The responsibilities of the Legislative Committee are to:
-
Develop and carry out a legislative
program that incorporates all legislative objectives approved by
the association at its annual meeting
-
Develop objectives on needed
legislation for consideration by the association
-
Develop policy on specific state and
national legislation under consideration or enacted, for
consideration of the association
-
Hold meetings before and during the
annual meeting of the association
2009 Committee Members
-
Donald
N. Cox (Orange), Chair
-
Bill Alston
(Randolph), Vice Chair
-
Kelly Whitaker
(Randolph), Recorder
| Area |
Delegate |
District |
Alternate |
District |
| 1 |
Jim Coman |
Buncombe |
|
|
| 2 |
Claude Shew, Jr. |
Wilkes |
Jo R. Linville |
Yadkin |
| 3 |
Bill Alston |
Randolph |
Don Thompson |
Montgomery
|
| 4 |
Talmadge Layton |
Durham |
|
|
| 5 |
Maurice Berry, Jr. |
Albemarle/Pasq |
Steve Harris |
Albemarle/Pasq |
| 6 |
Don Rawls |
Pender |
Jack Edmondson, Jr
|
Greene |
| 7 |
James McCormick |
Harnett |
|
|
| 8 |
Louis Suther |
Cabarrus |
Gray Newman |
Mecklenburg |
Resource Contacts
-
Pat
Harris Division of Soil and Water Conservation
-
Ralston James
Division of Soil and Water Conservation
-
Mary Combs USDA-
Natural Resources Conservation Service
-
Gail Hughes
NC District Employees'
Association
Action Items
1. The Association requests and supports
funding for the statewide Community Conservation
Assistance Program, Session Law 2006-78 passed during
the 2006 session of the legislature. The Association
requests an increase in the amount of funding to $3.4
million. Funding should not come from a reduction in the
NCACSP or negatively affect increases in the NCACSP
funding. 2009
2. The Association will seek funding for
the NC Agriculture Cost Share Program best management
practices fund and staffing cost match to counties. The
Association will request additional amounts of $500,000
for best management practices and $1,000,000 for
technical assistance match.
2009
3. The Association will request that the
North Carolina General Assembly increase the
appropriation of recurring funds made available each
year to reimburse District Supervisors for necessary
travel and training expenses in the conduct of their
official duties by $50,000.00 and increase matching
funds by $400,000.00 during the 2009-2010 budget
process. The Association requests that its President,
the Soil and Water Conservation Commission Chairman,
Director of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation,
and NRCS State Conservationist work in concert with the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the
General Assembly to achieve this priority funding need.
2009
4. The Association will request that the
General Assembly fund three (3) engineering positions as
part of the 2009-2010 budget process.
2009
5. The Association will seek an
appropriation of $50,000 for the 2009 National
Envirothon to be hosted in North Carolina.
2009
6. The Association President will:
immediately following the annual meeting, write to the
National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) to
request that the matter of declining NRCS technical
assistance funding be considered a high priority for
NACD, and ask for feedback from NACD on actions planned
and/or taken to address this issue, and by March 1,
2009, write to all North Carolina members of Congress,
with copies to the chairs of the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, the Secretary of Agriculture,
and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
expressing support for the increased funding to NRCS
which will allow for one District Conservationist per
Conservation District.
2009
7. The Association recognizes and thanks
the President and officers of the NC Farm Bureau
Federation for their support.
2007
8. The Association recognizes and thanks
the NC Coastal Federation for their legislative support
in 2008. 2009
Policies & Positions
1.
The Association expresses its appreciation to the
members of the General Assembly for their continued
support given to the Agriculture Cost Share Program for
Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, and their support in
sustaining the local conservation infrastructure in Soil
and Water Conservation Districts. The Association
strongly encourages the General Assembly to continue to
provide strong support for non-regulatory programs
delivered through local Soil and Water Conservation
Districts.
2004
2.
The Association
supports the restoration of full technical assistance
funding for the NRCS to the level required to have one
District Conservationist per Conservation District.
2009
3.
The Association supports
recognition by the Environmental Protection Agency, and
state and local water quality programs that nonpoint
source program funding seriously lags behind point
source programs, and is not allocated to North Carolina
based on the attributed nonpoint source proportion of
the water quality problem.
2007
4.
The Association supports federal and state
legislation or other action to compensate landowners,
through tax benefits or other incentives, for
conservation actions taken in response to federal and
state regulations for wetlands, animal waste management,
buffers, and other water quality related programs.
2003
5.
The Association believes that a collaborative and
coordinated effort by the Section 319 Program is
essential to achieve clean water goals, and urges the
North Carolina Congressional Delegation to support the
continued funding of the Section 319 grant program.
2007
6.
The Association emphasizes its
support for the NC Pilot Program for inspections of
animal waste management systems.
2007
7.
The Association will take action through NACD
(e.g., via resolutions) to ensure North Carolina plays a
leadership role in dealing with national conservation
issues.
2003
8.
The
Association will support action in the General Assembly
to increase funding for the NC Farmland Preservation
Trust Fund as stated in Article 61 of NC General Statute
106-744, for the purchase of Agriculture Conservation
Easements.
2003
9.
The North Carolina
General Assembly should adequately fund the Clean Water
Management Trust Fund for fiscal year 2009-2010.
2009 |