Orange County NC Website
CFE Meeting Ground Rules (Adopted 9112111) <br />1. Keep to agenda topic under discussion <br />2. Share relevant information <br />3. One person speaks at a time after recognition by the Chair <br />4. Everyone is invited to participate in discussions /no one person should dominate <br />discussions <br />,. Strive to reach consensus first before voting <br />Activities the CFE expects to carry out in 2018: <br />• Plan and develop the State of the Environment 2019 report. <br />• Continue to write news articles on environmental issues of importance to Orange County, <br />including climate change, energy conservation, and other important topics. <br />• Create "Green Tips" as a means of communicating brief sustainability messages. <br />• Continue to explore ways to improve the County's ability to foster local sustainable energy <br />production and energy efficiency strategies, including making Orange County an even better <br />place for appropriately -sited solar energy generation, including developing incentives for <br />increasing energy efficiency in new construction. <br />• Recommend ways to reduce the County's "carbon footprint" and implement the County's <br />Environmental Responsibility Goal (BOCC Priority #10). <br />• Advocate for an update to the County's greenhouse gas inventory. <br />• Continue to help with public outreach and management efforts related to invasive species <br />• Participate in a County effort through the Lands Legacy Program to identify and preserve <br />important landscape corridors that connect significant natural areas and open space (BOCC <br />Priority #1). <br />• Co- sponsor the annual DEAPR photography contest (The Nature of Orange). <br />Concerns or emerging issues the CFE has identified for 2018: <br />• The CFE will continue to advocate for an expansion of the County's commercial food waste <br />pickup and composting services to reduce food waste in the solid waste stream <br />• The CFE remains interested in developing incentives for increasing energy efficiency in new <br />construction, maintenance and improvements, including educating citizens about existing <br />programs for up -fits. <br />• The CFE will continue to learn more about environmental justice and incorporate relevant <br />information and considerations in the next State of the Environment report (2019) and elsewhere <br />• The CFE will continue to follow discussions of how to improve the handling and disposal of <br />Orange County's solid waste, and advocate for long -term solutions <br />• The CFE will continue to advocate for increased efforts to gather information related to water <br />resources in Orange County and to increase public awareness and understanding of water <br />supply sources, related concerns, and what steps can be undertaken to maintain or improve the <br />quantity and quality of Orange County water supply resources <br />• The CFE will continue to address, as appropriate, the critical environmental issues for Orange <br />County as enumerated on page 3 of the 2014 State of the Environment report, which include <br />potential adverse effects from a) invasive, non - native, plant and animal species; b) reductions in <br />State -led collection of water resources data; c) potential drilling for natural gas in the Deep River <br />basin; d) urban sprawl; and CFE support for e) the responsible deployment of clean and <br />appropriately -sited renewable energy and reductions in energy use to help fight climate change <br />