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<br /> 1 <br />FROM: Commission for the Environment <br />SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary <br />DATE: November 14, 2011 <br />LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center (Chapel Hill) <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Kaiser (Chair), Renee Price (Vice Chair), Lucy Adams, May Becker, <br />Michele Drostin, Clay Hudson, David Neal, Loren Hintz, Michael Hughes, Gary Saunders, David <br />Welch <br /> <br />MEMBERS ABSENT: Chris Adams, Peter Cada, Tom O’Dwyer <br /> <br />STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw and Tom Davis <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br /> I. Call to Order: Kaiser called the meeting to order at approximately 7:35 pm <br /> <br />II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – None <br /> <br />III. Approval of Minutes – The October 10 meeting summary was approved (by acclamation) <br />with a few minor edits to one sentence provided by Saunders. <br /> <br />IV. Committee Reports – Committees reported on the status of various projects underway: <br /> <br />Hintz reported on the Biological Resources Committee proposal to protect native plant <br />habitat from herbicides sprayed along roads in Orange County. He presented a draft <br />memorandum to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) summarizing the proposal <br />and answered questions from members. Hintz motioned to approve sending the <br />proposal to the BOCC and asking for an opportunity to present it as an agenda item at <br />an upcoming BOCC meeting. Price seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. <br /> <br />Drostin reported on the Water Resources Committee effort to summarize a review of <br />available scientific literature on any causal relationships between forestry management <br />practices and water quality of downstream surface water supplies. Drostin noted that <br />Cada had compiled the reviews submitted by each committee member, but the <br />committee had not yet discussed what to do with this information. The committee will <br />report back to the CFE with a final recommendation at the December meeting. <br /> <br />Members of the Energy Resources and Air Resources committees reported on their <br />progress examining various issues, including O’Dwyer’s proposal to require that land be <br />set aside for solar energy facilities in new subdivisions. More is expected in December. <br /> <br />V. Annual Report and Work Plan – The CFE reviewed its annual report and work plan for <br />2011 and identified items to include in the 2012 document. Shaw provided an overview <br />of CFE accomplishments from the past year and offered some ideas for the list of <br />activities and emerging issues for 2012. Members made other suggestions. Shaw will <br />prepare draft report and circulate for comments so the CFE can finalize in December. <br /> <br />VI. Election of Officers – The CFE elected Price as Chair and Hughes as Vice-Chair. <br /> <br />VII. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received written materials and brief <br />updates from staff on the following: Triangle Land Conservancy forest management, <br />Updated CFE handout from the State of the Environment 2009, and Town of Carrboro’s <br />consideration of allowing bow hunting of deer. <br /> <br />The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:20 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff