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Orange County Commission for the Environment <br />Meeting Summary <br />April 14th, 2025; 7:00 pm <br /> Hybrid Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />Page 3 of 4 <br /> <br />Absent: None <br /> <br />Staff: Chris Hirni, Karina Nabors <br /> <br />Big questions to consider for SOE: <br /> <br />• What is sustainability in OC? <br /> <br />• What is Orange County’s Carrying Capacity? Could farms in OC feed every citizen? <br /> <br />• What will the impact of more frequent droughts and heat increases mean for crop <br />production and farmers in general? <br /> <br />• How does our land use impact the local water cycle (certain crop’s transpiration can <br />impact local moisture levels)? <br /> <br />• Discussed methods for collecting data on farms and land use in general. <br /> <br />• Will refer to Ag Preservation Board data on farmland preservation (including timber <br />farming). <br /> <br />• One recommendation for the upcoming SOE will be for a Tree Canopy Study to be done <br />in OC (like Wake, Durham). <br /> <br />VII. Updates and Information Items <br />• Chair Regina Baratta gave an update on the Hillsborough Climate Challenge. The <br />next event will be a composting demo here at the Bonnie B. Davis facility tomorrow. <br />• Amy Eckberg notified the CFE about the “Down to Earth” exhibit and special event <br />coming up at the Art Center in Carrboro on April 26th. <br />• Amy Eckberg notified the CFE that they had gotten a $200,000 grant that they had <br />applied for to put solar on the Cedar Grove Community Center. <br />• Karina Nabors and Melony Gilles gave the CFE a recap of the recent Tree Giveaway <br />and Repair Café…both events were a success. <br />• Melony Gilles notified the CFE on a Clothing and Art Swap that will be held at the <br />Arts Mill on May 17th.