RES-2003-083 Resolution Supporting Governor Easley in Opposing an Outlying Landing Field at Any Site that is Unacceptable to the State of North Carolina

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ~~ 5 - ~ZoU3 - a ~~ 9-tea ad ~.3 ~~ RESOLUTION SUPPORTING GOVERNOR EASLEY IN OPPOSING AN OUTLYING LANDING FIELD AT ANY SITE THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE STATE AND CITIZENS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHEREAS, the Navy has selected an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) site known as the Washington/Beaufort County site; and. WHEREAS, the Navy's strategy to take in excess of 30,000 acres, equaling approximately 50 square miles, of prime farmland surrounding the OLF site, in both counties, by fee-simple transactions or condemnation, will affect an estimated one hundred seventy-one persons and seventy-four households, many who are fourth to seventh generation landowners; and WHEREAS, Executive Order 12898 requires each federal agency to make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies and activities on minority populations and low-income populations in the United States; and WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has determined Washington County to be a Tier I county, having 20.7 percent of the total population living in poverty and 30.3 percent of persons under 18 years of age living in poverty, as indicated in the U.S. Census Bureau 1995 County Estimate of Poverty, and approximately 50 percent of Washington County residents are minority; and WHEREAS, the economic impacts of an OLF violate the spirit and letter of Executive Order 12898; and WHEREAS, the OLF site is located adjacent to an international treasure of wildlife known as the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, home to more than 100,000 migratory birds, including snow geese, tundra swan and Canada geese, for six months of every year; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that it "strongly recommended against building an OLF close to a National Wildlife Refuge"; and. WHEREAS, a scientist who worked for the Navy's own contractor that conducted the bird study has come forward in strong opposition to this site as being one of the most dangerous locations in the country for Bird Aircraft Strike Hazards; and WHEREAS, Commissioners of both Beaufort and Washington counties have gone on record in opposition to the proposed OLF site; and WHEREAS, Governor Easley opposes this OLF site and any other OLF site which would~have such severe negative impacts and which would be unacceptable to the State of North Carolina;