HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-04-2023; 8-f - Native Plant Month Proclamation 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 4, 2023
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-f
SUBJECT: Native Plant Month Proclamation
DEPARTMENT: Cooperative Extension,
Environment, Agriculture,
Parks & Recreation, County
Manager
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proclamation Mart Bumgarner, (919) 245-2062
David Stancil, (919) 245-2510
Chris Hirni, (919) 245-2510
Bonnie Hammersley, (919) 245-2300
PURPOSE: To consider a proclamation designating April 2023 as Native Plant Month in Orange
County.
BACKGROUND: The US Congress first designated April as National Native Plant Month in 2021.
Congress acted again in 2022 to designate April 2022 as National Native Plant Month. The BOCC
approved a proclamation last year designating April 2022 as Native Plant Month, and various
states and local governments across the country have declared April as Native Plant Month in
2023 and over the last few years.
In recent decades, the increase of invasive non-native plant species has become a national
concern, as many of these species tend to force out native species, thus threatening the eco-
system and species reliant on native plants, such as pollinators.
The attached proclamation proposes that the Board of Commissioners designate April 2023 as
Native Plant Month in Orange County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There are no Orange County Social Justice Goals applicable to this
item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The following Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impacts are applicable to this item:
• RESULTANT IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND AIR QUALITY
Assess and where possible mitigate adverse impacts created to the natural resources of
the site and adjoining area. Minimize production of greenhouse gases.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the proclamation
and authorize the Chair to sign the Proclamation on behalf of the Board.
2
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
NATIVE PLANT MONTH
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, native plants are indigenous species that have evolved and occur naturally
in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat; and
WHEREAS, native plants are vital for maintaining and restoring the healthy ecosystem
needed to sustain our environment, including but not limited to seed dispersal; pollination
of crops and natural vegetation; prevention of flooding, drought, and erosion; regulation
of disease-carrying organisms; and moderation of weather extremes; and
WHEREAS, native plants provide shelter as well as nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve
as food for native butterflies, insects, birds, amphibians and other wildlife in ways that
non-native plants cannot; and
WHEREAS, there are more than 17,000 native plant species in the United States, which
include trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to more than 3,900 native plant species, including
trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers, making it one of the most diverse states
for native plants in the Southeast;
WHEREAS, 969 of the native plant species in North Carolina have been designated as
significantly rare and/or in decline and may be in danger of extinction; and
WHEREAS, 94 of those 969 imperiled plants have been found in Orange County; and
WHEREAS, habitat loss and degradation, extreme weather events, and invasive species
have contributed to the decline of native plants in the United States; and
WHEREAS, native plants are essential components of resilient ecosystems and our
natural heritage;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of
Commissioners hereby designates April 2023 as "Native Plant Month" in Orange County,
and recognizes the benefits of native plants to the environment and economy of Orange
County, the state of North Carolina, and the United States.
THIS THE 4T" DAY OF APRIL, 2023.
Jamezetta Bedford, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners