Conservation Insider Bulletin, Sept 12

Conservation Council of NC Endorsements: Here it is—CCNC's comprehensive November endorsement slate! Included are 48 N.C. House candidates, 22 N.C. Senate candidates, and three Council of State candidates. The slate includes Republicans and Democrats, incumbents and challengers. Endorsement decisions are made by the CCNC Board of Directors upon recommendation of the Conservation PAC board. Factors taken into account include the voting and leadership record of incumbents, issue questionnaire responses, recommendations from local environmental leaders, and candidates' interest in receiving the CCNC endorsement. Drumroll...the envelope please:

N.C. House:

Alice Underhill, District 3, (D-Craven)
Angela Bryant, District 7, (D-Nash)
Marian McLawhorn District 9, (D-Pitt)
William Wainwright, District 12, (D-Craven)
Barbara Garrity-Blake, District 13, (D-Carteret)
Robert Grady, District 15, (R-Onslow)
Carolyn Justice, District 16, (R-Pender)
Danny McComas, District 19, (R-New Hanover)
Joe Tolson, District 23, (D-Wilson)
Jean Farmer-Butterfield, District 24, (D-Wilson)
Larry Hall, District 29, (D-Durham)
Paul Luebke, District 30, (D-Durham)
Mickey Michaux, District 31, (D-Durham)
Dan Blue, District 33, (D-Wake)
Grier Martin, District 34, (D-Wake)
Jennifer Weiss, District 35, (D-Wake)
Al Swanstrom, District 36, (D-Wake)
Ed Ridpath, District 37, (D-Wake)
Deborah Ross, District 38, (D-Wake)
Linda Coleman, District 39 (D-Wake)
Ty Harrell, District 41, (D-Wake)
Margaret Dickson, District 44, (D-Cumberland)
Rick Glazier, District 45, (D-Cumberland)
Lucy Allen, District 49, (D-Franklin)
Jimmy Love, District 51, (D-Lee)
Joe Hackney, District 54, (D-Orange)
Verla Insko, District 56, (D-Orange)
Pricey Harrison, District 57, (D-Guilford)
Alma Adams, District 58 (D-Guilford)
Maggie Jeffus, District 59, (D-Guilford)
Earl Jones, District 60, (D-Guilford)
Alice Bordsen, District 63, (D-Alamance)
Melanie Goodwin, District 66, (D-Richmond)
Larry Womble, District 71, (D-Forsyth)
Larry Brown, District 73, (R-Forsyth)
Bill McGee, District 75, (R-Forsyth)
Julia Howard, District 79, (R-Iredell)
Jim Harrell, District 90, (D-Alleghany)
Cullie Tarleton, District 93, (D-Watauga)
Tricia Cotham, District 100 (D-Mecklenburg)
Becky Carney, District 102 (D-Mecklenburg)
Ruth Samuelson, District 104 (R-Mecklenburg)
Martha Alexander, District 106 (D-Mecklenburg)
Bob England, District 112, (D-Rutherford)
Susan Fisher, District 114, (D-Buncombe)
Jane Whilden, District 116, (D-Buncombe)
Ray Rapp, District 118, (D-Madison)
Phil Haire, District 119, (D-Jackson)

N.C. Senate:

Marc Basnight, District 1 (D-Dare)
Don Davis, District 5 (D-Greene)
Doug Berger, District 7 (D-Franklin)
Charlie Albertson, District, (D-Duplin)
Neal Hunt, District 15, (R-Wake)
Josh Stein, District 16, (D-Wake)
Bob Atwater, District 18, (D-Chatham)
Tony Rand, District 19, (D-Cumberland)
Ellie Kinnaird, District 23, (D-Orange)
Tony Foriest, District 24, (D-Caswell)
Bill Purcell, District 25, (D-Scotland)
Katie Dorsett, District 28, (D-Guilford)
Linda Garrou, District 32, (D-Forysth)
Stan Bingham, District 33, (D-Davidson)
Fletcher Hartsell, District 36, (D-Cabarrus)
Dan Clodfelter, District 37, (D-Mecklenburg)
Malcolm Graham, District 40, (D-Mecklenburg)
Austin Allran, District 42, (R-Catawba)
Steve Goss, District 45, (D-Watauga)
Joe Sam Queen, District 47, (D-Haywood)
Martin Nesbitt, District 49, (D-Buncombe)
John Snow, District 50, (D-Cherokee)

Council of State:

Beverly Perdue, Governor
Roy Cooper, Attorney General
Janet Cowell, Treasurer

Between now and November, CIB will return to certain key endorsements for more detailed review.

Carter Attacked for Green Stance: CIB has previously noted U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx's (R-NC5) enthusiasm for the drill-everywhere-now campaign of the OilHeads leading her November ticket. This week, we observe that she is fundraising on the issue with email blasts attacking her opponent (Roy Carter) for his more moderate stance. Foxx rails against the "liberal Democrat Congress" and warns that her opponent is running TV ads against her, saying, "He is a radical environmentalist named Roy Carter who has criticized my support of the "all of the above" energy plan. He is already toeing the liberal Democrat party's line by opposing drilling in America's vast oil resources in Alaska and offshore." Of course, with a sorry 10% rating on the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) scorecard for all of the last three years, one doesn't have to be out of the American mainstream to qualify as a "radical environmentalist" on the Foxx scale. In fact, we'd worry about a candidate that she doesn't attack on that score.

(CIB Editor's Note: CCNC does not make endorsements in federal contests. Opinions expressed regarding candidates in those races are those of the Editor only, except as noted when reporting endorsements or comments from other parties.)

Coast Watch: Hatteras Settlement Upheld

When is a judicial "consent decree" not a consensus? When one side takes the issue to Congress. Local off-road vehicle fans in Dare County are trying to get Congress to overturn a federal District Court order setting out times and limits on beach driving along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Conservationists and the National Park Service (NPS) are defending the order.

This spring, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle issued an order (by consent agreement of the parties) to restrict beach driving in the national park, in order to protect wildlife that use the beach for nesting. Birds and sea turtles using the beach include several endangered species. The NPS reports that survival rates of one endangered bird are already up.

Disgruntled off-roaders, supported by the Dare County Commission, went to Congress, where U.S. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) introduced legislation to dump the limits. This week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted down the bill by the narrowest of margins, 11-12. It was a party-line vote with the Democrats siding with conservationists and wildlife and the Republicans voting against them and for the off-road drivers. (Raleigh News & Observer, 9/11/08.)

CIB suspects that Teddy Roosevelt is spinning in his grave. Dole and Burr should watch out for a night-time visitation from the ghost of the original Rough Rider.

Administrative Watch: Moreau Steps Down at EMC

To the sorrow of many conservationists, long-time N.C. Environmental Management Commission (EMC) chair Dave Moreau announced last week that he intends to step down as commission chair. Moreau was appointed to the post by Gov. Jim Hunt in 1993 and has served in the role since that time through the administrations of Hunt and current Gov. Mike Easley. That's a total of 15 years, including two full six-year terms and the first three years of a third.

In a letter to Easley dated September 2, Moreau indicated that he was available to serve until Easley or his successor named a new chair. Moreau's current term as an EMC member does not expire until 2011. The appointment as chair of the EMC is made separately and lasts at the pleasure of the governor.

Moreau is a scientist and former head of the planning school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as the N.C. Water Resources Research Institute based at N.C. State University. He has led the EMC through intense controversies over both air and water quality issues, including wetlands rules, nitrogen oxides limits, mercury restrictions, riparian buffer rules, drinking water reservoir cleanup plans, and stormwater management controls. He does not always side with environmental advocates, but is broadly respected among the environmental community for his expertise and open approach.

Molly Diggins, state director of the Sierra Club, called Moreau's retirement the "end of an era".