Conservation Trust for North Carolina

Conservation Trust for North Carolina General Assembly Short Session Yields Mixed Results Despite the General Assembly's failure to pass legislation to place the Land and Water Conservation Bond referendum on the fall ballot, the 2006 Short Session did yield some positive results. Passage of the bonds was the top priority for land trusts and the broader Land for Tomorrow coalition. Often such ambitious efforts take more than one year to secure passage, and we're already planning our next attempt to boost state conservation funding by $1 billion. On the plus side, legislation passed this year: Establishes the Land and Water Conservation Study Commission to evaluate potential sources of state funding for land and water conservation and make recommendations on how to address future funding needs. The legislation also directs the Commission to hold at least three regional public meetings to receive input on their proposed recommendations. (S 1122) Maintains the Clean Water Management Trust Fund at $100 million for FY '07 and fully funds the Natural Heritage Trust Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Funds. (S 1741) Appropriates $15 million for expansion of Hickory Nut Gorge State Park. (S 1741) Authorizes the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) to borrow up to $20 million to purchase state game lands. The funds will be used to purchase a portion of the 76,000 acres that the Nature Conservancy had bought from International Paper. The WRC will repay the debt with revenue derived from timber sales on WRC lands statewide. (S 1621) Creates and adds the Sandy Run Savannas and Mountain Bog State Natural Areas to the State Park system For a comprehensive summary of all conservation legislation considered during the 2006 General Assembly please visit the CTNC 2006 legislation page. The Conservation Trust and local land trusts will continue to advocate for increased public funding and expanded tax incentives for land conservation. Given that the Land and Water Conservation Bond did not pass, it's an understatement to say that we could use your help in future policy battles! To get involved and receive future updates and action alerts on public policy issues affecting conservation, please sign up for the Land Conservation Advocates Network at JOIN LCAN You can learn more development in the state and efforts to preserve North Carolina's natural heritage by tuning into WRAL's documentary, entitled Focal Point: "Green Acres." The documentary will air Aug. 9 at 7:00 p.m., on WRAL-TV and WILM - TV. It will also air August 26 at 9:30 on WMYT in Charlotte. The show will repeat on WRAL digital news channel 256 on cable and will be accessible on the WRAL website through a high speed connection.