Orange County NC Website
Commission for the Environment <br />environmental quality, many of which address objectives stated in the <br />Orange County Comprehensive Plan. <br />Identify any activities this commission expects to carry out in 2018 as they relate to <br />established BOCC goals and priorities. If applicable, is there a fiscal impact (i.e., <br />funding, staff time, other resources) associated with these proposed activities (list). <br />• Continue to plan for and prepare the 2019 State of the Environment report <br />• Continue to write news articles on environmental issues of importance to Orange <br />County, including climate change, energy conservation, and other important topics <br />• Continue to explore ways to improve the County's ability to foster local sustainable <br />energy production and energy efficiency strategies, including making Orange County <br />an even better place for appropriately -sited solar energy generation, and developing <br />incentives for increasing energy efficiency in new construction <br />• Recommend ways to reduce the County's "carbon footprint" and ways to implement <br />the County's Environmental Responsibility Goal (BOCC Priority #10) <br />• Participate in a County effort to identify and preserve important landscape corridors <br />that connect significant natural areas and open space (BOCC Priority #1) <br />• Co- sponsor the annual DEAPR photography contest (The Nature of Orange) <br />• Help plan for and participate in County's annual Earth Evening event <br />What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming <br />year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners' attention? <br />• The CFE will continue to advocate for an expansion of the County's commercial food <br />waste pickup and composting services to reduce food waste in the solid waste stream <br />• The CFE remains interested in developing standards and incentives for increasing <br />energy efficiency in new construction <br />• The CFE will continue to learn more about environmental justice matters and <br />incorporate relevant information and considerations in the next State of the <br />Environment report (2019) and its other activities <br />• The CFE will continue to advocate for better long -term solutions concerning the <br />disposal of Orange County's solid waste <br />• The CFE will continue to advocate for increased public awareness and understanding <br />of water supply sources and related concerns <br />• The CFE will continue to address, as appropriate, the critical environmental issues for <br />Orange County as enumerated on page 3 of the 2014 State of the Environment <br />report, which include potential adverse effects from a) invasive, non - native, plant and <br />animal species; b) reductions in State -led collection of water resources data; c) <br />potential drilling for natural gas in the Deep River basin; d) urban sprawl; and CFE <br />support for e) the responsible deployment of clean and appropriately -sited renewable <br />energy and reductions in energy use to help fight climate change <br />4 <br />