Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
<br /> <br />FROM: Commission for the Environment <br />SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary <br />DATE: June 10, 2013 <br />LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: David Neal (Chair), Jan Sassaman (Vice Chair), May Becker, Loren <br />Hintz, Jeanette O’Connor, Steve Niezgoda, Gary Saunders <br /> <br />ABSENT: Lucy Adams, Terri Buckner, Peter Cada, Tom O’Dwyer, David Welch, Sam Yellen <br /> <br />STAFF: Rich Shaw, Tom Davis, Malcolm Munkittrick (DEAPR intern) <br /> <br />GUESTS: Donna Lee Jones (CFE prospect), Pat Davis (OWASA), Ruth Rouse (OWASA) <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br /> I. Call to Order: Neal called the meeting to order at 7:32 pm. <br /> <br />II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – None <br /> <br />III. Introduction of New CFE Members – Neal welcomed three of the four new CFE <br />members appointed on May 21 (Jones, Niezgoda, O’Connor; Enoch absent). Jones has <br />yet to receive employer authorization; she remains a guest and will not vote. <br /> <br />IV. Approval of Minutes – The April 8 meeting summary was approved unanimously. <br /> <br />V. OWASA Forest Management – Shaw referred CFE to a summary of their May 2 tour of <br />the Cane Creek Mitigation Forest property and introduced Pat Davis and Ruth Rouse in <br />attendance to observe and answer questions. Davis and Rouse answered CFE <br />questions about how forest management affects wildlife habitat, water quality, forest <br />health. CFE members asked OWASA staff what the CFE could do to support OWASA’s <br />desire to manage its forestlands responsibly. Davis said he had already received <br />comments from the CFE and will consider them in revising the forest management plan <br />for the other OWASA-owned properties. Davis said he would welcome any further CFE <br />statement that identifies any specific concerns and what safeguards the CFE would like <br />to see before it could support a forest management plan. The CFE agreed to continue <br />this discussion and consider the OWASA staff’s request at the August meeting. <br /> <br />VI. State of the Environment 2014 – Shaw reviewed draft timeframe and introduced <br />Malcolm Munkittrick (UNC grad student/DEAPR intern) to discuss his ideas for the 2014 <br />report. CFE members provided initial feedback on the contents and format of the next <br />SOE report, including references to relevant objectives in the Comprehensive Plan. The <br />CFE discussed its role as the steering committee and asked Munkittrick to prepare draft <br />2014 SOE report outline by July. Munkittrick will solicit feedback from CFE via email. <br /> <br />VII. CFE Liaison to the OUTBoard – The CFE voted unanimously to recommend Saunders <br />be considered for appointment to the OUTBoard as the CFE representative. <br /> <br />VIII. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received updates and information on <br />the following: a) a film about industrial hemp production, b) community solid waste <br />forum, c) “The Nature of Orange” photography contest, d) revised Orange Co. energy, <br />water & fuel conservation policies, e) the County’s energy, water & fuel performance <br />report for 2012, and f) recent UNC Sustainability newsletter. <br /> <br />IX. Adjournment – Sassaman adjourned the meeting at 9:34 pm. <br /> <br />Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff