Agenda - 11-16-1999 -3 add - Laserfiche WebLink

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pr0599 http://www.cwmtfnet/prl 199.html .Clean Water - ~' li~Iana~e~ent ~ ~ _ 'rust Fund. PRESS 12ELEAS~: November 16,1999. Contact Persons (CWIVITF Field representatives): In the west, Tom Massie, 828-586-4133; in the piedmont; Bern Schumak, 704-947-0506; and in the east;.Damon Tatem, 252-441-6672 . CWMTF Director: IDavad 1VIcNaught, 252-830-3222. This week the North Carolina CleanWater Management Trust Fund (CVVMTF) tentatively approved funding for twenty-two water qualityprojects across North Carolina (at approx~rnately $21.6 million).. The largest of these awards will be a grant of $5.7 million to the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for a program entitled, "Floodplain Management -Phase I: Purchase of Conservation Easements on Confined Swine Operations". One of the major water quality concerns in the wake of the recent catastrophic floods in eastern North Carolina. has been that considerable hog waste was washed from lagoons located in the 100-year floodplain. Siting new or expanded hog lagoons in the floodplain is now prohibited by state rules; but manyof the existing hog farms located in the floodplain -can and will restock and continue operation. This voluntary, incentive program. will providean economically viable option for livestock owners, who want to .close and clean up lagoons in the floodplain. .While the DENR program was, clearly in prompt response to the devastating floods; most CWMTF projects will mitigate the negative water_quality consequences of future flood events, wherever such events may occur. Many of the other approved projects are in areas that were affected by the recent floods, including a grant of up to approximately $3.2 million to Edenton/Chowan County. This project is perhaps the most comprehensive project funded to date by CWMTF. In addition to decommissioning an old hog operation, which has been located within 100 feet of Pembroke Creek, the program"also includes the restoration and preservation of substantial riparian buffers, relocates a welding operation out of the floodplain, and assesses remaining sources of pollution in the immediate watershed. The Trustees also approved three creative projects to improve treatment and control of stormwater. The largest of these grants will be to the Town of Tarboro for up to $1.8 million to treat the stormwater runoff from. approximately 30% of their urban area (1,900, acres). The NC Wetland Restoration. Program and Duke University will use a grant of up to $582,500 to collaborate on a project to restore stream banks and riparian areas of Sandy Creek in the Cape Fear watershed. Near Greenville, the Mid-East RC&D will use a grant of up to $333,535 to restore and construct wetlands along Mill Creek in the Tar Pamlico basin. - In addition, several grants were made to acquire and preserve critical riparian buffers. The NC Coastal Land Trust,was approved for up to $258,000 to preserve 127 acres along Otter Creek and the Tar River just above Greenville. The Catawba Lands Conservancy received two separate grants for a total of up to approximately $1.5 million to preserve two parcels of land, one in the Catawba River Basin the other in the Yadkin Riverbasin. The NC. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) also received two separate grants; for a total of approximately $4.5 million, they will preserve approximately 10,000 riparian acres. One WRC project in Hyde County will use several thousand acres of forest lands to filter the runoff from expansive, adjacent agricultural lands; and the other WRC project is the preservation of the buffer to Little Singletary Lake in the lower Cape Fear watershed. Two Counties will receive grants for , preservation projects: Dare County (up to $623,000) and Orange County. (up to $143,000). Ashe County Lof 2 11/16/1999 2:SO PM