Minutes 04-05-2022 Business Meeting

Browse Search

6 Renee Price, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners A motion was made by Commissioner Richards, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to approve the proclamation and authorize the Chair to sign it. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair Price invited Terri Buckner to address the Board. She noted this proclamation was brought to the Board through Terri Buckner's efforts. Terri Buckner thanked the Board for recognizing the importance of native plants. She said that native plants provide nectar and pollen for pollinators and seeds for wildlife. She said the recent loss of monarch butterflies has resulted in high demand in local nurseries for milkweed plants. She noted that pollinators are vital for pollinating food baring plants. She said that native plants have evolved over centuries to be in harmony with the environments around them. She said there is still a lot to learn about the role the native plants play. She said that non-native plants often spread rapidly and displace native plants that cannot compete with the new introductions. She said that she hopes to have a local program to educate landowners, gardeners, and nursery buyers on the importance of native plants in landscaping in environmental protection. She thanked the Board again for this proclamation. Christian Hirni, Land Conservation Manager, said staff supports the promotion of planting native plants on public and private lands. He also said that they support the removal or mitigation of non-native species. He said staff takes this issue seriously and there have been several workdays and efforts over the years to address non-native plants on county park lands and reserves. He said that county staff are part of campaigns to eliminate and mitigate the spread of several non-native and invasive plant species, including hydrilla in the Neuse River basin, and the fig buttercup. He said staff have drafted a proposal for an invasive species management policy for county-owned lands, and the policy is awaiting approval from the Commission for the Environment, and will likely come to the Board for adoption in the future. He said staff are also in the final stages of creating a countywide park and conservation stewardship volunteer program with a focus on identifying and locating invasive species. Commissioner Greene explained that native species are frequently found along roadways and often have power lines running along them. She said power companies like to eradicate plants below and can either do it chemically or by chopping. She asked if there has been any effort to eliminate use of herbicides by power companies in Orange County. She also asked if the county has any power to prevent them from using herbicides. David Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation Director, said he and the Commission for the Environment members spent time working on this issue with the Department of Transportation and the energy companies around ten years ago. He said they had a heavy spraying policy at that time along some of the most prominent roadways. He said he has not had a recent conversation with energy providers, but his understanding is they are taking a more multi-faceted approach now, focusing more on traditional practices. He said the Commission for the Environment passed a resolution about that in 2010 with the Board's support and he could mention the conversation again. Chair Price said she worked for an organization in the 1990's that asked Duke Energy to mow instead of using herbicides. She said if the property owner requested it, they would mow rather than use herbicides. She said if areas can be identified and convince landowners to request companies mow rather than use herbicides, it may make some headway.