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FROM: Commission for the Environment
SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary
DATE: November 14, 2011
LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center (Chapel Hill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Kaiser (Chair), Renee Price (Vice Chair), Lucy Adams, May Becker,
Michele Drostin, Clay Hudson, David Neal, Loren Hintz, Michael Hughes, Gary Saunders, David
Welch
MEMBERS ABSENT: Chris Adams, Peter Cada, Tom O’Dwyer
STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw and Tom Davis
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I. Call to Order: Kaiser called the meeting to order at approximately 7:35 pm
II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – None
III. Approval of Minutes – The October 10 meeting summary was approved (by acclamation)
with a few minor edits to one sentence provided by Saunders.
IV. Committee Reports – Committees reported on the status of various projects underway:
Hintz reported on the Biological Resources Committee proposal to protect native plant
habitat from herbicides sprayed along roads in Orange County. He presented a draft
memorandum to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) summarizing the proposal
and answered questions from members. Hintz motioned to approve sending the
proposal to the BOCC and asking for an opportunity to present it as an agenda item at
an upcoming BOCC meeting. Price seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Drostin reported on the Water Resources Committee effort to summarize a review of
available scientific literature on any causal relationships between forestry management
practices and water quality of downstream surface water supplies. Drostin noted that
Cada had compiled the reviews submitted by each committee member, but the
committee had not yet discussed what to do with this information. The committee will
report back to the CFE with a final recommendation at the December meeting.
Members of the Energy Resources and Air Resources committees reported on their
progress examining various issues, including O’Dwyer’s proposal to require that land be
set aside for solar energy facilities in new subdivisions. More is expected in December.
V. Annual Report and Work Plan – The CFE reviewed its annual report and work plan for
2011 and identified items to include in the 2012 document. Shaw provided an overview
of CFE accomplishments from the past year and offered some ideas for the list of
activities and emerging issues for 2012. Members made other suggestions. Shaw will
prepare draft report and circulate for comments so the CFE can finalize in December.
VI. Election of Officers – The CFE elected Price as Chair and Hughes as Vice-Chair.
VII. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received written materials and brief
updates from staff on the following: Triangle Land Conservancy forest management,
Updated CFE handout from the State of the Environment 2009, and Town of Carrboro’s
consideration of allowing bow hunting of deer.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:20 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff