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2. Orange County should continue educating and assisting the agricultural community with the <br /> Voluntary Agricultural District and Present Use Value Taxation programs. <br /> 3. Orange County should increase efforts to encourage homeowners and businesses to <br /> choose regionally native species for landscaping. <br /> Water Resources <br /> 1. Orange County should increase efforts to gather information related to water resources in <br /> Orange County; including data about surface water and groundwater quality, as well as <br /> concerning groundwater quantity. State-led efforts in these areas continue to decline due to <br /> budget and staff reductions. <br /> 2. Orange County should undertake a campaign to inform the public about invasive aquatic <br /> species, including their current extent in our waterways, the likely ramifications of the <br /> occurrence of these species in Orange County, and what steps can be undertaken to slow <br /> their spread or eliminate them locally. <br /> 3. Orange County should continue to increase public awareness and understanding of <br /> water supply sources, related concerns, and what steps can be undertaken to improve <br /> or maintain the quality and quantity of our water supply resources. <br /> Jan Sassaman said one thing that comes out of this report is the importance of thinking <br /> globally and acting locally. <br /> Rich Shaw said each of the above recommendations is spelled out throughout the <br /> report. He staff tried to incorporate any references to the 2030 comprehensive plan, and there <br /> was more emphasis on providing information regarding what citizens can do to address the <br /> issues. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said the CfE and staff did a great job presenting this report at <br /> the summit. She said the quantity and quality of Orange County's surface water and ground <br /> water is a critical issue, and she hopes the County will do what it can to monitor this. She said <br /> surface water and groundwater are important for life. <br /> She said one thing to do about the fracking issue is to educate the public about the <br /> pros and cons and make them aware of the options. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said climate change is a serious issue, and something needs to <br /> be done soon. She said things can be done to think globally and act locally. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said it is important to educate people about climate change. She <br /> also said Orange County has done many things to be proactive in the area of energy efficiency <br /> and conservation. <br /> Commissioner Gordon referred to the recommendations page, and she noted that there <br /> was a study about greenhouse gas emissions that should be completed. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said it is important to protect the County's natural and cultural <br /> resources, and the Lands Legacy Program has done a good job of this. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said this is overall a wonderful report. <br /> Commissioner Rich referred to the recommendations on air and energy, and <br /> she said Chapel Hill has updated some of their data on this. She urged staff to get this <br /> information. <br /> Commissioner Rich referred to recommendation #4 and questioned what the solution or <br /> option would be to the trucking of solid waste to Durham. <br /> Loren Hintz said the last item will go into that issue in more detail. He said the short <br /> answer is for all entities that supported the solid waste group to come up with the ideas. He <br /> said there is a lot of sentiment that the County has a responsibility to better figure out what to <br />