ameri- government should cooperate in the effort to cans in the responsibility of conservation . preserve the beauty of Lake Tahoe . I will seek to fully fund the Land and We have a national consensus about the Water Conservation Fund—to its authorized "' We have a importance of conservation . Problems arise level of $ 900 million. I will propose that half national when leaders reject partnership and rely on of those funds be devoted to state and local consensus about the power of Washington—on regulations, conservation . penalties and dictation from afar . Of that $900 million, I will ask that $50 the importance of We have seen millions of acres of land million help states set up Landowner Incen- conservatZon . declared off-limits and designated national tive Programs, s.; . .....:ar to ours in Texas . And —President-elect Bush monuments . We have seen a steady decline $ 10 million for a Private Stewardship Pro- in funding for the state and local component gram—making grants to individuals and of the Land and Water Conservation Fund . groups engaged in private conservation. It' s time to build conservation partner- I will seek an additional tax incentive to ships between the federal government and encourage private conservation . Under my state governments , local communities and proposal, the seller would receive a 50 % private landowners . break on a capital gain if the land is sold for Nearly 10 million acres in Texas are un- conservation purposes . der wildlife management plans . Under our Finally, I will ask Congress to abolish Private Lands Enhancement Program, Texas the death tax . This tax often leaves citizens provides technical assistance to landowners with no choice but to sell farmland or open who want to make conservation a priority . space to developers to meet their tax bill— In Wyoming, revenue from the sale of wild- when they would much rather pass it along life permits goes to funding youth-led con- for future generations to enjoy . servation projects . The demands of development have Utah has partnered with private land- sometimes been harsh on the natural world � Y x owners and conservation groups to protect and its inhabitants . But it need not be so—if J the watershed of a 7, 000 - acre working ranch . we bring to conservation the same vision In Colorado, landowners who donate con- and ingenuity we bring to development . COMMON GROUND VOL 12 NO 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 J 1 Sr VIE n � :cc IT-, .� .• Chi VI . i -: - 1 :� . •1! ' .e• 1 .. f f ru!• e.t( , tI• Y- f `' r :M �,,'!' . -3 •!; � '�=. .�. �( q . fi.� .w;.r, . t.. Turtle, from page 1 the state to expand its crane habitat . In Janu- On St . Croix in the Virgin Islands , the ary, the Fund will transfer the 2,400 -acre Many thanks to these Fund transferred two 10- acre tracts to the tract at Smith Bend to the state . " In addition recent donors to the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, in- to providing critical habitat for the cranes COMMON GROUND eluding 600 feet of prime waterfront nesting and other migratory birds, these properties Research Fund . beaches . The refuge is considered to be one are benefiting these rural areas economically Dorothy Blumner of the most important nesting areas for through increased tourism from bird watch- Peter Cooper leatherback turtles in the world . ing, " said Rex Boner of the Fund ' s Georgia William Decamp Ross Dring office ( 770 / 414- 0211 ) . " TCF is glad to assist John Dunkle 3 By mid-February, The Conservation Fund the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Christopher Graham expects to complete the transfer of 150 acres and local communities in meeting these con- Charles Haberlein lich in Indian River County, Fla . , to the Fish and servation and economic objectives , " Michaell Huxley Ralph uxle y Wildlife Service to insulate Pelican Island Judith McCandless National Wildlife Refuge from encroaching 0 The state of Delaware recently acquired Madelen McIntosh development . President Theodore Roosevelt 1 ,519 acres of open space and conservation Letitia Morris created the nation ' s first wildlife refuge at easements on 4,283 acres mostly in the Ra nRoseon Pelican Island in 1903 to protect birds from Nanticoke River watershed in Sussex Ca of Swarts feather hunters . Today, Pelican Island and County . The state paid $ 6 million for the Richard Van Frank the surrounding waters are an important land, which The Conservation Fund held, breeding and nesting area for brown and and the working forest easements , which the More than 335 donors white pelicans . " The challenges facing Peli- Fund and the Glatfelter Pulp Wood Co . gave $ 15 ,980 to the coM- can Island—particularly the spread of devel- owned . The state will monitor the easements MON GROUND Research opment into wild areas—are symbolic of the to assure that sustainable forestry practices Fund in 2000 . Start the new year by making a gift . threats facing protected land throughout the are followed . Hunting also will be allowed n e need your help . U . S . and the new challenges facing the con- on much of the easement land . Send your check c / o servation movement, " said Matthew Sexton The Conservation Fund , of The Conservation Fund ' s Florida office 13 In December, President Clinton named 1800 N . Kent St. , Suite (561 / 832-7665 ) . The new acquisitions at Peli- William deBuys, the New Mexico representa - 1120 , Arlington, VA can Island, worth $ 10 million, are part of a tive for The Conservation Fund, as a member 22209 -21569 three-year effort by the Fund and its part- of the new Valles Caldera Trust . Congress ners to add a 250 - acre buffer around the ref- created the trust to administer the 95, 000- uge by its 100th anniversary . acre Baca Ranch, which the federal govern- ment acquired last year . The ranch, now M Two tracts in eastern Tennessee that The called the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Conservation Fund helped protect which is part of the National Forest System , provide migratory habitat for sandhill cranes may soon become a stopover for their en- M The Michigan Dune Alliance ( 312 / 332- dangered cousins—whooping cranes . The 6293 ) has secured $ 722, 000 in start-up fund- Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership ing to promote conservation and steward- (bringbackthecranes . fws . g�) liF working to ship of the coastal marshes, dunes, forests The Michigan reintroduce a migratory flock of whoopers and freshwater river systems that border Dune Alliance east of the Mississippi River . Lake Michigan . The alliance, organized in hopes to Researchers achieved a critical milestone 1999 with the help of The Conservation this fall when a flock of 11 sandhill cranes Fund, hopes to implement conservation implement followed an ultralight aircraft from Wiscon- plans over three years for 14 aquatic sites conservation sin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife identified by the Nature Conservancy, an plans Over three Refuge in Florida . The 40 - day flight was a alliance partner . The Mott Foundation trial run for a planned migration next year ($ 600, 000 ) , Environmental Protection Agency 1J" ears for 14 that aims to reintroduce migratory whoop - ($ 72, 000 ) and the Michigan Coastal Manage- aquatic sites , ing cranes in the East . If the sandhill cranes ment Program ($50, 000 ) provided lead fund- return north next spring on their own, as ex- ing for the alliance . Land trust partners pected, researchers will train a flock of include Grand Traverse Regional Land Con- ilar voyage . servancy, Land Conservancy of West Michi- whoopers for a simTwo important stopovers for cranes are gan, Leelanau Conservancy, Little Traverse the Hiwassee Wildlife Management Area Conservancy, and Southwest Michigan Land and Smith Bend along the Tennessee River Conservancy. The Michigan Department of in east Tennessee . A few years ago, The Con- Natural Resources, Michigan Department of servation Fund bought a 750 - acre tract adja- Environmental Quality, National Park Ser- cent to Hiwassee WMA and transferred it to vice and Forest Service also are partners . COMMON GROUND VOL , 12 NO . 2 JANUARY-MARCH 2O01 1 1 \i', y. li. • t.. -•'r.d _ f'Iy. _ l - -1 F Y I -� > 'a j l + � � . } S' S Irk, [ I �. � .l (..� ♦. . k Y ? -1 1 _ nP f" S .:< I' . . ! l L. ;J t C _ T . . t, 1 . Y L- } . .{ 1 f. l ; 1 , . C:. 1 � 1 li. ,.1 • o ` .J . r .w L11 r_:_t . ; • r KUp : Ranking The InstituteGold for Southern Studies has nessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas , West update its 1994 Goreen report to Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina . Green show that states with high environmental Since 1994, Rhode Island and Maine standards also boast strong economies . Gold climbed into the top 15 on both lists in the and Gold & Green 2000 (919 / 419 - 8311 , www . southern new report . Ohio and Oklahoma also made studies . org) ranks 20 " gold " economic and progress, rising out of the bottom 15 states States 20 " green " environmental indicators for each on both lists . New Hampshire and Massa- state . Indicators ranged from business start- chusetts , which were among the elite 15 ups to pesticide use and energy use . seven years ago, slid because of greater envi- Vermont, Rhode Island and Minnesota ronmental threats . Hawaii and Oregon, also ranked in the top six on the gold and green top performers in 1994, suffered economic lists . Colorado , Maryland, Maine and Wis - downturns since then . consin finished in the top 15 on both lists . Below are the overall green and gold Ten states ranked among the bottom 15 on rankings for each state and their ranking both lists—Louisiana, Alabama, Texas , Ten- based on two of the 20 green indicators . Gold Green Emissions - SpenLilla 61 i Gold Green Emissions- Spending on State Rank Rank to -Job Ratio Environ;7elit I State Rank Rank to-Job Ratio Environment Ala . 47 49 42 34 Mont. 25 27 50 3 Alaska 23 30 45 1 Neb . 21 29 34 12 Ariz . 42 20 32 41 Nev. 9 23 20 40 Ark. 49 37 39 19 N . H. 1 16 5 45 Calif. 36 10 3 20 N.J _ . : - ._ . 10 24 1 . _ . . 1, 10 - :39 Colo . 5 14 4 36 N . M . 41 31 46 29 Conn. 12 24 8 48 N.Y . 32 28 9 50 Del. 7 36 12 27 N . C . 30 34 18 24 Fla . 22 17 37 17 N . D . 19 5 19 4 Ga . 39 35 22 28 Ohio 31 47 29 46 Hawaii 17 3 6 16 Okla . 34 9 27 31 Idaho 37 21 40 7 Ore . 23 8 23 13 Ill . 26 42 25 47 Pa . 28 40 33 33 Ind . 40 48 36 44 R . I , 15 4 7 38 Iowa 16 24 26 15 S . C . 38 45 35 30 Kan . 35 19 24 23 S . D . 29 2 15 6 Ky. 44 41 30 22 Tenn . 45 44 38 42 La . 48 50 49 11 Texas 43 46 41 43 Maine 13 6 21 8 Utah 20 33 47 21 Md . 6 15 13 25 Vt. - 3 . 1 1 5 Mass . 4 18 2 35 Va . 8 22 28 49 Mich . 27 43 17 37 Wash . 18 11 16 9 Minn . 2 6 11 10 W . Va . 46 39 44 14 Miss . 50 38 43 18 Wisc . 11 12 14 26 Mo . 14 32 31 32 Wyo . 33 12 48 2 T8T8 -8LZLZ :) N ' HJ(102108S11IH T8T8 X09 Od Id ld3SN00 SId � �dI/AN3 KL? 3E) NnO 2JWD321Id TO NVIS (I IAV4 d I � IIII � IIIIIIIII ' IIIIIIIlII ' Itll ' IIIIIIII � III � I1 � 11 ' 11 ! { III ! ' 1 aRiSHnORN NOI1DRHNOD SSHxaaV 60ZZZ VA ` u01nu11sy ' D1a ' NaL9NIHSVM OUT 0II11S " IS IUM @N 0091 £ t? 6 £ 'OIL 11L NH3d QIVd aOVLSOd ' S ' n 0DHO il .4oxdAANON � �� to ext • • • — •New — lit sto • F. els t . . ' • • • • • • Noall • • • • • • • • will V tir- • • • ?i1_{,. ` •fit ^'f.l•"!'aWitto 1C.� �,r�` ' 1 +`• I ♦ i� _ • : • - FL 0 It flat 014 LN Stott 0 it G a� Lt�• t� i (Q _ 70 pop ' If to 91 • J ? V + 1 a -r. pit • - ;, 'sue, i *• : �i 1 % 4"tto Vr Sir p Volvo- in • 'd ' k*;�Jwmod : i ;G w `r •, a I !f • 111 11 44 board made a commitment to require Behind the Wheel and Ahead of the Curve zero - emission buses starting in 2008 , it punted the decision on near- term Boston 's transit authority has been testing two hybrid electric and pollution protection to local transit two compressed natural gas buses before deciding on the future agencies . Local transit districts will composition of its fleet . UCS spoke with a driver who has driven both choose whether to take a diesel path- _ _ types , as well as other test buses way or an alternative- fuel pathway as all it III =m and diesels , they head toward zero - emission buses . How do these new buses Coordinating with other environmen- i , compare with the regular diesel tal advocates , UCS is working hard to buses7 explain to local agencies the clean - air They ' re just about identical , advantages of the al ternative - fuel The physical construction is a p little bit different, but in terms athway. 5001 of pickup, turning , and stuff like Another promising element in the IT5001 that, they ' re about the same, drive to clean transit is the California 7 if not better. I like them . Fuel Cell Partnership . In November, One of the big selling points Jason Mark, director of UCS 's Clean is , these buses have no stairs. Vehicles Program , and I were present You walk in , you ' re on the bus . at the grand opening of the partner- New bus technologies have arrived— the future's now. But because they ride low, par- ship 's facilities in Sacramento . ticularly the hybrid , there 's a By teaming up the energy of problem in that there aren 't as many seats . A diesel bus has stairs up, automakers , oil companies , and gov- so it can have seats over the wheels . With the hybrid , you lose some seats because of the wheels . On the natural - gas bus , there are steps up to ernment with the guidance of envi - a platform over the rear wheels, so you don 't lose those seats in the ronmentalists , the partnership will back . accelerate the development of fuel- cell 1 don 't know exactly what they cost, but they have to cost more than vehicles . This program will place a a regular diesel bus . Does that cost justify what you ' re going to gain in fleet of fuel - cell vehicles on streets clean air ? Maybe with a thousand buses it might make a difference , throughout California , so that they but with a hundred buses will it really matter ? can be tested over the next three years With the cleaner fuel , there 's got to be less maintenance involved , and the kinks in the technology can And in the hybrid buses , there 's no transmission . It gives you a smooth be worked out . ride because it just goes , you don 't have that shifting of gears . A trans- mission is probably one of the quirkiest things you can have . A Promising Future For a while over here , they were using some diesel buses that were With the number of natural -gas buses retrofitted . I think they were using some derivative of peanut oil —they growing and the promise of fuel- cell called it the peanut oil fuel . Whether that is literally true , I don 't know. I 've driven those buses too , and they didn 't seem to have the chutzpah technology around the corner, mass the regular diesel had . transit is poised to deliver a new level Will they decide to get these buses or not ? I don 't know, but it in environmental and public health can 't hurt . From an operational standpoint I notice no difference . If dividends . Ongoing investment in anything , they handle better, but that could be because they ' re brand these cleaner technologies from fed- new. And there 's only two of each , so they can keep right on top of eral and local government will con- the maintenance . But after five , six, ten years, who knows what tinue to fuel our climb to the summit you ' re going to have7 of clean transportation . With your At one time, it was the diesel that wasn 't the proven thing . At what continued help , UCS can plant a point do you say, try something else and see if it makes it7 green flag and claim transit buses in The manufacturers have been bucking them for a long time , but the name of clean air and a strong now the EPA is saying , the time has come , it 's arrived , the future 's environment . now, and you ' ve got to do something . Michael Pancook is UCS ' California media & outreach coordinator. Photomontage by Brent RobieNCS N u C I e 11 s WINTER 2000-2001 7 t Forest Stewards Guild Homepage http : //www . foreststewardsguild . org/index . htm 44 S 1� 7 ` I( '%r . 1IL 01e At 2001 Annual Meeting P O B0x 51 9 Santa Fe Nht 87 504 P h o n e ( 5 0 5 ) 9 8 3 - 8 9 9 2 F a x { 5 0 5 ) 9 8 6 - 0 7 9 8 IV a, - � P r ddramS �3JF /. �M (4 to gyp- fN-�i .; , :. , `"' i'i . ce=M1( �rl. � �` 4 f • . •:� ,j :,_t ; - st Mission ir 1F " fs • r. , - t•r R JY ~ tj" ,jr . � The mission of the Guild is to promote ecologically Yt 1 c � y responsible resource management that sustains the � s ai ' � o. �l . _ entire forest across the landscape . The Guild f; S � #� ., 1 �1kg provides a forum and support system for practicing K._ foresters and other resource management professionals working to advance this vision F 1 . . - _ Y 1 2001 Annual Meeting April 19 = 21 Silver Bay Conference Center I Silver Bay , New York i This year ' s meeting is in the southern Adirondacks - on Lake George . Featuring technical workshops , panel discussions on current issues , presentations on sustainable forestry projects , field trips to FSC - certified public and I non - industrial private forests , and field foresters immersed in forestry ! Registration packets will be sent out in late February . For IF more information click here or contact : Forest Stewards Guild PO Box 8309 Santa Fe NM 87504 - 0519 505 - 983 - 3887/986 - 0798 fx infoC�, foreststeN�� ardsg Ltild . or �.� MEN nC� a a 4 f fi;" 10 �if ;� 1 of 2 2/28 /01 3 : 55 PM a.rtification - Forest Stewardship Council http : //fscus . org/html/certification/index . html Eli, U LF 0:r e S L Stem rd S , Ali I Cie ill i k U cerfification ahoutFC .standards & policies : at►an 1Sress ct�ra ' pa� rtner� help support FSc , results impact . ' ► search buying A svl W FSG ;=ducts Certification Forest Product Certification ' s Goal : Responsible Management _ - types of In contemporary society , environmental advocacy groups and forest product certification companies have been at odds over what some perceive as conflicting priorities . corlifiors certified forests On the one hand , environmental activists often portray bleak images of ecological - havoc and destruction by focusing on stark images of clearcutting . = - chain of custody . On the other hand , forest companies often paint a rosy picture for forestry in the companies United States through corporate efforts in tree planting , mechanized harvesting , =p� US regional chemical fertilization and genetic engineering . = � standards it has become clear that neither of these tactics gives us the buy and sell In the last decade , FSC products complete picture , and neither helps us better understand how to responsibly manage our forests . contact us Creating Consensus site index Environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund , the National Wildlife Federation , Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council agree that forest product certification encourages sound forest management and is good for forest conservation . Businesses such as Seven Islands Land Company , The Home Depot , and Ass [ Doman , one of Sweden ' s largest forest companies , agree that forest product certification encourages sound business practices in the forest products industry , and is good for their bottom line . All of these organizations are members of the Forest Stewardship Council ; two of them , NRDC and Assi Doman , are members of FSC ' s Board of Directors . For perhaps the first time in the history of forest policy debate in the United States , environmental groups and businesses are not only speaking the same language , they are saying the same thing . The FSC , with its unique marriage of environmental , social and economic interests , has succeeded where regulations , bans , boycotts , lobbying , protests and campaigns have failed - - to reach a global consensus on forest management . What Certification Means to Consumers By tracking wood from forest to final product , certification enables consumers to support responsible forestry and provides forest owners with an incentive to maintain and improve forest management practices . The forest products industry is a complex web of interrelationships between producers , suppliers , manufacturers , wholesalers and customers . Beyond their direct customers and suppliers , companies rarely know where their wood comes from , nor where it ends up . This complex web does not provide a mechanism to trace a product from the forest to the final product of vice versa . Nor does it provide a mechanism for consumers to reward forest stewardship practices Certification provides a mechanism for linking consumers and producers in the marketplace . The Forest Stewardship Council : An Independent Guarantee of Credibility of 2 2/28/01 4 : 05 PM Certification - Forest Stewardship Council http : //fscus . orgAitml/certification /index . html There are a variety of labels on forest products . 47 Forest product labels may include information on the company ' s brand name , the origin of the product , the species , grade , strength and price . Recently , labels are also appearing that make claims about the sustainability of the wood product by comparing wood to steel or plastic , and by describing the quality of the resource management . There are a range of approaches in describing the quality of the forest resource management . Many of these labels are misleading and superficial . Claims such as " we replant twice as many trees as we harvest , " " rescued from fallen trees , " and simply calling a brand name " certified " tell us little about the quality of the resource management . Other second party claims , such as " Our members commit to following sustainable forestry practices , " may be well - intentioned , but without third - party verification , consumers cannot be sure of the credibility of these claims . The Forest Stewardship Council provides an independent guarantee of credibility . The FSC provides a credible and consistent approach to certifying forest products . This certification system ensures an independent evaluation of a forest company ' s practices , according to rigorous , publicly available forest management standards . The Forest Stewardship Council is the only system that verifies claims from the forest all the way to the final product , a process known as " chain of custody " monitoring . The result is that when consumers see an FSC logo on a forest product , they can be sure that their purchase supports forestry that meets the highest standards for environmentally and socially responsible forestry . about FSC I standards & policies certification press center partners help support FSC results / impact burg & selling FSC products I home 2 of 2 2/28/01 4 : 05 PM )rest Stewardship Council Applauds Ande . . . Corporation = Forest Stewardship Courkiip : //fscus . org/html/press_center/break . . . ess_releases/fsc_statement_andersen . html `t resscentler NYEF6f� ttwf? Cfril 1 ::About FSC ' standards & polkies ' Certtficationl :press center ? `partners help support F&C , ,%il resuxts impact log search r buying & "1109 FSC products FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT : David Arens 202 - 342 - 0414 breaking Hank Cauley 202 - 342 - 0416 maws September 18 , 2000 ► needs articles ► wrens releases FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL APPLAUDS ANDERSEN CORPORATION ► re ° its and # 1 Window Manufacturer Joins The Home Depot, Lowe 's Home Centers in Forest = -_ nczws Conservation Effort archives WASHINGTON , DC — Hank Cauley , Executive Director of the Forest Stewardship press kit Council U . S . , issued the following statement after the Andersen Corporation announced FSC that it will not source wood from endangered forests and that it will give preference to --=- knowledge Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC ) or equivalent certified wood supplies in the = Center manufacture of its wood window and patio door products . + contact us " We applaud Andersen ' s decision to use its purchasing policy to help conserve the sito index world ' s forests . By setting a preference for FSC - certified forest products , Andersen is sending an important message to forest managers that environmental and social responsibility is a priority . And they are providing a solid guarantee to their customers that the wood that they are buying comes from forests that are well - managed . We thank Andersen for their leadership in this endeavor and welcome them into the growing family of companies who are doing their part to protect our precious forests . " Andersen Corporation is the market leader in manufacturing wood windows and patio doors , and is recognized internationally for its innovative products . Founded 97 years ago , the company is privately owned and has a strong history of commitment to its employees , community and environmental stewardship . Andersen markets products throughout North America and in South America , Europe , Asia and the Middle East . The Home Depot (August 1999 ) and Lowe ' s Home Centers (August 2000 ) have made similar commitments to setting a preference for FS & certified wood products in their official corporate purchasing policies . The Forest Stewardship Council is an international , independent , non - profit organization that promotes responsible forestry . Based in Washington , D . C . , the Forest Stewardship Council - U . S . promotes the FSC ' s market - based program of well - managed forestry in the U . S . The FSC , through its Principles and Criteria for Forest Management , has established the highest standards for environmentally , economically and socially responsible forestry . FSC forest management standards aim to promote sound , financially viable , and competitive forestry companies while considering key environmental issues such as minimizing clear-cuts , striving to avoid pesticide use , and protecting forests with high conservation value ( ones that contain certain rare and endangered species ) . FSC ' s unique membership includes a balance of interests—economic , environmental and social —that have impact on and influence over forestry , and these three " chambers " jointly govern the organization . ### of 3 2/28 /01 4 : 10 PM Forest Stewardship Council Applauds Ande . . . Corporation - Forest Stewardship Coui-kitp : Hfseus . orgihtml/press_center/break . , , ess_releases/fsc_statement_andersen . litinl FOR IMMEDIATE CONTACT Libby Johnston RELEASE Manager , Public 4 g t1r�.,� Affairs rC' Andersen t Corporation ( 651 ) 264 - 5441 '1,551 ANDERSEN CORPORATION COMMITS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED FORESTS BAYPORT , Minn . ( Sept . 14 , 2000 ) - Andersen Corporation , maker of Andersen ® windows and patio doors , announced today that it will not source wood from endangered forests and it will give preference to Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC ) or equivalent certified wood supplies in the manufacture of its products . These commitments become a part of the company ' s established practices of promoting responsible forestry management in the procurement of wood supplies . " These commitments support the approach • we have taken over the years to preserve forest resources by responsibly sourcing wood , conserving wood whenever possible and reclaiming wood within our operations . All three must be practiced to assure the long -term health of the world ' s forests and the viability of wood as a valued natural resource , " said Kurt Heikkila , vice president of technology and business development for Andersen Corporation . " We believe our commitment to our customers extends beyond manufacturing energy - efficient , durable , beautiful windows and patio doors . It is evidenced by our long -term . environmental stewardship , " Heikkila added . " We applaud Andersen for taking the leadership role in the window industry by ending the use of wood from endangered forests and by increasing the use of FSC or equivalent certified wood sources , alternative fibers and wood conservation , " said Michael Marx , executive director of the Coastal Rainforest Coalition ( CRC ) . Andersen has been discussing wood sourcing for sometime and has confirmed these commitments with several groups including CRC , Rainforest Action Network and Natural Resources Defense Council . Andersen will give preference to certified wood supplies while pursuing the best wood for its products in terms of quality , price , volume and consistency of material . Andersen will continue to work with suppliers to ensure that specified lumber or cut stock is not sourced from endangered forests . The company supports constructive efforts , such as the new Coast Forest Conservation Initiative in British Columbia , to achieve responsible balance among economic , environmental and community interests in timber- producing areas . In March , Andersen joined the Certified Forest Products Council ( CFPC ) , an independent , non - profit , voluntary business initiative that promotes responsible forest products buying practices throughout North America in an effort to improve forest management practices worldwide . " We welcome Andersen Corporation ' s membership in the CFPC and the company ' s commitment to increasing the use of independently certified wood , " said CFPC President , David Ford . " We look forward to working with Andersen to increase the supply of certified wood available for their products . " The CFPC promotes and facilitates the increased purchase , use and sale of third - party independently certified forest products . The Council works to achieve its goals in partnership with environmental organizations and a wide range of stakeholders . 2 of 3 2/28 /01 4 : 10 PM crest Stewardship Council Applauds Ande . . . Corporation - Forest Stewardship Counicilp : Hfscus . org/html/press_center/break, . . ess_releases/fsc_statement_andersen . html 50 Wood has always been a key material resource at Andersen . Historically , the company has approached the sustainability of wood as a resource in three ways — through responsible sourcing , conservation and the reclamation of wood in its operations . Andersen primarily uses ponderosa pine in its window and patio door products and it is sourced from well - managed forests mainly in the western United States . The company is using increasing quantities of its patented biofiber composite , FibrexTM material , made from waste wood fiber . Fibrex material was developed to reduce the company ' s need for raw timber and reclaim its wood waste stream . Andersen also conducts ongoing research on wood species and alternatives for use in its products . Wood conservation has been practiced throughout Andersen manufacturing facilities for years . Scrap wood is finger-joined and edge - glued to create usable pieces ; parts are reengineered to save wood ; and wood veneers are used where appropriate . Andersen is also committed to recycled wood supplies and to products made with wood waste reclaimed from operations , such as Fibrex material . The Forest Stewardship Council is an international , independent , non - profit organization with a diverse membership representing environmental , business and social interests . The FSC sets standards for well - managed forestry and requires the use of third - party , independent forest certification through its accreditation program . Andersen Corporation is the market leader in manufacturing wood windows and patio doors , and is recognized internationally for its innovative products . Founded 97 years ago , the company is privately owned and has a strong history of commitment to its employees , community and environmental stewardship . Andersen markets products throughout North America and in South America , Europe , Asia and the Middle East . " Andersen " and the AW logo are registered trademarks of Andersen Corporation . " Fibrex " is a trademark of Andersen Corporation . ©2000 Andersen Corporation . All rights reserved . about FSC standards & policies certification press center partners help support FSC results / impact buying & selling FSC products home of 3 2/28/01 4 : 10 PM