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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE agenda 04122021 AGENDA Orange County Commission for the Environment April 12th1 2021 7:30 p.m. Virtual Meeting Time Item Title 7:30 I. Call to Order 7:31 II. Approval of DRAFT Minutes — March 8th, 2021 The CFE will consider approval of minutes from the last meeting. Action needed (Attachment 1) 7:33 III. Additions or Changes to Agenda 7:34 IV. CFE Activities - 2021 The CFE will discuss current activities. 7:35 V. CFE Introductions & Committee Discussion CFE members and staff will give brief introductions and discuss organization of Committee break out groups to acclimate new members. 7:55 VI. Presentation by Kyra Levau, Orange County Recycling Education & Outreach Coordinator Kyra Levau,Orange County Recycling Education&Outreach Coordinator,will present to the CFE on the overall Orange County Solid Waste system with an overview of the compost collection system and the role of volunteers at compost collection sites. 8:35 VII. DRAFT Resolution to Support Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan Kim Livingston will give a brief overview of the DRAFT Resolution to Support the Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan. CFE will vote to sign/support. https://ncba.unc.edu/wi)- content/uploads/sites/963/2019/12/EnoNewHopePlan December 2019.1)df Action needed (Attachment 2)(Attachment 3) 8:45 VIII. Updates and Information Items Staff and/or CFE members will provide updates on the following items: • CFE will discuss ideas for Earth Day 2021 • CFE will choose a representative for the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Any other new information from CFE members and staff 9:00 IX. Adjournment *Next Meeting Date: May IOr,2021;if requested by CFE(Virtual) CFE Activities — 2021 Item Committee/Person(s) Next Responsible Steps Rights-of-Way B. Saul Subcommittee formation approved by CFE at Subcommittee January 2020 meeting. Review and update of Land Resources Ongoing review by committee and staff. Forest Management Policy Climate Action Plan B. Ward Initial work has begun to lay out scope and format. B. Bouma With GHG Inventory completion and successful application for LEED for Cities and Communities Grant, planning can begin in earnest. Seeing CFE assistance in climate action generation and community engagement. Recent Achievements CFE Meeting Ground Rules (Adopted 9/12/11) 1. Keep to agenda topic under discussion 2. Share relevant information 3. One person speaks at a time after recognition by the Chair 4. Everyone is invited to participate in discussions - no one person should dominate discussions 5. Strive to reach consensus first before voting Orange County Commission for the Environment Meeting Summary March 8, 2021; 7:30 pm virtual Go To Meeting Present: Kim Piracci (Acting Chair), Jaya Nair, Elizabeth McWhorter, Frank Binkowski, Kim Livingston, Bill Ward, Carrie Fletcher, Bradley Saul, Alan Parry, James Eichel, Eric Scheier Absent: Jeremy Marzuola(excused) Staff: Brennan Bouma, Chris Himi, Wesley Poole I. Call to Order Piracci called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. II. Additions or Changes to Agenda Kim Piracci motioned to approve previous meeting minutes before changes to Agenda moving forward; none opposed. Piracci also proposed changing the Agenda to move an item under VII. Updates to occur after item V. Eno New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan, and before VI. Committee Breakouts, due to suspected need for further conversation; none opposed. III. Approval of Draft Minutes from February 811, 2021 Motion by Saul; seconded by Livingston; all in favor, none opposed; motion passed. IV. CFE Activities—2021 B. Saul stated no update to the Rights of Way group although some progress being made. B. Saul also noted that the Forest Management Policy would be discussed in breakout session. B. Bouma provided a brief update regarding LEED certification. V. Eno New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan K. Livingston presented a summary of the Eno New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan. Noting 7 new CFE members whom were not present at last presentation at March 2020 meeting. Livingston then proposed the CFE draft and sign a Resolution of Support for the ENHLC Plan. She proposed the CFE support to educate the Orange County Planning Board and BOCC to the Plan and its implications and ultimately propose a Resolution of Support to the BOCC for the ENLHC Plan. VI. SELC/Clean Air Carolina petition B. Bouma presented information about a petition written by the Southern Environmental Law Center for Clean Air Carolina and the NC Coastal Federation. The petition asks the State Environmental Management Commission to support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, also known as RGGI or Reggie, which is a cap and trade market based, CO2 emissions reduction program which targets electric power plants. Bill Ward commented Page 1 of 2 Orange County Commission for the Environment Meeting Summary March 8, 2021; 7:30 pm virtual Go To Meeting and discussed support for the petition, and has drafted a resolution for future consideration of the CFE to send to the BOCC. K. Piracci commented that some research casts doubts on the effectiveness of the program. Further, there are concerns that the trading of CO2 allows some electricity plants to actually increase their CO2 output, which usually affects the most disadvantaged communities. VII. Updates and Information Items K. Livingston presented information on the Buckhorn Area Plan, a joint project between Orange County Planning, City of Mebane, and Piedmont Triad Regional Council group to explore opportunities for industrial/commercial growth and rezoning, and the possibility to annex the area to City of Mebane's planning jurisdiction. VIII. Committee Breakouts The CFE broke out into their individual subcommittees for discussions on previous goals and accomplishments and to set goals for the coming year. Land Resources Committee, Water Resources Committee, and Air/Energy Committee. IX. Adjournment Livingston motioned to adjourn the meeting at 9:02 pm; seconded by Parry; none opposed; motion passed. Page 2 of 2 DRAFT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY IN THE ENO RIVER AND NEW HOPE CREEK WATERSHEDS, NORTH CAROLINA WHEREAS ensuring wildlife habitat connectivity is essential to the preservation of wildlife biodiversity,which in turn is a fundamental requirement for a healthy ecosystem that can support more climate resilient communities and natural systems, cleaner air and water, spaces for passive recreation, among many other benefits accruing now and for future generations, and WHEREAS, the Orange County Commission for the Environment recognizes these benefits and wishes to establish them locally, and WHEREAS, the Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity in the Eno River and New Hope Creek Watersheds, North Carolina provides information and data on a prioritized network of habitat patches and wildlife corridors to support our most vulnerable wildlife species, as well as recommendations on how to conserve these resources through a multi-pronged approach, including land use and transportation planning, open space acquisition, and public engagement, and WHEREAS, we recognize that our protected natural areas are at risk from the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with habitat fragmentation from development pressure, and WHEREAS, the Landscape Plan supports existing conservation policies that the committee abides by, as well as encourages the implementation of these policies by local, state, and national agencies, universities, land trusts, and private landowners (such as the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program, Eno River State Park, Eno River Association,North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Triangle Land Conservancy, Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, US Army Corps of Engineers, county and local governments, and others) holding thousands of acres of wild lands and natural open space in the Plan's area of focus, and NOW THEREFORE, we, members of the Orange County Commission for the Environment do hereby declare our support for the Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity in the Eno River and New Hope Creek Watersheds, North Carolina, and for the need for continuing research to address the challenges posed by a changing climate, new diseases entering local ecologies, and the problems arising from changing animal populations, and THEREFORE, the information in the Landscape Plan should be integrated into land use and transportation decision-making processes to enable the protection of a functional ecological network, Resolved this [add date]. Chair, Commission for the Environment Attest Aft All— A LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY IN THE ORANGE 2.5 5 10 Miles w+ ENO RIVER AND NEW HOPE CREEK s WATERSHEDS, NORTH CAROLINA DURHAM A recent collaboration between local H11Ilsb°r°°9h governments, conservation groups, ^^"e universities, and ecologists identifies f °°`hGm priority areas where land protection is °hepelHlll needed to ensure habitat connectivity for local wildlife. Movement of animals Raleigh, within and between habitats is Project Area essential for their survival — for finding O5kmBuffer °ery County l �„ food, shelter, water, and mates, as well Watersheds \ Apex 0 Eno River&tributaries as maintaining genetic diversity and O Headwaters New Hope Creek ONew Hope Creek-Jordan Lake wnrcE &tributaries adapting to climate change. 0Ner Hopie River-Jordan Lake tar ar Es,,.HERE,De 0ia,®Op—tre—p cpntrinutprs.and lne GIS user wmmunRy The project partners collaborated across Orange, Chatham, Durham, and Wake counties to identify priority corridors that connect a network of critical wildlife habitats within and between the Eno River and New Hope Creek watersheds. The project uses existing conservation data and a geographic information systems approach to identify habitat and corridors that are essential for landscape connectivity. The results can READ THE FULL REPORT be used to shape an overall landscape conservation strategy that fosters coordination on shared conservation goals based on ecological systems rather than jurisdictional boundaries. Results are relevant for land use decision-making, transportation improvement planning, and wildlife conservation. WHY PLAN FOR LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION? Habitat connectivity is key The loss of biological diversity in North Carolina—across all plant and animal groups—is primarily caused by habitat loss and fragmentation. As human population density increases, existing conservation lands are becoming disconnected from other natural habitats by roads, development, and other BObcat causes of habitat fragmentation. In the face of increasing s Ik.'. threats, including climate change, wildlife species need protected corridors between habitat areas to survive and 711 thrive. Connecting wildlife habitat also secures benefits for 9 water quality, native plants, the local economy (including working farms and forests), and public health. Planning for and implementing landscape conservation is the only way to address these issues. Without a plan for 1 landscape conservation, the existing patchwork of c' conservation lands will become further isolated, and wildlife populations will decline. A proactive approach to coordinate conservation action across communities is needed. 41 This collaborative project identifies a network of priority habitats and corridors that, if protected, restored, or Eas ern box turtle reconnected (through improved wildlife crossing structures), can support wildlife populations and other ecosystem services. The wildlife species considered in this project—such as the Eastern box turtle, Four-toed salamander, and Bobcat —are identified as species in need of conservation by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and the NC Natural Heritage ,� t Program. • This project also reviewed local government policies, ordinances, and conservation priorities to generate r ; .r recommendations for landscape conservation planning and implementation. Four-toed salamander �.1 r � i �4 � rM Photo Credit Melissa McGaw f�l<°drrnation on this project including how to support these efforts,please visit https://ncbg.unc.edu/eno-new-hope-plan