CFE minutes 011215 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

2 make sure any new inventory could be measured against the 2005 baseline data. Saunders noted that so much of the software technology has changed in the ten years since the initial inventory. W e may not want to “drill down” to the same level of detail, but rather focus on more high-impact measures. Hintz reported on the Land Resources Committee priorities as follows: 1) Help initiate the development of a comprehensive conservation plan for Orange County to be used by the Lands Legacy program and other land conservation programs to protect natural areas and wildlife habitat. Consider ways to ensure conservation land is distributed equitably throughout the county so that everyone has reasonable access to enjoy these areas. 2) Help educate homeowners and businesses on reasons to choose regionally native species for landscaping. Educate the public about ways to promote biodiversity in the home landscape. 3) Renew collaboration with NC Botanical Garden and others to identify significant roadside habitat for native plants; then asking NCDOT and other utilities to eliminate the use of herbicides to manage vegetation in those special roadside habitats. 4) Advocate for including land conservation (i.e., support for Lands Legacy program) as part of the planned bond package for 2016; then take the lead in educating the public about why protected space and natural areas are important for Orange County. Hintz also reported that the committee recommends the CFE continue to co-sponsor the annual DEAPR photography contest (The Nature of Orange), help plan for and participate in DEAPR’s annual Earth Day event, and continue to update the State of the Environment 2014. He also said the committee identified the following issues for public outreach efforts: native species, land conservation, and composting food waste. Cada reported on the priorities that were identified by the Water Resources Committee: 1) Public education about invasive species of concern, their extents/locations, and what steps can be taken to address them. 2) Increase the collection of data for surface and ground water quality (also increase public education so that it might lead to more funding for data collection). 3) Increase public education of our water supply, and what steps can be taken to improve/maintain quality and quantity of water supplies into the future. Cada noted that efforts for each of these topics include a public education component. VI. Public Outreach – SOE Report – The CFE discusses various ways of conveying information from the State of the Environment report to the general public. Shaw noted that the information on various topics (such as fracking, invasive species, etc.) could be reformatted for different venues. Wegman said her committee discussed preparing articles for printing in the News of Orange County and the Chapel Hill News. Niezgoda pointed out that it’s also important to post information to the social media, and as an example he has established a Facebook page for the CFE and will name O’Connor as manager of the page, which will allow to her post new entries on behalf of the CFE. Ray agreed that electronic media is important for getting out this information.