Conservation Plan to Protect Safe Drinking Water in Triangle Announced
OCTOBER 24, 2006
On October 23, the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative, a growing coalition of conservation organizations, landowners, government agencies and watershed protection groups released a comprehensive, science-based conservation plan for protecting drinking water in the Upper Neuse River basin. A news conference was held at Wake County's Blue Jay Point Park. The Initiative will use the conservation plan to expand outreach to landowners, local government officials, and the general public, and to prioritize land protection efforts.
The conservation plan, Protecting Land and Drinking Water for the Future, was produced by Triangle J Council of Governments and the Trust for Public Land with the input of 25 technical experts. The Initiative's goal is to conserve as much of the 24,000 acres the plan identifies as high priority lands as possible. The plan uses computer modeling to target lands that will have the greatest effect in stemming degradation of water quality.
Several elected officials spoke in support of the conservation plan, including Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Durham County Commission Chair Becky Heron, Wake County Commission Chair Tony Gurley, Representative Lucy Allen, and Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss.
The Upper Neuse River Basin is home to about 190,000 people and serves over 500,000 people in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange, and Person counties. The Basin contains nine drinking water supply reservoirs. Water quality is deteriorating in the Basin due to the effects of development.
The Initiative is composed of four local land trusts - the Eno River Association, Tar River Land Conservancy, Triangle Greenways Council, Triangle Land Conservancy; one national conservation organization, the Trust for Public Land; two local government associations, the Triangle J Council of Governments and the Upper Neuse River Basin Association; and two watershed protection groups, the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, and the Neuse River Foundation. The Conservation Trust coordinates the initiative.
To view the conservation plan and news release, go to www.ctnc.org. You can also read more about the conservation plan in today's News and Observer City/State section at: http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/502263.html, through News Channel 14 at http://rdu.news14.com/content/your_news/triangle/?ArID=93051&SecID=512, Or at WRAL at http://www.wral.com/news/10140480/detail.html.
The Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative needs private donations to meet their 24,000-acre target goal. You can help the Conservation Trust protect these lands and others that protect drinking water supplies across the state by donating to the Conservation Trust and/or your local land trust. To find your local land trust, go to http://www.ctnc.org/ltmap.htm.
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