Conservation Insider Bulletin, April 18

Conservation Insider Bulletin
Published weekly for the Conservation Council of North Carolina
Conservation News to Peruse & Use
Editor: Dan Besse, cib@conservationcouncilnc.org

April 18, 2008

We have legislative news, three items of campaign note coming up next week, and a deal on beach driving, this week in CIB:

--Legislative Watch: Anti-Impact Fee Bill Not Moving

--Campaign Watch: CCNC Earth Day Event; Obama/Clinton Environmental Advisors to Meet in Durham; CCNC to Announce Legislative Endorsements

--Judicial Watch: Deal Reached in Beach Driving Case



Legislative Watch: Anti-Impact Fee Bill Not Moving

A leading environmental advocate in the N.C. House, Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham), says that legislation stripping local governments of their ability to impose impact fees on new development isn't getting out of his committee. Luebke chairs the House Finance Committee.

The legislation was introduced at the behest of the Home Builders Association, which regularly fights against the authority of local governments to levy impact fees. The bill was approved by the N.C. Senate last summer, and is currently held in the House Finance Committee. It is eligible for further consideration during the legislative "short session" starting in May.

For the full text of the article on this issue in the Durham Herald-Sun, see http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-944278.cfm.

Campaign Watch: CCNC Earth Day Event; Obama/Clinton Environmental Advisors to Meet in Durham; CCNC to Announce Legislative Endorsements

CCNC Earth Day Event: CCNC is holding an Earth Day Celebration to support its political action work, this Tuesday, April 22. The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Whitespace Gallery, 401 E. 4th St., Winston-Salem. RSVPs are requested to 919-839-0978 or volunteer@conservationcouncilnc.org.

Obama/Clinton Environmental Advisors to Meet in Durham: The environmental advisors to presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will meet for a public "conversation" at Duke University this Friday, April 25. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Love Auditorium at Duke's Levine Science and Research Center. More info is available from Megan Dawson at the Nicholas Institute, Megan.Dawson@duke.edu.

CCNC to Announce Legislative Endorsements: CCNC is wrapping up its primary endorsements process for 2008. CIB expects to be able to carry the CCNC legislative endorsements in our edition this coming Friday, April 25. CCNC has already announced statewide endorsements of Dan Besse for Lieutenant Governor and Janet Cowell for State Treasurer (both in the Democratic primary).

Judicial Watch: Deal Reached in Beach Driving Suit

In the dispute over beach driving in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a tentative settlement deal has been reached between environmental groups and the National Park Service. Groups represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) last year sued the National Park Service over lax rules which permit disruption of important bird nesting habitat.

The settlement (which is still subject to approval by the federal judge presiding over the case) would increase seasonal restrictions on vehicle use along a number of beach areas. Conservationists hope that the new restrictions will help give several declining bird populations the chance to rebound in these areas.

More discussion on the settlement can be found at http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-943349.cfm.