Networker

Volume 10, Issue 3                                                                                                                   Summer 2008

• "Conservation Makes $ense" at NACo

• Six Strategies for Success: Solutions to Off-Road Vehicle Abuse of Public Land

• Counties Taking Conservation Seriously

• How Wakulla County FL Protects Its Water

QUARTERLY FEATURES:

• Commissioner of the Month Speaks—Bob Greenberg, Grand County UT

• Conservation Contact—Alaska Conservation Alliance

• From the Director…

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"Conservation Makes $ense" at NACo

Executive Director Peg Reagan and Council Member Bob Jacobson of
Hawaii County HI, a member of our Advisory Committee, work the
booth on opening day of the Annual Conference in Kansas City in July.

Carol Fordonski, Commissioner, Queen Anne's County MD assists one of
the many county officials who agreed that, "Yes! I want to work with my
colleagues to protect America's natural resources."
 

Commissioner Howard Kessler of Wakulla County FL becomes a
member of the Conservation Leaders Network at our “Conservation
Makes $ense” booth.

Commissioner Barry Jacobs of Orange County  NC, secretary of the
Conservation Leaders Network’s Board of Directors, discussing climate
change issues with representatives of Climate Communities.

Commissioner of the Month Speaks—Bob Greenberg, Grand County  UT 

Elected to his first term as County Council member in November 2007 by a solid majority, Bob Greenberg is a 32-year resident of Grand County who likes to remind people that he has seen “two booms and a bust” in rural SE Utah. Like many of his constituents, Bob came to Moab as a river guide and stayed to raise a family and become part of this contentious and diverse community.  

“Some have been afraid that I was secretly a radical environmentalist who would oppose any economic development,” Bob reports. “Right after I was elected, an elected official pulled me into her office to ask if I was going to free all of the county jail inmates and make the Sheriff drive an electric car.”

Grand County’s history of boom and bust and as a stronghold of both the sage brush rebellion and support for wilderness have left the community widely divided on many subjects, especially the balance between development and preservation of the wild lands that make this area so unique. Over the years, attempts to site a nuclear waste repository and a toxic waste incinerator nearby have been the occasion for bitter argument. 

Grand County sits on the edge of an area of vast oil and gas resources on BLM and state lands. The county has just begun to develop the resources it needs to cope with the boom in tourism, second home and resort development and the impacts of a $800 million Dept. of Energy clean-up of a cold war uranium tailings pile at one end of town.  

When the accelerating oil and gas development in adjacent Mesa County, the north end of Grand County and the Utah counties to the north, started having significant impacts, the county was caught by surprise. 

“Before we knew it, an outfit came in and built a facility for disposing of oil and gas well production water—a toxic mix at Danish Flats--and we discovered that our hazardous waste ordinance did not cover liquid waste at all,”said Bob. “We were caught napping and unable to either regulate this type of development to ensure its safety or generate revenue from it.”  

Luckily, the County’s brand new Planning and Engineering Department was staffed with a licensed engineer and a master’s degreed planner in addition to the existing solo staff member. The department, with the help of interested environmental groups, was able to step into the breach.

The County Council passed a six-month moratorium on production water disposal facilities and the county Planning Commission got to work on an ordinance to govern evaporation ponds and production water disposal facilities.

The Grand Canyon Trust, in cooperation with Red Rock Forests, brought an eminent scientific expert to town to speak to the public about her experience in New Mexico with production water disposal facilities.

Dr. Theo Colborn also gave a presentation to the Grand County Council at its regular meeting. She praised the county’s efforts to ensure that production water disposal facilities were environmentally sound and reported on her visit to the Danish Flats site. She especially praised the county for ensuring that the evaporation pond was netted to protect wildlife from the toxic waste.  

Additionally, the two environmental groups have provided technical information to the County’s Planning and Engineering staff as they worked to develop an ordinance. 

The draft ordinance is now in the public hearing phase on its way to adoption.  

The state of the art approach to regulating production water disposal embodied in the ordinance is a giant step toward a win-win solution to the dilemma of encouraging economic development and protecting the health and safety of local residents and the fragile desert environment they love.

Six Strategies for Success: Solutions to Off-Road Vehicle Abuse of Public Land

Before and After pictures:  on the left, damage caused by off-road vehicles; on the right, the same
spot after it was allowed to recover. 

By Jason Kiely

 Motorized vehicle abuse has been called one of the biggest problems facing public lands – but many solutions are within reach, says a new report by Wildlands CPR and the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition. Over the past two decades, advances in off-road vehicle technology have enabled riders to drive on nearly any type of terrain, up steep slopes, and onto lands that once were accessible only on foot. At the same time, the popularity of off-road vehicle recreation has soared.

Together, these forces have overwhelmed the regulatory and enforcement efforts of public lands agencies. The result: An extensive network of unauthorized, user-created routes that criss-cross the landscape and a legacy of damage to environmental and cultural resources. Safety concerns for humans and wildlife and conflicts among motorized and non-motorized recreationists have escalated.

Public land management agencies are facing these challenges with inadequate enforcement funding and staff. This leaves them unable to protect the lands under their stewardship, and at a loss to turn around the attitude of lawlessness that is alarmingly common among off-road riders. The common perception among off-road riders is that breaking the rules some of the time is all right, especially if someone else has ridden off-route before and cut a visible trail. This has become a significant public problem because of the destructive capabilities of off-road vehicles.

Wildlands CPR released the report in late May on successful strategies for enforcing the law on public lands to stop off-road vehicle abuse. Five case studies illustrate how authorities have combined six strategies to protect safety, recreation opportunities, wildlife habitat, water quality, and private property. 

“Everyone has a right to access our public lands, but no one has the right to abuse these lands or ruin the experience of others,” said Bob Clark, Associate Representative for the Sierra Club in western Montana. “Fair and effective law enforcement helps everyone who values public land, whether you ride a machine, a horse or rely on

your own two feet. And enforcement helps protect wildlife and clean water from unjustifiable damage and pollution.”

Clark has felt the effects of off-road lawlessness first hand. Last summer, he was the victim of a vehicular assault by a dirt biker who was riding illegally through the Great Burn proposed wilderness on Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest.  

Identifying the rider has been difficult as he was wearing full body armor and his machine had no state license plate.

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have struggled to prevent environmental damage, conflicts, and even violence sometimes associated with the abuse of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes, and other powerful off-road vehicles.  

Former Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth called unmanaged motorized recreation one of the greatest threats to public land.

The report, “Six Strategies for Success: Effective Enforcement of Off-Road Vehicle Use on Public Lands,” explores what can be done to solve this problem, in these times of limited resources and tight budgets.

This is the first of a multi-part article.  Additional information from the report will be featured in our next newsletter.  Or you can see the full report now at www.wildlandscpr.org.

Setting a High Mark for Conservation in Alaska—Alaska Conservation Alliance

By Sue Ely

During the 25th Legislative Session, the Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA) was involved in the passage of 17 pro-conservation bills and helped to stop several bills that would have had a negative impact on conservation in the state.   

Undoubtedly, our greatest victories were in the passage of HB152 and SB289 and the subsequent investment of funds in energy efficiency and renewable energy for Alaska.  According to statewide polling, Alaskans view energy as the top issue facing the state; surpassing even economy, taxes, health care, education and crime.  Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA), along with the Alaska Legislature and others, certainly delivered on ‘energy legislation’ this last session.     

Introduced by Rep. Thomas and Speaker Harris, HB152 has been ACA’s #1 priority bill since its introduction two years ago.  The bill recognizes that Alaska’s energy future depends on “an adequate, reliable, reasonably priced, and safe supply of energy” and seeks to implement this through greater use of renewables as a fuel source.  HB152 appropriates $50 million in grants to renewable energy projects recommended by the Alaska Energy Authority for this year, with intent language that an additional $50 million be appropriated each of the next 4 years.   

That is a total investment of $250 million for renewable energy!   

This level of investment in renewable energy is unprecedented in the US and would not have happened without an exceptional level of support and cooperation.  Co-sponsored by 28 Representatives and 11 Senators, HB152 also had the support of the Governor and countless citizens who responded to our phone calls, postcards, letters and emails urging them to contact their legislators in support of HB152.  Everyone involved in this historic piece of legislation deserves a warm ‘thank you,’ and it is our hope that we can build on this cooperation for future conservation priorities. 

The second big win on the energy front was the passage of SB289, a bill to increase the money available from the Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation (AHFC) for home weatherization and efficiency.  This bill gives the AHFC an additional $200 million for weatherization help for low to median income Alaskans and $100 million for home energy efficiency for all income levels.  

Home weatherization can save a homeowner 30% on their energy bills and dramatically decrease energy consumption across the state.  Together these bills will start Alaska on the path towards reduced energy demand and increased use of sustainable, steady-priced and renewable energy.   

Finally, ACA’s efforts to have Alaska’s political leaders address climate change during the 2006 Legislative Session paid off when the Climate Impact Assessment Commission released their findings and recommendations to the Alaska Legislature.   

The Commission’s report contains important data about the impacts of climate change along with six substantive recommendations for the Alaska Legislature.  ACA also spent much time and effort encouraging the Palin Administration to get engaged and provide much needed leadership.  To date, the Governor has set up a Climate Change Sub-Cabinet which is now organizing a process to produce a climate impact action plan similar to other states.  This is a significant step forward, especially since Alaska is at the forefront of climate change.    

Together these three accomplishments – groundbreaking action on Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation and Climate Change Engagement – make 2008 a standout year for Alaska’s conservation community.  It sets a benchmark of accomplishments that will be hard to beat but with the continued support of Alaskans everywhere we can continue to extend the momentum gained by these significant accomplishments.  

ACA is the statewide umbrella group for 40 member organizations with a combined membership of over 38,000 Alaskans.

From the Director...

You’ve seen from the front page that the Conservation Leaders Network has been busy since our last newsletter.  As we have since 1998, we brought our “Conservation Makes $ense” booth to the National Association of Counties’ annual conference.  This year it was held in Kansas City  MO.

Several county officials worked the booth with us, including:

• Commissioner Robert Downing of Calhoun County AL

• Supervisor Brett Hulsey of Dane County WI

• Commissioner Barry Jacobs of Orange County NC

• Council Member Bob Jacobson of Hawaii County HI

• Commissioner Carol Fordonski of Queen Anne’s County MD 

• Commissioner Mike Murray of Lewis & Clark County MT

• Freeholder Beth Timberman of Salem County NJ.

In addition to working our “Conversation Makes $ense” booth, the Conservation Leaders Network was active throughout the conference. 

We co-hosted, with Dane County WI Supervisor Brett Hulsey, the “Conversation on Conservation” on Sunday evening.  An informal gathering of conservation-minded county officials and staff, it serves to provide a congenial atmosphere to make new contacts and discuss environmental issues. 

And we successfully worked with members of NACo’s Environment, Energy and Land Use Committee to defeat a resolution significantly reducing clean water protections.  This work was a continuation of the clean water work we reported on in the last issue of Networker.

While our side prevailed at the Committee, which is charged with setting NACo’s water policy, the NACo Board of Directors disregarded the Committee’s recommendation and approved the harmful resolution. 

However, the Board also approved a resolution to protect drinking water, one to support funding for a Clean Water Trust Fund, and a compromise “Waters of the US Task Force” resolution. 

Needless to say, current NACo water policy is somewhat confusing at best.  It remains to be seen how NACo staff is going to work the issue without being perceived as schizophrenic in the Capitol.

And on another “water” front, we continue to advocate for marine reserves—wilderness areas in the ocean—in Oregon.  As the Governor clearly stated that community-based proposals would receive highest priority in the selection process, we’ve also helped create a local group to identify and support a reserve off the south coast.  As I write this, we hope to have delineated the boundaries before this goes out in the mail.  The proposals have to be submitted by September 30, and we have to work to gain letters of support before then.

Now that the NACo conference is over, we will be starting on climate change work.  Having just received a grant from the Carolyn Foundation, we are working with staff from King County  WA and the national Sierra Club to inform counties about the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration.  It was launched at last year’s NACo conference in Richmond  VA but has not been endorsed by NACo yet.

The Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration will take counties from recognizing that global warming is a problem to pledging to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050.

The Declaration is significant because it recognizes that human emissions of greenhouse gases is one of the most critical problems facing the world and commits its endorsers to take tangible and far-reaching actions to solve the crisis.

The first stage of our Global Warming Project is to encourage individual counties to endorse the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration.  Currently, 32 counties across the country, representing 40 million people or 13% of the nation’s population, have endorsed the Declaration.  We are now determining which states and  counties we will approach first. 

This grant will also support our work with the Wilderness Society and other major environmental groups as they work to protect federal forests for carbon sequestration purposes.

Let me know if you’d like to learn more about our work. 

Peg Reagan

Counties Taking Conservation Seriously

• Pinellas County  FL is recognized by the Florida Green Building Council as a certified local green government thanks to its commitment to preserving wildlife and its solid waste policies.

• Maricopa County  AZ is replacing its county fleet of 2,000 vehicles with hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles.

• Cobb County  GA is replacing all public toilets with waterless ones, which will save thousands of gallons of water each year in a part of the country hard-hit by recent droughts.

• Los Angeles County  CA is developing a county-wide green procurement implementation project that will cover everything from cleaning supplies and paper to electronics.

• Winona County MN is building a publicly owned wind turbine which can produce enough power for about 600 homes a year. 

• Elk County  PA turned one of the largest municipal solid waste landfills in the state into a landfill gas production facility that will produce enough electricity to power 45,000 homes.

• San Bernardino County  CA waives building permit fees where solar panels, wind turbines or tankless water heaters are installed and gives priority planning review to builders meeting the state’s green builder standards.

• Logan County  OH adopted a goal for zero waste to enter landfills by 2020.

• San Francisco County  CA banned traditional plastic bags and required they be replaced with compostable plastic bags or paper bags.

• Miami-Dade County  FL implemented a showerhead exchange program which offers new, high-efficiency showerheads to residents in exchange for their old models.

• Charles County  MD is exploring the potential use of water flushed down toilets to operate power plants.

• Wayne County  MI partnered with a university and biorefinery company to create a business center for firms focused on the use and manufacturing of alternative fuels, such as ethanol.

• Flathead County  MT is currently working on energy-efficient building upgrades and improvements.

• Multnomah County  OR plans to build the largest solar energy installation in the region on the roofs of county buildings. 

• Montgomery County  PA became the first county in the country to be completely operated by wind-generated electricity.

• Arlington County VA launched the Green Home Choice Program which supports homeowners and buildings in “going green,” saving between 30 and 40 percent in energy use.

Conservation and Climate Change

Land conservation plays an important role in mitigating global climate change. The Trust for Public Land seeks to reduce or moderate the effects of climate change by:

—Pursuing projects that prevent deforestation, a major source of atmospheric CO2

—Encouraging forest absorption of CO2 through TPL projects, including the sale of carbon credits for reforested land

—Protecting land that will become essential to wildlife, as global warming impels animals to seek out new habitat

—Using working forest conservation easements to prevent forest development and promote long-term sustainable forestry

—Protecting coastal lands to help buffer rising sea levels and extreme weather caused by global warming

—Protecting watersheds to improve supplies of clean water, as patterns of precipitation change over time

—Conserving land for trails and greenways that support nonmotorized transportation, reducing the release of CO2  from motor vehicles

—Creating close-to-home parks, so people don’t need to drive to experience nature or find outdoor recreation

—Building parks that reduce sprawl by creating denser, greener communities.

Land&People 2008, reprinted with permission from The Trust for Public Land.  Sign up for a free subscription to Land&People magazine by visiting www.tpl.org.

How Wakulla County FL Protects Its Water

The Land and the Bay

Wakulla can be divided into two geological regions; the Apalachicola Coastal Lowlands in the west, and the Woodville Karst Plain in the east.  The Lowlands are flat and sandy with a thick layer of clay and peat beneath, followed by an underlying layer of limestone.  In the Karst Plain, the sandy surface is usually no more than twenty feet deep with porous limestone underneath.  After years of water passing through the limestone it dissolves the layer, creating sinkholes, sinking streams and caves.  These types of landforms are referred to as karst.  Like magic, springs bubble up from the ground, run over the course of the land and disappear into these karst features throughout Wakulla.  Water and pollutants alike can seep down through these features and quickly reach the Floridan Aquifer.  In addition, rivers and underground caverns move the water south from these areas down into five different bays before reaching the Gulf of Mexico.  Each bay provides critical habitat for a multitude of flora and fauna species. 

Performance-Based Septic Tank and Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT)  

Performance-based septic systems are required for new construction.

These new septic systems reduce the amount of nitrogen released from the tank into the ground and subsequently into the groundwater.  Excess nitrogen can cause explosive growth of aquatic plant species.     

A sewer expansion is underway to reduce the concentration of individual septic tanks in high density and vulnerable areas of our community.  Where central wastewater is available, new developments connect to AWT.   

Wakulla County is a leader in Florida and the region in the utilization of these treatment measures. 

 Wetlands Protection

In 2006, design standards were adopted to protect wetlands that do not fall under the jurisdiction of Federal and State regulations.  Some of these are: 

• Newly created lots less than 2 acres shall be exclusive of wetlands.

• An undisturbed natural buffer at least 75 feet wide shall be maintained around the perimeter of wetlands.  

• Erosion control, including hay bales and silt fences, shall be maintained before, during and after construction (until site stabilization) to protect wetland areas from intrusion and siltation.

Wakulla Springs Protection

A Wakulla Springs Special Planning Area was enacted in 1994 and serves to protect the surface and groundwater that contributes to Wakulla Springs.  This was a groundbreaking initiative in Florida, as other communities had not yet turned their attention to these concerns.  Property owners in this Area are required to notify the County of the amount of hazardous substances, such as fertilizers, kept on their parcel in excess of 5 gallons of liquid or 50 pounds of solid.  A plan for the use, storage and disposal of the substance is also required. 

New commercial development or Future Land Use changes receive additional scrutiny to ensure compliance with the regulations.   

In the spring of 2008, the Wakulla Springs Protection Area was expanded to a 17 mile radius of wetlands.  An undisturbed natural buffer at least 75 feet wide shall be maintained around the perimeter of wetlands.   Erosion control, including hay bales and silt fences, shall be maintained before, during and after construction (until site stabilization) to protect wetland areas from intrusion and siltation.

YES! I want to join the Conservation Leaders Network, the only nonprofit organization in the country which focuses on providing support to and forging ties between county commissioners and environmental leaders to protect America’s natural resources. Together we must work to encourage ethically and economically responsible decisions that will help protect the natural treasures that complement and complete our communities.

Individual and county memberships are now available.

Individual memberships start at $45/year; county memberships start at $250/yr.

With my membership, I will get:

• four issues of the Conservation Leaders Network’s quarterly newsletter
• “Networker”
• access to the Network’s email discussion list, where I can discuss
• environmental issues with other county leaders and environmental advocates
• priority access to the Conservation Leaders Staff for information and support.
• email notice of natural resource protection and restoration opportunities for counties

We hope you will join the Conservation Leaders Network and help us protect America's natural resources. Click here for a mail-in membership form or to join online.

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