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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE minutes 021411 1 FROM: Commission for the Environment SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting DATE: February 14, 2011 LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center (Chapel Hill) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Kaiser (Chair), Renee Price (Vice Chair), Lucy Adams, May Becker, Loren Hintz, Clay Hudson, Michael Hughes, Tom O’Dwyer, David Neal, Gary Saunders, MEMBERS ABSENT: Chris Adams, Lynnette Batt, Peter Cada, Michelle Drostin, David Welch STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw, Tom Davis, David Stancil GUESTS: Renee Boyette (Triangle J COG), Lois Nixon (Capital Trees Program), Pat Davis (OWASA), Tom Craven (Forestry Consultant), Bonnie Hauser (Orange County Voice), Derb Carter (So. Environmental Law Center), and county residents from Cane Creek watershed _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I. Call to Order: Kaiser called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – None III. Approval of Minutes – The meeting summary for December 13, 2010 was approved as submitted. Motion by Price, second by Saunders; approved unanimously. IV. Capital Trees Program – Renee Boyette and Lois Nixon gave a PowerPoint presentation about the Capital Trees Program—Wake County’s program for recognizing significant trees. CFE members asked questions about tree protection afforded by this program. Boyette and Nixon explained that it was primarily an educational program, but that some municipalities like Raleigh have a separate tree protection ordinance that includes enforcement mechanisms. Hintz said this looks like a good program for the CFE to consider; he volunteered to review the materials and report back at the next meeting. V. OWASA Forest Management Plan – Shaw provided an overview of the CFE’s December meeting discussion of OWASA’s plan to manage forests on 16 properties in southwestern Orange County. He recalled that this issue was referred to the CFE following the BOCC’s receipt of a citizen petition requesting that the BOCC ask the OWASA board of directors to reject the draft plan and replace it with a program to improve the water quality of Cane Creek Reservoir. Pat Davis (OWASA) provided a PowerPoint presentation of the draft forest management plan. He described the forest management plan for OWASA’s Mitigation Tract and the management activities that have occurred thus far. Davis then discussed the draft forest management plan for 2,600 acres—1,924 acres of which are located in the Cane Creek watershed. He noted that 45 % of that area (877 acres) would be preserved as riparian buffers. A small portion of that buffer area (132 acres) is protected with conservation easements held by the State of North Carolina. Davis said the proposed management activities would occur on 1,047 acres over the next 20 years. Davis said the OWASA staff is preparing detailed responses to comments and questions received thus far for the OWASA board of directors. He noted there is no specific timeframe for completing that task, but a revised draft plan might be available sometime within the next two months. Davis reviewed OWASA’s objectives for the project, the stream buffer widths prescribed in the plan, and the different levels of forest management planned on the various 2 properties, which would result in a “patchwork” of forest age and cover types. Finally, Davis discussed plans for using herbicides to ensure regrowth of desirable forest types, and plans to conduct activities in accordance with forestry best management practices CFE members asked several questions about OWASA’s draft plan. Davis responded with the help of Craven on some topics. Bonnie Hauser provided an overview of concerns raised about the proposed forest management activities. She said the draft plan is not a bad plan, but it appears to be a plan intended for commercial forestry rather than to protect water quality. Hauser said the intended benefits of the plan are unclear. There is no information about current problems in the forest that puts water quality at risk. She asked what problems would be solved by implementing this plan. She suggested OW ASA could remove unwanted debris and diseased trees without this level of forestry. Hauser said her group is not opposed to logging, but they do oppose this level of forestry in this water supply watershed. She will ask the OWASA board of directors to reject the draft plan and replace it with a program to improve water quality. CFE members discussed the proposal further and asked more questions. Kaiser thanked the speaker and CFE members for the information and discussion. VI. Request for County Funds – Shaw reported the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) has requested $20,000 from Orange County for its Irvin Farm Food and Education Partnership. Shaw asked the CFE to consider the application and provide feedback for use by the DEAPR Director in making recommendations to the County Manager. He reviewed some of the criteria provided as guidance for making funding decisions. CFE members commented that this appears to be a good project—to help feed the less fortunate and to teach children about local food. VII. 2011 Work Plan – Kaiser asked that this item be postponed until the March meeting so that members could better prepare for discussion. He asked that each committee come prepared to identify its top three tasks for the remainder of 2011. VIII. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received updates and information on the following issues: Dogwood Alliance (O’Dwyer to follow-up with more information), UNC Bingham Facility, Unified Development Ordinance, and Orange County’s proposed legislative agenda. Meeting adjourned at approximately: 10:15 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff