Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Metadata
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015 Laserfiche. All rights reserved.
<br /> <br /> 1 <br />Orange County <br />Commission for the Environment <br /> <br />Meeting Summary <br /> <br />February 10, 2014 <br />Orange County Solid Waste Management Administration Building, Chapel Hill <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />PRESENT: Jan Sassaman (Chair), May Becker, Loren Hintz, Donna Lee Jones, David Neal, <br />Steve Niezgoda, Jeanette O’Connor, Rebecca Ray, Gary Saunders, Lydia Wegman, David <br />Welch <br /> <br />ABSENT: Peter Cada <br />STAFF: Rich Shaw, Tom Davis GUESTS: Gayle Wilson, Eric Gerringer, Tom O’Dwyer <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />I. Call to Order – Sassaman called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. <br /> <br />II. Ad ditions or Changes to Agenda – There were no changes or additions. <br /> <br />III. Approval of Minutes – Sassaman asked for comments on draft minutes for January 13. <br />Neal motioned to approve as written; O’Connor seconded. Approved unanimously. <br /> <br />IV. Industrial Hemp Film – Tom O’Dwyer (former CFE member) presented information <br />about the benefits of growing industrial hemp as an agricultural crop. He began by <br />quoting from a Forbes on-line magazine article from 2013. He noted that since growing <br />hemp was outlawed in 1971 seventeen states have passed some kind of law in support <br />of growing or experimenting with hemp. O’Dwyer said the Farm Bureau has changed its <br />position such that it also now supports hemp production. He also noted that hemp can <br />be a more profitable crop than corn, and provided some figures from Canada. <br /> <br />Neal said O’Dwyer’s information is persuasive, and noted that Congress recently passed <br />a Farm Bill that allows the study of hemp production in the United States. <br /> <br />Welch cautioned that increased hemp production could spur farmers to grow hemp in <br />previously uncultivated areas of ecological significance, which is what happened when <br />corn prices rose to high levels in Midwestern states. <br /> <br />Sassaman asked O’Dwyer what he wanted from the CFE. O’Dwyer said he would like <br />the CFE to indicate its support of industrial hemp production in North Carolina in light of <br />the environmental benefits of growing hemp. He would like the CFE to co-sponsor a <br />showing of the film, “Bringing It Home” along with other county advisory boards, such as <br />the Agricultural Preservation Board and the Economic Development Commission. <br /> <br />Hintz said it may be worthwhile for the CFE to co-sponsor a film event, but he would like <br />to see more definitive information, including the findings of published studies, about the <br />environmental benefits of growing hemp on farmland. Neal agreed, because if the CFE <br />co-sponsors the film it would appear that the CFE was supportive of growing hemp. <br /> <br />O’Dwyer said he had provided some documentation earlier, but would re-send to CFE <br />members. Jones referred members to the Congressional Research Service publication <br />O’Dwyer had provided. Sassaman thanked O’Dwyer for his presentation.