NRLI 06: left to right, front row to back row

Deborah Robertson, Sarah Bruce, Jacquelyn Presley, Christina Sorensen (1st row-seated)

Susan Jakes, Bryan Tompkins, Ronnie Smith, Margit Bucher, Anna Smith,Brian Strong (2nd row-seated)

Joan Troy, Steve Johnson, Jody Brady, Cliff Ruth, Craig Manzene, Joo TaeLee (3rd row standing)

Steven Daniels, Scott Barnard, Adrian O'Neal, Daniel Carpenter, Kevin Harvell, Scott Pohlman, Andy Meadows (4th row standing)

Rich Gannon, Natalie Jones, Phil Fragapane, Gail Abrams, Wendy Patoprsty, Tom Slusser (back row)

2006 Fellow Participants

Name	Organization	Position	Location
Gail Abrams	Piedmont Wildlife Center	Executive Director	Durham, NC
THE TRIANGLE ENVRIONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE)FACILTIES PLANNING GROUP The Triangle Environmental Education (EE) Facilities Planning Group was organized through a partnership between Gail Abrams of Piedmont Wildlife Center and Christina Sorensen and Deborah Robertson of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space as part of a practicum for the Natural Resource Leadership Institute, a leadership program of NC State University. Through networking and personal experience, the partners found that Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties have seen the demand for more environmental education facilities. A plan was devised to convene a group of State, Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake County officials, educators, non-profit organizations and community groups to discuss the need for such facilities and to facilitate ways the group can collaborate to develop and market programs, design the facility and identify funding sources. The purpose of the Group is to work together to: • review current needs for Environmental Education (EE) facilities • identify any obstacles for EE facilities currently in planning stages • identify additional stakeholders to invite to the process • explore potential partnerships and collaborations • develop a business case for EE Facilities • identify funding sources A business case was developed for use by stakeholders to assist them in justifying the need for indoor EE facilities in their county or municipality. This business case includes the results from the Needs Assessment Survey completed during this process. A series of maps were also developed demonstrating the public school use of current facilities (both with and without indoor facilities) as well as the location of proposed EE facilities in the 4-county area. Stakeholders were encouraged to work with staff of these proposed facilities to help bring them to fruition.
Scott Barnard	Town of Holly Springs, NC	Park Manger, Bass Lake Park and Retreat Center	Holly Springs, NC
THE BASS LAKE MASTER PLAN The Bass Lake Master Plan was the focused of this project, and specifically a 9.2-acre site for a new facility. Three meetings were conducted with various stakeholders including daily and periodic users, fishermen, adjacent landowners, park staff and town staff. To date, the various stakeholders are remaining involved in the proposed development plan in order to shape future decisions.
Jody Brady	NC DENR, Division of Forest Resources	County Forester	Wilkesboro, NC
INTEGRATION OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INTO THE FOREST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AT RENDEZVOUS STATE FOREST Rendezvous Forest includes approximately 3300 acres of forestland located in the mountains of northwest North Carolina in an area that has a long tradition of active forest management on surrounding private land. Although Rendezvous Forest has been very active with educational programs on the original 140-acre tract, no silvicultural or research projects have been implemented on the newer acquisitions. The purpose of the project was to complete the comprehensive management plan by developing a strategy to implement silvicultural demonstrations and develop management leaflets for landowner education through involvement of local resource professionals and forest landowners into the planning process. The management plan for the forest was completed in 2006 and several management operations were implemented. Input was gathered from natural resource professionals and landowners on what they thought were needed to utilize the forest for demonstration and research activities. A series of forest management leaflets have been completed with many more planned for the future as a result of this project. An ecosystem management area has been delineated to serve as a large-scale forest demonstration and research area. Smaller research and public use areas have also been incorporated into the management plan. Also a 30-acre research and demonstration area has been harvested using several harvest methods in order to begin placement of a series of reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and stabilization and wildlife habitat projects. A base of local resource professionals and landowners has assisted with the planning process and will be utilized in the future to continue the project, which includes development of new forestry leaflets, dissemination of leaflets to the landowners, demonstration and research projects, a Rendezvous Forest website development, and research grant funding.
Sarah Bruce	Triangle J Council of Governments	Water Resources Planner	Research Triangle Park, NC
DEVELOPING THE UPPER NEUSE RIVER BASIN ASSOCIATION IMPLMENTATION PLANNING PROCESS The Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) is a partnership of local governments that have pooled resources to help protect water resources in the Upper Neuse Basin. The UNRBA is determining how it will implement its Upper Neuse Watershed Management Plan. In 4 UNRBA meetings over the past year, I consulted UNRBA participants on a process to create an Implementation Plan. The process was approved by the UNRBA Board of Directors and is now being put into motion to produce the Implementation Plan. I used facilitation techniques with the UNRBA Technical Advisory Committee to uncover drivers and possible paths forward for the Implementation Planning effort. In addition, we used the Public Participation Spectrum to determine the extent to which UNRBA will involve a larger pool of stakeholders in Implementation Planning. Because we utilized frameworks for participatory decision-making, our Implementation Plan will be more informed by local government interests. Furthermore, the additional involvement might increase member government willingness to implement the Upper Neuse Watershed Management Plan’s strategies.
Margit Bucher	The Nature Conservancy	Fire Manager/Assistant Director of Science	Durham, NC
ESTABLISHING A NC PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL An informal ‘NC fire team’ established a formal NC Prescribed Fire Council 3/3/06. The goal of the council is to foster cooperation among all parties in North Carolina with an interest or stake in prescribed fire to benefit natural ecosystems and wildlife as well as reduce the risk of damage from wildfires. The council will encourage the exchange of information, techniques and experiences among practitioners of prescribed fire in North Carolina and by promote the public understanding of the regional importance and benefits of prescribed fire. As a member of an informal multi-agency ‘fire team’ I proposed forming a NC prescribed fire council to the group starting 2005, gathered background on other councils, encouraged team members to attend a SC council meeting, coordinated the development of bylaws. We kept broadening our group to include air quality staff and forestry consultants. I took the lead planning the agenda for the 3/3/06 inauguration meeting and was elected as first chair for the council at the meeting 3/3/06. We collaboratively established a working agenda at the meeting that was fine-tuned by the steering committee the next month. My role as chair was to lead the steering committee of 8, appoint subcommittee chairs and guide them. During its first year, the council developed a communications plan and identify (logo, website, brochure), participated in outreach efforts, and held a public meeting 12/6/06. Per bylaws, the vice chair became the new chair in March 07, and we elected a new vice chair. The council continues to be active in outreach moving ahead on its agenda established at the public meeting. I was appointed chair of the implementation subcommittee at that time. The next public meeting is planned for January 08.
Daniel Carpenter	Columbia Forest Products	Timber Procurement Director	Cherryville, NC
NATURE INTREPERATIVE TRAIL AND FOREST MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION AREA This project began with a small forest, on a farm in the western piedmont of North Carolina, and is working toward becoming a productive Stewardship Forest. It will showcase options that other landowners can use to enhance timber production, wildlife and recreation. In other words, by example, it will serve to educate local landowners and the community at large. It will promote forest management and multiple-use on a typical size woodlot. In addition to a timber harvest there will be a reserve area with a creek, also a nature trail, picnic and tent camping area that will be used to serve and educate small local groups.
Steven Daniels	NC DENR, Division of Air Quality	Environmental Specialist II	Washington, NC
COLLABORATING WITH BERTIE COUNTY ON MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL OPEN BURNING Open burning of trash, tires, plastic and any man-made synthetic material has been illegal in NC since the 1970’s. The State Administrative Code has provisions for the open burning of leaves, branches and other plant growth, but nothing else. The rule of thumb is "If it doesn't grow, you can't burn it." However, people across the state continue to illegally burn waste in the open as a means of disposal instead of either hauling it off to collection sites or having it hauled off to an approved disposal site. Studies show that the levels of air pollution emitted from the common trash burn-barrels are quite high and pose a real threat to the well being of the communities where this practice still exists. The NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ), among its responsibilities, enforces the state open burning rules. Investigating open burning is a consuming task for the DAQ. The Washington Regional Office (WaRO) receives 2-3 complaints per week about people burning refuse. The resulting investigations cost the state money to investigate, including vehicle miles, time on and off site. The resources spent could be reduced if this environmental law was more widely understood. Annually, there are more documented violations for illegal open burning than for violations of all federal and state Air Quality regulations in North Carolina combined. In 2006, Bertie County, NC adopted a county wide Junkyards and Abandoned Motor Vehicles Ordinance. With this in mind, it is anticipated there will be an increase in illegal open burnings as county officials begin to enforce the ordinance. The objective of this project is to develop a collaborative effort with DAQ and Bertie County to prevent illegal open burning during the enforcement of the Junkyards and Abandoned Motor Vehicles Ordinance.
Philip Fragapane	NC DENR, Division of Water Resources	Environmental Engineer	Wake County, NC
Rich Gannon	NC DENR, Division of Water Quality	Environmental Supervisor III	Wake County, NC
COMPREHENSIVE NUTRIENT ACCOUNTING IN DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY NUTRIENT STRATEGIES This project uses a collaborative decision-making process to evaluate shortcomings of current progress accounting methods used under the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico nutrient strategies, and to formulate a more comprehensive and accurate accounting structure for use in these basins and potentially in pending and future state nutrient management initiatives. Current methods can result in double-counting of nutrient reductions and do not provide for a full, regular assessment of overall strategy progress. Primary stakeholders are the agriculture sector, local government storm water programs, the Division of Water Quality, the Division of Soil and Water Conservation, environmental interests, and the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program. Water Quality (Rich Gannon) and Soil and Water (Natalie Jones) staff have initiated a meeting process with a core group of stakeholders. The core group is tasked with producing a conceptual proposal that may include options, which will be taken to the full stakeholder group. We plan to seek agreement in concept from the full stakeholders for addition to a November 2007 Neuse/Tar-Pamlico annual report to the NC Environmental Management Commission. Staff will develop full elements for subsequent review and acceptance by the full stakeholder group. Water Quality would use the resulting product in all subsequent annual reports to the Commission. Insights will be transferred to nutrient strategies now being developed for other watersheds.
Kevin Harvell	NC DENR, Division of Forest Resources	Assistant Regional Forester	Mount Holly, NC
PRIORITIZING PRESCRIBED BURNING ADJACENT TO THE UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST Located in Davidson, Montgomery and Randolph Counties the Uwharrie Mountains emerged from the soils of North Carolina's central piedmont, making them the oldest mountain range in North America. The same forces of erosion that wore the Appalachians down from their former Rocky-Mountain-like heights also took their toll on the Uwharries, which now peak at around 1,000 feet. The entire Uwharrie, prior to becoming a national forest, was cleared for timber and farming. Majority of the forestland is composed of loblolly pine, southern red oak, red maple, yellow poplar and mix of other hardwood species. The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness in the north is an exception: Still blanketed by old-growth hardwoods, this area was less affected by development and looks to stay that way. The Uwharrie also boasts more archaeological sites per acre than any other forest in the southeast. The area is stilled considered rural, but has seen its share of urban growth. North Carolina has the most wildland urban intermix in the 48 contiguous states according to research conducted by the USDA Forest Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is estimated that over 12,000,000 acres in NC fall within this category. North Carolina has experienced rapid development across the landscape and it is expected to continue for many years. Wildland Urban issues continue to be at the forefront of educating the citizens of NC and absentee landowners/homeowners. North Carolina has more than 1,000,000 acres of USDA Forest Service forestland that are found within Croatan, Uwharrie, Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. These forests are not immune to North Carolina’s WUI problems or to forest damage caused by the natural disasters. Floods, hurricanes, southern pine beetle, or ice storms has impacted all North Carolina forests in the past decade. Communities surrounding these forests are popular and growing vacation and retirement destinations.
Susan Jakes	NC Cooperative Extension	Extension Specialist, Family and Community Development	Wake County, NC
INCREASING EXTENSION’S CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH CAROLINA This project was to increase the state level organization and support for community development programming in North Carolina Cooperative Extension. This project had 3 primary components, 1) a statewide meeting for all of the CRD faculty both campus and field, 2) a Rural Development Roundtable with statewide leadership in Rural Development and 3) an overhaul to the Community objectives of the NC Cooperative Extension Long Range Plan. The Community Development program in North Carolina is growing rather than further diminishing. Faculty came together as a Community Development Program that had not come together in years. Several collaborative groups have resulted from renewed connections with organizations outside of Extension. Work is ongoing to further strengthen these relationships. Greater linkages are being made between campus and field faculty as well as within these groups. Through these connections, the resources base of the faculty is becoming more accessible. A team has been formed of the key faculty leaders statewide that will continue to lead new efforts to further develop the program. There is now a revised long range plan in place developed out of a collaborative effort that is more concise, and a better fit with the community development programming we do in NC. All of these developments will strengthen the work of all involved and have a positive effect on the work of Cooperative Extension in North Carolina’s communities.
Natalie Jones	NC DENR, Division of Soil and Water Conservation	Watershed Project Manager/Environmental Supervisor I	Beaufort County, NC
COMPREHENSIVE NUTRIENT ACCOUNTING IN DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY NUTRIENT STRATEGIES This project uses a collaborative decision-making process to evaluate shortcomings of current progress accounting methods used under the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico nutrient strategies, and to formulate a more comprehensive and accurate accounting structure for use in these basins and potentially in pending and future state nutrient management initiatives. Current methods can result in double-counting of nutrient reductions and do not provide for a full, regular assessment of overall strategy progress. Primary stakeholders are the agriculture sector, local government storm water programs, the Division of Water Quality, the Division of Soil and Water Conservation, environmental interests, and the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program. Water Quality (Rich Gannon) and Soil and Water (Natalie Jones) staff have initiated a meeting process with a core group of stakeholders. The core group is tasked with producing a conceptual proposal that may include options, which will be taken to the full stakeholder group. We plan to seek agreement in concept from the full stakeholders for addition to a November 2007 Neuse/Tar-Pamlico annual report to the NC Environmental Management Commission. Staff will develop full elements for subsequent review and acceptance by the full stakeholder group. Water Quality would use the resulting product in all subsequent annual reports to the Commission. Insights will be transferred to nutrient strategies now being developed for other watersheds.
Craig Manzene	Weyerhaeuser Company	Early Rotation Forester	New Bern, NC
PARTNERING TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONTINUED RECOVERY AND PROTECTION OF THE BALD EAGLE ON WEYERHAEUSER, NORTH CAROLINA TIMBERLANDS The Bald Eagle, though recently “de-listed”, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act (1973), will still be protected by Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act 1940) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA 1972). In order to continue to develop protective measures for the Bald Eagle, Weyerhaeuser Company, North Carolina Timberlands, in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are working together to apply the new National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines, May 2007 to Weyerhaeuser’s silvicultural activities on Company property. The purpose of this practicum is to formalize and streamline the process Weyerhaeuser will follow in applying the “National Bald Eagle Guidelines, May 2007” to Weyerhaeuser’s silvicultural activities while at the same time minimizing the impact on bald eagles near or on company property. This process will support the eagle’s continued recovery and provide for continuity in information between Weyerhaeuser Company, State, and federal agencies.
Andy Meadows	NC DENR, Division of Forest Resources	Assistant District Forester	New Bern, NC
ORGANIZING AND COLLABORATING FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING IN DISTRICT 4 The NC Division of Forest Resources mission is “To develop, protect, and manage the multiple resources of North Carolina’s forest through professional stewardship, enhancing the quality of life for our citizens while ensuring the continuity of these vital resources.” The Division of Forest Resources has a program called the landowner hazard reduction-burning program, which is used to reduce the amount of fuel that could burn during a damaging spring wildfire, and it also provides numerous other benefits. The division has limited time and resources to carry out this vital program because prescribed burning is dependent on weather factors and time of year and resources to implement the burn. We cannot control the weather, so the division has to be flexible during certain times of the year to accomplish this task. With the number of prescribed burning projects in the district’s eight counties, it has become necessary to develop a tool to help organize and plan the prescribed burning program. The idea of organizing all prescribed burning at one location with all the information pertaining to required weather parameters and resource needs to be entered into a database that could be projected in GIS format. This information allows the user to have access to all the burning scheduled and compare it to weather forecasts. This will allow the user to assist the counties with the coordination of resources on a daily basis. With advanced planning, resources will be used effectively to achieve more prescribed burning in district 4 counties. The program will be evaluated on a regular basis and suggested improvements will be implemented. The long-term goal is to have a tool that will be utilized throughout the division to assist with the fulfillment of the divisions’ mission.
Adrian O’Neal	NC DENR, Division of Parks and Recreation	District Superintendent	Seven Springs, NC
SANDY RUN STATE NATURAL AREA: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, AND EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT AM In southeastern North Carolina, an ecologically sensitive landscape straddles Pender and Onslow counties. Due to this area’s significance, the Nature Conservancy purchased land along Sandy Run Swamp, which crosses the Pender/Onslow County line. In 2006, this property was transferred to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR) for management as a State Natural Area. Although the area near Sandy Run Swamp is ecologically rich, the human communities adjacent to the project site are economically distressed. Significant poverty persists in Pender County, particularly in the unincorporated rural communities. Given these conditions, the overarching goal of this practicum project was to build relationships between stakeholders with different interests, most specifically between the NC Division of Parks and Recreation and local community members. Through these relationships, we hoped to develop a shared vision for the new Sandy Run State Natural Area. Through a series of interviews and meetings, relationships have been built and channels of communication have been formed between the local community and NCDPR. In addition, NCDPR and community groups are collaboratively exploring how the State Natural Area can contribute socially and economically to the local community in the future.
Wendy Patoprsty	NC Cooperative Extension Service	Natural Resources/Environmental Education Agent	Boone, NC
TOWN OF NEWLAND CLEAN WATER COMMUNITY PARK STORMWATER MANAGEMENT & STREAM RESTORATION IN COORDINATORN WITH A COMMUNITY PARK DESIGN The Town of Newland recently purchased a 10.37acre parcel of floodplain land in the downtown district for community green space development, bike trail, boardwalks, playground, and bathhouse. Currently all of the stormwater from the downtown streets either sheet flows onto this 10 acres, or is ditched and piped to the North Toe River that runs through downtown. The main objective of this water project is to receive funds to: Install a stormwater wetland to collect and cleanse stormwater before entering the river, and to restore the stream to its natural dimension, pattern, and profile. These best management practices will improve water quality, instream and riparian habitat, and reduce the amount of sediment and other pollutants from entering the headwaters of the North Toe. Through the Natural Resources Leadership Institute practicum, a grant was funded to create the wetland, and restore the stream. Many non-profits, town officials, and state agencies came together to develop the vision of the park to ensure that it’s created. This site will also serve as a model for landowners in the county to learn how they can implement BMP’s on their land to protect and restore their streams. Agencies will have demonstration workshops and tours at the project site to educate others in this field of watershed management. This site is an ideal location to educate students of all ages about stream ecology, watersheds, clean water and the protection of our natural resources. The Clean Water Community Park will also have handicap accessible ramps and boardwalks for children and adults to fish for trout in the newly restored river.
Scott Pohlman	NC DENR, Natural Heritage Program	Natural Areas Specialist	Raleigh, NC
ESTUARINE AND MARINE CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR ONSLOW BIGHT CONSERVATION FORUM The Onslow Bight Conservation Forum is a regional consortium of non-profit conservation organizations, state and federal resource agencies, and two military installations. The overarching goal of the Forum is to address the growing population and development pressures that threaten the rural character and natural habitats of the Onslow Bight landscape. The Forum was modeled on the Sandhills Conservation Partnership, which similarly includes a military agency facing encroachment issues while at the same time managing for endangered species. Since 2001, the Forum has provided a place for communication and encouraged collaboration where organizational missions overlap. As part of its strategy to better coordinate efforts in biodiversity conservation, the Forum partners would like to develop a conservation plan for estuarine and marine ecosystems to complement the existing plan for regional terrestrial ecosystems. The Forum lacks expertise in estuarine and marine ecosystems. However, there have been four separate and concurrent planning efforts for these systems, at a variety of spatial scales. To avoid duplication of effort, this project sought to work with experts that have been engaged in the other plans, specifically to extract the most appropriate conservation strategies for the Onslow Bight region. One large facilitated meeting and smaller meetings were used to solicit expert input and guidance for the Onslow Bight conservation plan.
Deborah Robertson	Wake County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space	Assistant Park Manager	Morrisville, NC
THE TRIANGLE ENVRIONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE)FACILTIES PLANNING GROUP The Triangle Environmental Education (EE) Facilities Planning Group was organized through a partnership between Gail Abrams of Piedmont Wildlife Center and Christina Sorensen and Deborah Robertson of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space as part of a practicum for the Natural Resource Leadership Institute, a leadership program of NC State University. Through networking and personal experience, the partners found that Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties have seen the demand for more environmental education facilities. A plan was devised to convene a group of State, Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake County officials, educators, non-profit organizations and community groups to discuss the need for such facilities and to facilitate ways the group can collaborate to develop and market programs, design the facility and identify funding sources. The purpose of the Group is to work together to: • review current needs for Environmental Education (EE) facilities • identify any obstacles for EE facilities currently in planning stages • identify additional stakeholders to invite to the process • explore potential partnerships and collaborations • develop a business case for EE Facilities • identify funding sources A business case was developed for use by stakeholders to assist them in justifying the need for indoor EE facilities in their county or municipality. This business case includes the results from the Needs Assessment Survey completed during this process. A series of maps were also developed demonstrating the public school use of current facilities (both with and without indoor facilities) as well as the location of proposed EE facilities in the 4-county area. Stakeholders were encouraged to work with staff of these proposed facilities to help bring them to fruition.
Cliff Ruth	NC Cooperative Extension Service	Area Specialized Agent	Hendersonville, NC
Tom Slusser	NC DENR, Division of Water Quality	Hydrogeological Technician II	Raleigh, NC
RESOLVING WATER QUALITY ISSUES WITH THE COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY SERVING THE HOLLY HILLS COMMUNITY OF SYLVA, JACKSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA The Holly Hills community in Sylva, Jackson County, NC, is served by an aging, single-well community water supply system. Residents of the community have experienced water quality problems of varying durations and severity from the beginning unto the present day. Community residents have often complained to the owner/operator to fix the problems, but no long-term solution has been implemented. The purpose and intent of this project was to meet with the homeowners and the owner/operator to develop some ideas to resolve the water quality problems and then to negotiate an agreement that would satisfy the interests of both parties. I was not able to meet with the owner/operator, so no negotiation took place. My recommendation is that the homeowners file a complaint with the Utilities Commission and use the mediation mechanism available via the Public Staff’s Consumer Services Division, since they are the entity properly authorized to resolve this conflict.
Anna Huckabee Smith	North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission	Urban Wildlife Biologist	Raleigh, NC
URBAN WILDLIFE PILOT PROJECT: JORADAN-HARRIS OVERLAND WILDLIFE CORRIDOR, PHASE 1-RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has created a new and innovative program within the Faunal Diversity Section. The Urban Wildlife Pilot Project, begun in January 2005 and lead by an Urban Wildlife Biologist, seeks to promote cross-jurisdictional planned growth and the preservation of biologically significant, linked open space in the Triangle Region (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill). The project attempts to steer incompatible development away from important biological and cultural sites while encouraging “infill”. The project is in two phases. Phase I includes background research, data gathering, and partnership building with planning and parks departments. Land Use Plans, Growth Management Plans, ordinances, and even park and greenway planning documents were—and still are—reviewed for potential updates and revisions to make them more “wildlife-friendly.” Phase II includes helping to implement the Triangle GreenPrint through actual on-the-ground conservation such as conserving an overland wildlife corridor between Jordan and Harris Lakes. In the future, county commissioners and developers will be contacted for inclusion in this working partnership for conservation. Studies have shown that the more removed people are from their natural world, the less they understand and appreciate it and the less they are willing to support conservation initiatives and organizations. The protection of open space makes wildlife viewing and outdoor recreation for those non-consumptive constituents of the WRC more easily attainable and ultimately improves the quality of life for all of the region’s citizens.
Ronnie Smith	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Fishery Biologist	Edenton, NC
THE EDENTON CITIZENS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP GROUP In Edenton a group was formed to give concerned citizens in the area the opportunity to meet regularly for the purpose of addressing all matters related to the environmental health of their community. The intention of this discussion group will be to investigate, as fully as possible, the results of scientific studies and observations pertaining to environmental concerns with particular emphasis on causes and effects of environmental pollution and degradation. Further, it shall be the intent of the discussion group to share information on environmental issues with the general public and to recommend remediation measures. It shall also be the intent of this organization to share concerns on environmental issues with governmental leaders when it is felt appropriate to do so. Its initial project will be to convince the Chowan County Commissioners, as the funding agent, of the wisdom of going “green” in designing and building the new high school.
Christina Sorensen	Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space	Assistant Park Manager	New Hill, NC
THE TRIANGLE ENVRIONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE)FACILTIES PLANNING GROUP The Triangle Environmental Education (EE) Facilities Planning Group was organized through a partnership between Gail Abrams of Piedmont Wildlife Center and Christina Sorensen and Deborah Robertson of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space as part of a practicum for the Natural Resource Leadership Institute, a leadership program of NC State University. Through networking and personal experience, the partners found that Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties have seen the demand for more environmental education facilities. A plan was devised to convene a group of State, Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake County officials, educators, non-profit organizations and community groups to discuss the need for such facilities and to facilitate ways the group can collaborate to develop and market programs, design the facility and identify funding sources. The purpose of the Group is to work together to: • review current needs for Environmental Education (EE) facilities • identify any obstacles for EE facilities currently in planning stages • identify additional stakeholders to invite to the process • explore potential partnerships and collaborations • develop a business case for EE Facilities • identify funding sources A business case was developed for use by stakeholders to assist them in justifying the need for indoor EE facilities in their county or municipality. This business case includes the results from the Needs Assessment Survey completed during this process. A series of maps were also developed demonstrating the public school use of current facilities (both with and without indoor facilities) as well as the location of proposed EE facilities in the 4-county area. Stakeholders were encouraged to work with staff of these proposed facilities to help bring them to fruition.
Brian Strong	NC DENR, Division of Parks and Recreation	Head, Natural Resources Program	Raleigh, NC
FORMATION OF A RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS Research in the North Carolina State Park System (NCSPS) has been occurring since the inspection of the park system in 1917 with the protection of Mount Mitchell State Park. Most of the early research the in NCSPS focused on taxonomical survey work. In the early 1980’s the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (Division) implemented a system for tracking research in the NCSPS. The current tracking system has done an excellent job of capturing all research being conducted in the NCSPS, however it has not been able to direct research or promote additional research in the parks. The purpose of this project was to rectify the deficiencies of the current research system by developing a Research Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee was formed from academics that share research interest similar to the goals and objectives of the Division. In addition, committee members had some type of past work experience in the NCSPS. After the formation of the committee one meeting was successful achieved in April 2007. Due to the success of the meeting the committee has committed to assisting the Division in meeting their research goals.
Bryan Tompkins	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Biologist	Asheville, NC
MCDOWELL COUNTY CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT McDowell County is a member of the Isothermal Planning and development Commission. It contains a land area of about 462 square miles and has a population of about 45,000 people. The Catawba River originates in and flows across the county. (McDowell County contains the headwaters for the Catawba River.) Due to the lack of protective ordinances and land use plans, and the extreme increase in development in the County over the last several years, it is important for the county to establish a plan that will allow for the protection of natural and cultural resources while allowing economic development. The local people are beginning to see their county disappear under new developments and many can’t afford the taxes on their land and are forced to sell to developers. This unfortunate spiral has been witnessed in surrounding counties and if McDowell County wishes to maintain its “rural character” then it must develop a working land use plan or establish a more regulatory approach. Because of the disdain toward regulatory actions, this practicum set out to explore potential alternatives to protect the natural character of the land without the heavy fist of ordinances or regulations. Alternatives such as low impact development designs, BMPs and Green Infrastructure assessments were addressed and discussed. The overall goal was to increase coordination and communication with McDowell County and to provide services to the county to aid them in their pursuit of protecting the natural character and resources within the county while allowing development.
Joan Troy	NC Wildlife Resources Commission	Agency Legal Specialist	Raleigh, NC
Jacquelyn Presley Wallace	Wake County Parks, Recreation & Open Space	Open Space Program Assistant	Chapel Hill, NC
SANDY RUN STATE NATURAL AREA: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, AND EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT AM In southeastern North Carolina, an ecologically sensitive landscape straddles Pender and Onslow counties. Due to this area’s significance, the Nature Conservancy purchased land along Sandy Run Swamp, which crosses the Pender/Onslow County line. In 2006, this property was transferred to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR) for management as a State Natural Area. Although the area near Sandy Run Swamp is ecologically rich, the human communities adjacent to the project site are economically distressed. Significant poverty persists in Pender County, particularly in the unincorporated rural communities. Given these conditions, the overarching goal of this practicum project was to build relationships between stakeholders with different interests, most specifically between the NC Division of Parks and Recreation and local community members. Through these relationships, we hoped to develop a shared vision for the new Sandy Run State Natural Area. Through a series of interviews and meetings, relationships have been built and channels of communication have been formed between the local community and NCDPR. In addition, NCDPR and community groups are collaboratively exploring how the State Natural Area can contribute socially and economically to the local community in the future.