Save Our Sandhills and Palustris, Mar. 24

Save Our Sandhills is participating in the Palustris Festival again this year, all day Saturday, March 24, at the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania and Ashe. We'll have lots of food and drink.

Consult the most recent edition of Pinestraw magazine for a schedule of festival events.

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS/PALUSTRIS FESTIVAL

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:00AM - 5:30PM

Southern Pines Civic Club, 105 S. Ashe St.

9:00AM-5:30PM Nature Photography Exhibit by David Blevins

9:30AM-11:00AM Michael Schafale, author of Wild North Carolina, will discuss his book.

11:00AM-12:30PM Biologist Terry Sharpe will discuss the joys of eating wild foods.

12:30PM-1:30PM Live bluegrass music

1:30PM-3:00PM Lawrence Early, author of Looking for Longleaf, will discuss his great book.

3:00PM-4:30PM Photographor David Blevins will describe new ways of looking at natural areas.

4:30PM-5:30PM Live bluegrass music

Save Our Sandhills and Palustris, Mar. 24

PALUSTRIS SCHEDULE

Save Our Sandhills: Learning from the Past for a Better Future

Saturday, March 24, 2012

9:00 am  -- 5:30 pm

Southern Pines Civic Club, downtown

There is a “web of connection” throughout life, a web between past and present, a web between plant life and animal life to create an ecosystem, a web between mankind and nature. Save Our Sandhills celebrates those webs that create sense from chaos, thereby making our lives more meaningful and enjoyable.

9am –5:30pm: Enjoy a celebration of North Carolina’s natural landscapes through the photographic display by David Blevins. Items will be offered for sale.  Blevins’ website is www.blevinsphoto.com.

9:30am – 11am: Wild North Carolina: Author Michael Schafal, a community ecologist for the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program) and nature photographer David Blevins, also a forest ecologist, will discuss their book Wild North Carolina, illuminating our state’s natural communities and highlighting the reasons plant and animals are found where they are, with a special focus on the Sandhills. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

11am – 12:30pm: “Eating Wild”: Terry Sharpe, a wildlife biologist and forester who spent 30 years working with the NC Wildlife Commission, will describe the joys of reconnecting with a more natural way of life. Considering the great outdoors to be one big dinner plate, he will discuss favorites on his menu, provide guidelines on finding and preparing them, and bring samples to taste.

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.

1:30pm – 3pm: Looking for Longleaf: Lawrence Earley, former editor of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, and a writer and photographer, will discuss his book Looking for Longleaf. Having the ability to bring the past to life, he will explain how the longleaf pine ecosystem was exploited, the problems with regeneration of the pines, and the renewed commitment needed to help this biodiverse ecosystem thrive. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

3pm – 4:30pm: “Photographing Nature”: David Blevins, a nature photographer and forest ecologist, will describe how patterns in landscapes help people to see familiar places in a new way and new places with a sense of familiarity.

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.  Refreshments courtesy of The Fresh Market and Nature’s Own, both of Southern Pines

Green Growth Explained, Jan. 26, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER EXPLAINS “GREEN GROWTH TOOLBOX”

On January 26, Save Our Sandhills will host Brenda Johnson, a specialist in ecology and wildlife, to describe why The Green Growth Toolbox, a cooperative, non-regulatory effort developed by the Wildlife Diversity Program of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, is so important to North Carolina in general, and Moore County in particular.
By its own definition, “Green Growth is a nature-friendly way of developing communities. It means conserving habitat and biological diversity while building homes, businesses and shopping centers.” Its tools consist of a handbook, GIS data package, and a website.
This project was conceived because of the unprecedented population growth fueled in North Carolina in recent years, along with projections that over the next 20 years, 3 million additional people would move to North Carolina, threatening our environment, public health, and quality of life.
Therefore, in 2005, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission developed the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan, which identified sprawling patterns of land development as a top threat to wildlife resources. Since land use in North Carolina is regulated at the local government level, where officials often do not have sufficient knowledge concerning risks to wildlife while they develop policies concerning growth, The Green Growth Toolbox concept gained traction.
Green Growth helps to bridge the gap between scientists and local decision makers by offering wildlife data and important wildlife conservation principles so that well-informed decisions can be made. While planning for growth, communities learn how to protect important species and habitats by locating their important natural resources and determining how best to conserve them through land use planning. Habitats support much more than wildlife.
They also sustain healthy ecosystems, healthy economies, healthy communities, and a high quality of life. This is why The Green Growth Toolbox emphasizes 10 benefits to communities: “1. Better health all around, 2.Economic return, 3.Environmental safeguards, 4.Avoid environmental conflicts, 5.Attract new economy businesses, 6.Increase prosperity, 7.Generate tourist income, 8.Reduce costs to taxpayers and local government, 9.Respond to public demand, 10.Improve quality of life.”
In North Carolina, 45 local governments (including counties and municipalities) have received Green Growth Toolbox training at 11 workshops which targeted jurisdictions that are experiencing significant habitat conversion to development. Twenty-one local governments have received technical guidance on 31 land use planning projects. Locally, both Moore and Harnett County planning staffs attended Green Growth Toolbox Workshops and received follow-up technical guidance, including one that took place at our local Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve Auditorium in mid-2010. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has been working in partnership with regional organizations, including Sustainable Sandhills, the Coastal Land Trust, and Land of Sky Regional Council.
In Moore County, The Green Growth Toolbox has been used to provide recommendations to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that is currently under revision by the Planning Board. UDO’s are the rulebooks for how building and development occur in a community, and thus can have heavy impacts on wildlife habitat. Most Green Growth recommendations to the Moore County UDO were made to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Subdivision Ordinances, since these usually impact large tracts of land at a time. The UDO process is currently ongoing, and work continues to see Green Growth recommendations adopted.
Brenda Johnson has worked with Sustainable Sandhills for two years as their Green Growth Planner. Sustainable Sandhills, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the eight-county region surrounding Fort Bragg, concentrates on four main program areas: Green Business Certification, Green Schools, Green Growth, and Local Food.
Johnson holds a B.A. in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, an M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from NC State University, and has several years’ experience in ecology and wildlife biology research. Her work at Sustainable Sandhills is funded by a fellowship through Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
She is currently working with both Moore County and Harnett County to incorporate Green Growth strategies into their land use policies.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, January 26 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Nov. 10, in Sou Pines, Discuss, Learn about Fracking

PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNERS SHARE FRACKING EXPERIENCES


On Thursday, November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, the nonprofit organization Save Our Sandhills will host Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, dairy farmers from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, who have witnessed firsthand the effects of the gas extraction boom, known as fracking, and Hope Taylor, Executive Director of Clean Water for North Carolina (CWFNC).

As you may know, this natural gas boom that is sweeping across the United States may soon reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major sub-basin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage. Some early estimates indicate that this area might yield as much as a 40-year supply of natural gas. Fracking of natural gas wells would take place in northern Moore County within the Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin, and it could have great implications through all of Moore County. The Marcellus Shale gas deposits in Pennsylvania are different from those in our Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin. Our gas deposits lie closer to the surface, have more faults, and may be less extensive.

We keep hearing that fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been around for decades. Therefore, why the big fuss now? Well, until recently, natural gas drilling consisted of “vertical” wells being drilled or fracked in order to retrieve the gas from porous rocks such as limestone and sandstone. Other gas in tight rock formations, such as shale, tight sand and coal beds, was uneconomical to extract until fracking with “horizontal” wells was conceived. This method of drilling involves injecting more than a million gallons of water and sand, as well as a toxic cocktail of chemicals under high pressure into the rock formation to release the gas. It has been estimated that over a 4-year period, up to 140 million gallons of water can be used by just one gas well.

Hope Taylor, Executive Director of CWFNC, will speak on the environmental and health impacts of hydraulic fracturing as well as current regulations and legislation in North Carolina. Following this, French and Knapp will talk about their firsthand experiences regarding fracking on their farms. Since 1999, Taylor has served as Executive Director of Durham-based CWFNC, a statewide science-based nonprofit that focuses on environmental health, drinking water and the impacts of energy production on water. Her background, which includes a Master of Science in Public Health degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill, plus twenty years as a biomedical researcher at National Institutes of Health and Duke University, makes her an effective and knowledgeable advocate for the people and communities of North Carolina. In 2009, the EPA appointed Taylor to its National Drinking Water Advisory Council. In her spare time, Taylor is also a dairy goat farmer in the upper end of the Triassic Basin shale area. CWFNC promotes clean, safe ground and surface water and environments through organizing, education, advocacy and technical assistance.

Carol French and Carolyn Knapp are dairy farmers, one conventional and one organic, whose families had leased their farmland to gas companies for a small source of income for years. They had no expectation that gas development was imminent or that horizontal fracking would be developed and permitted in Pennsylvania. When Marcellus shale gas extraction with horizontal drilling began rapidly developing in 2007, many landowners were caught completely off guard. In 2010, French and Knapp founded Pennsylvania Landowners’ Group for Awareness and Solutions, an organization committed to educating farmers, landowners and the public about the consequences of rapid gas development. Both are familiar with the ‘good,’ the ‘bad,’ and the ‘ugly’ concerning gas extraction, as they live in Pennsylvania’s county that has been most impacted from rapid gas development. They presented a very powerful presentation at a Statewide Summit on Fracking Impacts in Pittsboro on September 10. Knowing that both sides of the issue need to be explored, they discuss the ‘good’ that can come from gas exploration: revenue for landowners from leasing agreements, jobs in the gas industry, business for restaurants, hotels and lawyers. And they raise awareness about the ‘bad’: questionable leases favoring gas companies, liens on property, mortgage conflicts, heavy truck traffic, social disintegration, loss of agricultural land, ground water contamination, increased community and farming costs, loss of tourism. They will also respond to industry messaging about the potential for shale gas to contribute to “energy independence” in the US, and to create sustainable jobs and other widespread economic benefits. Both suggest that we learn from other states by setting up support centers in our local communities.

Hear personal accounts from Carol French and Carolyn Knapp who are living with fracking on their lands on a daily basis. Their personal experiences can help us sort the good from the bad, and help us put guidelines in place to protect our communities if fracking is legalized as proposed in North Carolina. These guidelines can safeguard our air and water, our environment, and our way of life for future generations. We need to balance the promise of riches with the peril of drilling.

Join us for an informative presentation on Thursday November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, located at 650 US Highway 1 South (near the intersection of Morganton Road). Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

July 28, Fracking, SOS, Sou. Pines

On July 28, 7 PM at the Southern Pines Civic Club, Save Our Sandhills will follow up the recent screening of the movie GASLAND with an open question–and--answer panel discussion featuring Senator Harris Blake and Representative Jamie Boles explaining their position to endorse North Carolina’s Senate Bill 709.
Understanding the topic of natural gas and fracking is going to be critical to this area since so many counties appear to be sitting on top of a 40-year supply of natural gas.

Decision July 19, Pine Forest Development, Co. Comm. meeting

PINE FOREST

The decision on the Pine Forest rezoning has been lingering for several months. Numerous times meetings have been delayed because of illnesses of one or more of the Moore County Commissioners. At present, Planning Board Director Joey Raczkowski plans to present a report to the Commissioners on Tuesday July 19. At that time the Moore County Board of Commissioners may make a decision on the rezoning.

Let’s keep the character of Moore County from being destroyed.

PLEASE – Show your support by attending the July 19 meeting regarding the Pine Forest rezoning at the Moore County Board of Commissioners meeting, 6 PM at the historic Carthage Courthouse, 2nd floor.

Reminder: GASLAND, June 15, Sunrise

GASLAND – The controversial documentary that has polarized America
Award-winning documentary "GASLAND" at the Sunrise, Southern Pines, Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00 PM. $7.
There is a natural gas drilling boom sweeping across the United States, and it is about to reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major sub basin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage.
Energy companies want to use a highly controversial method of drilling to extract this gas, which is known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Fracking involves vertical as well as horizontal drilling and the pumping of huge amounts of water and chemicals into the shale rock to break up the rock and release the natural gas.

Horizontal drilling is currently illegal in North Carolina, but two bills currently being considered in the General Assembly would overturn this restriction.

This film dramaticcally shows the potential dangers of fracking to the environment and expecially to groundwater.
In order to provide a balanced view of the issues raised, a distinguished panel will discuss pros and cons, and questions will be addressed.

"Gasland", Sunrise Theatre, June 15, more on Fracking in Moore Co.

Save Our Sandhills will be the primary sponsor for the showing of the dramatic documentary film "Gasland" at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00PM. This film deals with the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of drilling for natural gas. Other sponsors will be Sustainable Sandhills and the Sandhills Area Land Trust.


As most of you know by now, there is a natural gas drilling boom sweeping across the United States, and it is about to reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major subbasin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage.

Energy companies want to use a highly controversial method of drilling to extract this gas, which is known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Fracking involves vertical as well as horizontal drilling and the pumping of huge amounts of water and chemicals into the shale rock to break up the rock and release the natural gas. Horizontal drilling is currently illegal in North Carolina, but two bills currently being considered in the General Assembly would make it legitimate.
As noted above, Save Our Sandhills will be the primary sponsor for the showing of the nationally acclaimed film "Gasland" at the Sunrise Theater on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00PM. Admission is $7.00. This was an Oscar nominated documentary and a prize winner at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This film exposes in a dramatic fashion the potential dangers of fracking to the environment and expecially to groundwater. The film itself, with dramatic footage of tap water being ignited with a match, is highly controversial and we will try to have panelists who will provide a balanced view of the issues raised by the film.

The Unforeseen, Apr. 28, Civic Club, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS WILL SHOW GRIPPING DOCUMENTARY ON

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL

On April 28, Save Our Sandhills will show the breathtaking documentary The Unforeseen, which was produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. This film questions what we – as members of communities around the country – are willing to sacrifice in the name of growth.

This 90-minute film depicts the transformation of thousand of acres of pristine hill country in Austin, Texas, into suburban development by an ambitious real estate developer. In the process, a nearby natural spring is threatened, community conflict ensues, land is devastated, and lives are ruined. The Unforeseen, beautifully crafted, explores in-depth all sides of this politically-charged situation, showing the effects of development and sprawl on landowners, developers, and members of the community.

This same struggle is playing out in cities and towns across the United States and, at this moment, it is playing out in Moore County, particularly in Area A, which is the fastest growing area in the county. Moore County has had – and continues to have – controversy surrounding projects known as Stonehill Pines, Dormie Club, Pine Forest, Pine Needles, and Tyler’s Ridge. The question this film poses, “What are we willing to give up in the name of growth?” is not rhetorical. It is based in a reality that we must ponder. What do we envision Moore County to become in the future? Will it resemble “Everywhere USA?” or will it continue to have the charm and ambiance that has brought people to visit and settle here for years?
Join us for an informative and provocative evening; refreshments will be served. We will meet Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Development and Urban Sprawl, movie, April 28, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS WILL SHOW GRIPPING DOCUMENTARY ON

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL

On April 28, Save Our Sandhills will show the breathtaking documentary The Unforeseen, which was produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. This film questions what we – as members of communities around the country – are willing to sacrifice in the name of growth.

This 90-minute film depicts the transformation of thousand of acres of pristine hill country in Austin, Texas, into suburban development by an ambitious real estate developer. In the process, a nearby natural spring is threatened, community conflict ensues, land is devastated, and lives are ruined. The Unforeseen, beautifully crafted, explores in-depth all sides of this politically-charged situation, showing the effects of development and sprawl on landowners, developers, and members of the community.

This same struggle is playing out in cities and towns across the United States and, at this moment, it is playing out in Moore County, particularly in Area A, which is the fastest growing area in the county. Moore County has had – and continues to have – controversy surrounding projects known as Stonehill Pines, Dormie Club, Pine Forest, Pine Needles, and Tyler’s Ridge. The question this film poses, “What are we willing to give up in the name of growth?” is not rhetorical. It is based in a reality that we must ponder. What do we envision Moore County to become in the future? Will it resemble “Everywhere USA?” or will it continue to have the charm and ambiance that has brought people to visit and settle here for years?
Join us for an informative and provocative evening; refreshments will be served. We will meet Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Oct. 28, SOS hosts SALT's Candace Williams

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES SALT’S WORK –

THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE SANDHILLS

On October 28, Save Our Sandhills will host Candace Williams, Executive Director of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) to discuss “The Best Kept Secrets in the Sandhills: The Work of the Sandhills Area Land Trust – Past, Present, and Future.” North Carolina’s 25 land trusts have protected over 309,000 acres of natural lands across the state. And SALT, our local land trust based in Fayetteville and Southern Pines, has recently been credited with protecting more than 10,000 acres of land in the Sandhills region. This is a tremendous accomplishment!

With burgeoning development in the Sandhills, slowed only by a faltering economy, SALT’s efforts are essential to preserving open space. Since 1991, it has been targeting prime pieces to preserve in Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties. These pieces are primarily working forests, farmlands, riparian buffers, and significant natural areas. While its first few years of existence involved setting up a solid infrastructure, its past 10 years have brought in the majority of acreage under SALT’s stewardship. It has evolved from a volunteer-run organization to a professionally recognized organization which operates under the standards and practices of the Land Trust Alliance, the national support organization for land trusts nationwide. Its accomplishments have been wide-reaching: 1. Protecting water quality and drinking water supplies in the Drowning Creek, Little River, McLendons Creek, and Cape Fear River areas, 2. Preserving numerous working farms, 3. Preserving historic and cultural lands, including the Averasboro Civil War Battlefield, Pottery Road, and Rhodes Pond, 4. Preserving Horse Country land, and 5. Securing Military Training Lands; some sizeable projects are planned for the future.

Candace Williams, a native of the Sandhills, has worked for twenty-five years in New England. She is a conservation biologist and has a Master's Degree in that discipline from Antioch University in Keene, New Hampshire. She has worked and studied in many parts of the world such as the Arctic Circle, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad, Tobago, Chile, and Baja. Most recently, she traveled to Cuba where she was part of a research team contributing to a long-term baseline study on the 24 endemic avian species in Cuba identifying their habitats for future protection efforts. The focus of her work has been endangered species and habitat protection.

Williams returned to North Carolina in 1999 to work as one of the state sea turtle biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Her work prior to returning to N.C. was with the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Coastal Waterbird Program in charge of all the coastal nesting bird colonies along the South Shore of Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket; the Manomet Center for Conservation Science as an avian researcher; and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. She was also part of the working team that authored the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, a model for other countries around the world.

Since 2001, Williams has worked for the Sandhills Area Land Trust first as Associate Director of the organization in charge of Land Protection. In October 2009, she became the Executive Director. She has been instrumental in protecting over half of the 10,000 acres of land protected by the organization in the Sandhills.

Candace Williams' most recent honors are very impressive. She was the recipient of the 2006 Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award as the Land Conservationist of the Year -- the State’s highest natural resource honor; and she was the recipient of the National Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution – Woman in American History Award – for her contribution to conservation.
Join us; refreshments will be served. Thursday, October 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

SOS, July 29, Ft. Bragg's Environmental Stance, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES FORT BRAGG’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

On July 29, Save Our Sandhills will host Alan Schultz to speak about Fort Bragg’s commitment to conservation and wildlife management. Fort Bragg, initially constructed in 1918 in order to fulfill an essential role in our national security, has also evolved into an outstanding natural resource for the North Carolina Sandhills. Fort Bragg’s and Camp Mackall’s 160,000 acres (they are managed as one) comprise only a fraction of the nation’s Department of Defense lands. Nevertheless, the Fort’s forest managers began a visionary program decades ago that has had profound implications for research involving the health of the longleaf pine ecosystem with its unique wildlife habitat.

Alan Schultz, currently Chief of the Fort Bragg Wildlife Branch, leads teams of biologists, conservation officers, and public use specialists as they collaborate with others to enhance and protect the Sandhills natural resources. Schultz’ academic training is in Wildlife Ecology and Management, and his career spans over 27 years in the southeast with specializations in wildlife ecology and management, ornithology, forestry, and public natural resource regulation and usage.

In all, Schultz’ varied experiences make him comfortable in addressing the issue of multiple land use in conservation. Fort Bragg’s multiple land use incorporates the following into a single management strategy: military training, conservation, forest products, prescribed fire, and the public use of natural resources. Some of this strategy evolved as a by-product of experience. For example, military training exercises occasionally produced small fires, and these fires mimicked the natural lightning strikes common in the Sandhills. This fire was found to be essential to both the flora and the fauna of the longleaf pine ecosystem.
Because of Fort Bragg’s focus on conservation management and its immense amount of acreage, it not only serves as an ecological laboratory, but also as a showcase for diverse habitats and their resultant diversity of species. Its combination of natural resource managers and military trainers working together helps humans, plants, and wildlife benefit from a unique symbiotic relationship.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served.  Thursday, July 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe and Pennsylvania.

SOS, Apr.29, Wildlife Friendly Developments Program

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON NEW

WILDLIFE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR NORTH CAROLINA DEVELOPMENTS
On April 29, Save Our Sandhills hosts guest speaker Vann Stancil to discuss the newly created Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program developed through a partnership of the following groups – the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NC-ASLA). The program offers certification for developments that go above and beyond requirements to ensure that wildlife habitat is protected and impacts on the environment are minimized.

Why this concerted effort of wildlife biologists, conservationists, landscape design professionals, and developers? Over the past 20 years, North Carolina has lost 2.4 million acres of forests and agricultural lands. Realizing that the state’s precious open space has been dwindling for years, North Carolina began a mission on January 1, 1999, to save a million acres from development. Called the Million Acre Initiative, it was unable to achieve its 10-year goal, coming up 350,000 acres short.

In the same ten years, North Carolina lost more acres to development than any other state in the Union.  If the projected population increase of 50% by 2030 is accurate, North Carolina is expected to lose another 2 million acres in the next 30 years.

Given these sobering statistics, Wildlife Friendly Development Certification was created, complementing the green building standards that are becoming a more normal component of building practices in North Carolina. Sustainable practices are critical to our environment. This voluntary program, a smart growth habitat initiative, works with a developer to identify important natural resources on the development site that need protection, and it awards points for using techniques that minimize environmental impacts. Bog turtles, hooded warblers, bobwhite quail, and American shad are as carefully considered as architectural styles and street grids. Prior to construction, developers complete an inventory of conditions on site, including types of wildlife habitat, wetland and stream delineations, and any existing manmade barriers to wildlife movement. These questions get asked:
* Where are possible wildlife corridors?
* How can wildlife passages be provided so that animals can safely navigate roads?
* Where are opportunities to remove invasive vegetation?
* How can wildlife habitat be maximized and impact on species minimized?

Throughout the stages of construction, developments are evaluated using a suite of criteria that offer points for the developer. The developer must earn a sufficient number of points to be certified. Even after construction, the homeowners’ maintenance can affect the status of the certified Wildlife Friendly Development.
Vann Stancil has been a Special Project Coordinator with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. Prior to this, Stancil worked for Progress Energy doing aquatic monitoring work on lakes and rivers associated with its power plants in the Carolinas. He has a B.S. from North Carolina State University in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and an M.S. from Virginia Tech in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences.
Join us for an informative, interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, April 29 at 7 P.M. Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania.

Save Our Biodiversity, SOS

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON
IMPERILED INSECTS AND THEIR HABITATS

On January 28, 2010, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Dr. Stephen Hall to give a talk on “Insects and Habitats That Are of Special Conservation Concern in the North Carolina Sandhills.” Dr. Hall, an Invertebrate Zoologist with the NC Natural Heritage Program, conducts studies of insects associated with specialized habitats.
The importance of this topic is two-fold. First of all, scientists are trying to determine whether certain insects are facing extinction. They are trying to give as much weight to preserving rare and threatened insects as they do to vertebrates and plants. Secondly, they are trying to gauge the ecological integrity of the habitats of specific insects. For example, they have found a high degree of ecological integrity in some longleaf-wiregrass woodlands, and a strikingly low degree of integrity in some wetland habitats. Integrity of habitat is important to healthy interrelationships between insects and their host plants. Each species of insect, plant or animal plays an essential role in its ecosystem. Destruction of habitat is cause for alarm. When plants and insects disappear, the food source of birds and other animals is compromised and can even lead to the extinction of local wildlife populations.
Dr. Hall, who received a B.A. in Zoology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina, has been the Invertebrate Zoologist for the NC Natural Heritage Program since. 1990. He has extensively surveyed insect populations and their habitats in the Coastal Plain. In the Sandhills, he conducted a survey that resulted in the Saint Francis’ Satyr butterfly being listed as a Federal Endangered Species. With regard to this project, he worked at Fort Bragg with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army to determine how best to protect and manage its populations. For several years, he also worked at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, preparing an inventory of the Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers) at the park.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments follow. We will meet on Thursday, January 28 at 7 P.M. in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

SOS, Jan. 28, Inperiled Insects and Their Habitats in the Sandhills

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON


IMPERILED INSECTS AND THEIR HABITATS
On January 28, 2010, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Dr. Stephen Hall to give a talk on “Insects and Habitats That Are of Special Conservation Concern in the North Carolina Sandhills.” Dr. Hall, an Invertebrate Zoologist with the NC Natural Heritage Program, conducts studies of insects associated with specialized habitats.

The importance of this topic is two-fold. First of all, scientists are trying to determine whether certain insects are facing extinction. They are trying to give as much weight to preserving rare and threatened insects as they do to vertebrates and plants. Secondly, they are trying to gauge the ecological integrity of the habitats of specific insects. For example, they have found a high degree of ecological integrity in some longleaf-wiregrass woodlands, and a strikingly low degree of integrity in some wetland habitats. Integrity of habitat is important to healthy interrelationships between insects and their host plants. Each species of insect, plant or animal plays an essential role in its ecosystem. Destruction of habitat is cause for alarm. When plants and insects disappear, the food source of birds and other animals is compromised and can even lead to the extinction of local wildlife populations.

Dr. Hall, who received a B.A. in Zoology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina, has been the Invertebrate Zoologist for the NC Natural Heritage Program since. 1990. He has extensively surveyed insect populations and their habitats in the Coastal Plain. In the Sandhills, he conducted a survey that resulted in the Saint Francis’ Satyr butterfly being listed as a Federal Endangered Species. With regard to this project, he worked at Fort Bragg with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army to determine how best to protect and manage its populations. For several years, he also worked at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, preparing an inventory of the Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers) at the park.

Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments follow. We will meet on Thursday, January 28 at 7 P.M. in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Dec. 10, Moore Co Planning on PUD, Area A

[From Save Our Sandhills (SOS) Attendance Dec. 10 important!]

SAVE A UNIQUE PINE FOREST

Subject: Ventures “Pine Forest” subdivision between Highway 211 and Highway 73 in West.

Where will water come from with a 15- to 20-year timetable for total buildout?

Will water from other counties still keep flowing?

What happens during droughts?

How will herbicides and pesticides be kept from seeping into Nick’s Creek?

How will traffic be handled on local roads?

What are the real facts concerning the wastewater treatment plant – its safety, odor, maintenance?

In Cumberland County, documented problems have occurred. The Moore County Public Works has only recently developed standards and has no practical experience.

With so much area allotted for houses, businesses, roads, and golf courses, how will animals have corridors and native plants flourish?

This project is huge. It is 1,799 acres, of which 1,623 are being requested to be rezoned. This includes Nicks Creek, ultimately part of Carthage’s and Whispering Pines’ water supplies, which runs through the middle of the entire property from west to east, with small tributaries feeding it throughout the property. In all, a great deal of wetlands abound, all of which are crucial to the welfare of birds and other wildlife, as well as to rare and unusual native plants.

Planned are two separate communities – a resort hotel and residential community with a neighborhood retail center, as well as a gated residential community. These communities will include:

• Up to 890 residential and/or hotel rooms
• 2 championship golf courses and a short course
• Golf clubhouses for each course
• A resort spa, conference center, and fitness center
• A retail and office center.

Please attend the Planning Board meeting on December 10 at 6 P.M., Moore County Historic Courthouse – 2nd Floor

To learn more about Save Our Sandhills, please see www.saveoursandhills.org, call 910-235-3862 or 910-281-5271, or request a brochure at P.O. Box 893, Pinehurst, NC 28370.

PUD Proposal, Nov. 5, Carthage, 6 pm

The proposed Pine Forest Development covers around 1,799 acres of forested land between Pinehurst and West End. This tract contains the headwaters of Nick's Creek and is one of the last large expanses of undeveloped land remaining in the greater Pinehurst area.

It is located in Area A.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 PM at the old courthouse in Carthage, the Moore County Planning Board will hear a proposal by the developer for rezoning the tract to PUD.

Of interest will be how the Board will see this proposal in view of the provisions in the Moore County Land Use Plan, which calls for the protection of the rural landscape.

Big Week in Southern Pines, 3 Events

Tuesday, Oct. 27--Long-Range Planning Meeting, the last one for public comments, Sunrise Theater

Wednesday, Oct. 28--Our Cultural Landscape lecture by Charles Birnbaum, Sunrise Theater, 7:00, FREE

THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."

When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.

Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.

As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.

Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should sustain our landscape heritage.

Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:00 --Save Our Sandhills Meets at Civic Club, downtown Sou. Pines. Craven Hudson on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”

Growth and Quality of Life, Moore County

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS GUEST TACKLES ISSUE:
POPULATION GROWTH and/or QUALITY OF LIFE

On October 29, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Craven Hudson to give a talk on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”

For years, North Carolina has been a magnet for newcomers. We have so much to offer as a state. Our location, favorable climate and friendly folks make North Carolina the final home destination for so many. Golf courses beckon to tourists and retirees, and a growing economy both in the military and private sectors brings workers looking for opportunity. Couple that with a decline in traditional agriculture, and you get the equation for drastic land changes.

This situation did not sneak up on North Carolina. Demographers, university researchers, and business people have been predicting these changes for years. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that North Carolina will grow to a population of 12 million by the year 2030, which is an increase of more than 50% from the tally made in the year 2000. Many would argue, however, that major public policy changes or even small local land use planning decisions have not nearly kept pace with the swift population growth. Tackling growth at the macro level is extremely difficult. As the saying goes: “all politics is local.”

Craven Hudson, Moore County Extension Director, will discuss state level trends in growth and natural resource protection. He will focus primarily on what has happened, what is happening, and what may take place in the future within Moore County.
Hudson’s background gives him a unique perspective in which to consider the effects of burgeoning population growth. A forestry graduate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, his early career included working on natural resource issues as a NC Cooperative Extension agent in the Raleigh Triangle area. Other than a 2-year stint as an agricultural missionary in Venezuela, he has worked in North Carolina first as a member of the NC Cooperative Extension’s Neuse River Team, then as a Cooperative Extension agent in Gaston County, and finally as Moore County’s Extension Director since 2005.

Please join us at our regular meeting, with refreshments, on Thursday October 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Center, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. This timely topic affects the quality of life for each one of us.

Holman to Discuss Water, Sou. Pines, July 30

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON WATER ALLOCATION AND CONSERVATION

On July 30, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Bill Holman

“Water, A Valuable Resource in the 21st Century – Does NC Need a Plan?”

Concern about water needs in North Carolina has long been a problem for a state that is growing so quickly and has faced severe droughts and water shortages in recent years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, NC will grow to 12 million by the year 2030--an increase of more than 50% since 2000.

North Carolina is one of only 3 states – North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama – that doesn’t currently require big water users to obtain permits to make withdrawals. This is equivalent to North Carolina's having its head in the sand. As Senator Dan Clodfelter, co-chairman of the Environmental Review commission has said, “We don’t really have a comprehensive set of water policies. . . . We have to get ahead of the curve . . . or we’ll wind up in the kind of water wars they’ve had for generations out West.”

Already, we’ve had cross-border water demand conflicts. South Carolina has sued North Carolina in the US Supreme Court, contending that taking water from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers is leaving less water downstream for South Carolina towns and industries.

Realizing that NC needs to determine how much water will be needed to accommodate future growth, the legislature commissioned the NC Water Allocation Study to be written by Richard Whisnant of the University of North Carolina’s School of Government and by Bill Holman of Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, each with impeccable credentials.

Bill Holman is the former Secretary of the NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources and former Executive Director of the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF). Richard Whisnant is Associate Professor of Public Law and Government, teaching environmental and administrative law as well as public policy analysis.

Both Whisnant and Holman take a pragmatic view of the situation. Whisnant has said, “We use water the same way a government or home that has no budget spends money. We have no water budget. We just hope everyone will be reasonable in how they use it. . . .It will be a big problem for us in the future.” Holman offers an additional perspective to the state’s problem of burgeoning growth, “In the last century, we had a lot of water and not too many people. We’re moving from an era of cheap and abundant water to an era of scarce and more valuable water. Water needs to be priced more appropriately.”
Everyone who pays a water bill, from homeowner to large industry, will be affected.

Realizing that much water information has been fragmented, Holman and Whisnant noted in their study that “Water systems and their managers are often excluded from local land decisions and regional economic development planning, including construction of public schools, that increase demand for water, wastewater and stormwater services, increase operating and capital costs, and affect the ability of water systems to assure adequate water supplies and wastewater treatment for the future.” Therefore, they solicited comments from planners and made revisions to their draft report to be as comprehensive as possible. Ultimately, they recommended:

1. developing water budgets for each of the state’s 17 major river basins
2. setting up a state permit system for all large withdrawals of water
3. establishing state goals for water conservation, and
4. charging rates sufficient to operate and maintain water systems properly.

Holman will discuss the Duke-UNC-CH Water Allocation Study Team’s report and recommendations to the 2009 General Assembly. The General Assembly has decided to carry over Senate bill 907 and House version 1101 of the Water Resources Policy Act (WRPA) of 2009 until the 2010 legislative session; the Assembly does not plan to act on it this year.

As Senator Clodfelter has said, “It’s such a comprehensive set of recommendations that it may be hard to get it all into a manageable form in a single bill.”

SOS meeting is Thursday, July 30 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Refreshments follow.