Orange County NC Website
D13a. How many YEARS will <br />this emissions reduction take <br />place as a result of your <br />project? Please consider the <br />expected lifetime of the <br />technology/program/impact, <br />etc. Note: Solar installations <br />should enter 25 years as the <br />project lifetime. <br />50 <br />D13b. Please explain how <br />you came up with the number <br />of years in the previous <br />question and add any other <br />relevant information. Please <br />list any sources used. (200 <br />word limit) <br />The lifespans of streambank trees in North Carolina vary greatly depending on the species, ranging from a few decades to <br />several hundred years. For example, some oak species live between 150-300 years. Loblolly pines, a common species, <br />can live 200 to 300 years under ideal conditions, but may survive less than 100 years if the soil is poor or pests are <br />present. Red Maples live for 80-100 years, and sweetgums and river birches live from 50-100 years. Willows usually live <br />30-60 years. Bald cypresses, oaks and sycamores can live for centuries. Because USS will use a variety of native North <br />Carolina streambank trees to promote biological diversity, we selected 50 years, which is the shortest lifespan among the <br />native trees that will be planted in USS’s riparian buffer projects. <br />D14. Please describe the <br />location of the emissions <br />reduction. Where would <br />fossil fuels have been burned <br />if not for your project? For <br />projects that reduce <br />electricity usage or that <br />generate solar energy, feel <br />free to state “grid-tied <br />electricity reduction” if you <br />cannot determine the <br />location of emissions <br />produced from electric power <br />generation. (200 word limit) <br />This project does not directly reduce power consumption. However, by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, the trees <br />planted in USS’s riparian buffer installations will help lower emissions from cars in the Bolin Creek Watershed in Orange <br />County and from the UNC-Chapel Hill cogeneration facility, which is located on Cameron Avenue and still relies on <br />coal. USS’s riparian buffers along Orange County’s Bolin Creek will also assist in repairing damage caused by the UNC- <br />Chapel Hill power plant, which was once a coal ash disposal site and is now undergoing cleanup due to contaminated coal <br />ash affecting Bolin Creek. <br />D15. Please describe any <br />other aspect of your project <br />that is relevant to the amount <br />of emissions that it will <br />reduce or avoid. (250 word <br />limit) <br />W e expect many of the native trees planted in our riparian buffer installations to live well beyond 50 years, so the total <br />emissions reduced by this project will likely double (or more) the numbers estimated for this grant application. In addition, by <br />preventing fallen trees due to eroded stream banks, this project prevents the energy consumption required by equipment <br />used to remove those dead trees and remediate any damage they cause. <br />Criterion 3 - Efficient Use of Funds This criterion has a maximum score of 4 pts (out of a total of 26 pts). Please see the <br />Grant Project website for further guidance and the Background and Information document for information about technical <br />assistance. Applicants are encouraged to ask for clarification and technical assistance as early as possible and no later <br />than the posted deadline for questions. <br />D16. Is this a new project?Yes <br />The table below is meant to <br />support the calculations of <br />your project's impact; <br />however, it may not capture <br />all aspects of a project. <br />If the table is not able to capture the correct numbers for your project, please enter "N/A" in those specific fields and upload <br />an additional document with this information. <br />Project Impact (do not enter a $ in front of the numbers) <br />Criterion 3 - Project Impact (New) (7).xlsx <br />Optional file upload for <br />project impact calculations. <br />D17. Are there additional <br />impacts? <br />Yes <br />Please describe the <br />additional units of impact <br />your project has. <br />Yes. This project reduces flooding and erosion; provides natural filtration of stormwater that lowers federal and state <br />nutrient reduction and management fees; supports biological diversity (plants and animals); and promotes safe recreation <br />(such as swimming and wading) and fishing. <br />D18. Please describe any <br />avoided financial costs or <br />savings related to the project <br />and over what period of time <br />those costs will be <br />avoided/reduced. (250 word <br />limit) <br />By protecting the Bolin Creek streambank from erosion and naturally filtering stormwater before it enters Bolin Creek and <br />the Jordan Lake watershed, the riparian buffers installed by USS will reduce Orange County’s costs to clean up Jordan <br />Lake, including state and federal fees related to Jordan Lake Nutrient Strategy rules. This will also lower Orange County <br />W ater Utilities expenses needed to treat Jordan Lake water for residents. Stabilizing the streambank prevents costs <br />associated with cleaning up fallen trees and the damage that could occur from future heavy storms. Protecting the health of <br />Bolin Creek and the Jordan Lake watershed also helps preserve recreational activities like fishing, swimming, tubing, and <br />kayaking, which are affected by high water pollution. These cost savings will continue as long as the riparian buffers are in <br />place, which USS estimates will be at least 50 years. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: FE98AD8C-2A26-4FC1-9B3F-6DEB6E3A41EE