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CONSERVATION YEARBOOK 2016 About PHOTO © JANE IZARD CONSERVATION YEARBOOK 2016 About Land for Tomorrow is a statewide coalition of community leaders, conservation and greenways and trails. Conservation has kept many areas natural, providing clean air outdoors organizations, businesses, and local governments with a common goal: and drinking water, flood control, and recreational opportunities for North Carolina increasing land and water conservation in North Carolina. The coalition works to families. These land protection successes have also played a major role in the state’s ensure that the state’s conservation trust funds – Clean Water Management Trust economy, boosting agriculture, the military, tourism, forestry, hunting, fishing and Fund (CWMTF), Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) and the Agricultural wildlife-watching. Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF) are well-funded. Land and water conservation has always been a bipartisan issue – flourishing no The creation and consistent funding of North Carolina’s conservation trust funds matter what party was in charge. That’s because it is supported by such a wide range have been the result of bipartisan forward-thinking leadership over the past 27 of people – hunters, anglers, business people and many others who understand that years. This smart leadership has resulted in the preservation of hundreds of land and water conservation is crucial to North Carolina’s wellbeing. This year’s thousands of acres of family farms, forests, stream banks, game lands, parks, Conservation Year Book will introduce you to some of these “faces of conservation.” NORTH CAROLINA’S CONSERVATION TRUST FUNDS North Carolina has three publicly funded conservation trust funds. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) supports The Agricultural Development and Farmland is a primary source of grants for hundreds of local improvements in the state’s park system and provides Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF) supports public and governments, state agencies and conservation nonprofits dollar-for-dollar matching grants to local governments for private enterprise programs that promote sustainable to address water pollution and protect clean water parks and improvements to public beach and estuarine agricultural, horticultural and forestland activities. It also supplies. NOTE: For many years the state also had a access, which are important to local tourism economies. funds conservation easements on farms, forests and separate Natural Heritage Trust Fund (NHTF) that PARTF is the main source of funding for most state park horticultural lands to preserve the land, enable long-term protected land that is home to rare species, important improvements and land acquisition to create new parks or production of food and fiber and allow landowners to wildlife habitat and significant cultural sites. The NHTF was expand existing ones. maintain ownership of their family lands. merged with CWMTF in 2013. 2 | Conservation Yearbook 2016 FACES OF CONSERVATION Ruth Samuelson, Former Jim Whitehurst, Red Hat CEO Legislator and Mecklenburg Conservation is Crucial to County Commissioner Attracting the Best and the Brightest There’s No Alternative for Clean Water Red Hat is an international leader when it comes to computer software. That means the company must When Ruth Samuelson was growing attract highly educated, young professionals who are Ruth Samuelson up in Mecklenburg County, she spent in high demand. To stay on top, Red Hat has to many an hour in Little Sugar Creek appeal to those men and women. Red Hat CEO Jim – playing and building “frog houses” with her friends. But, Whitehurst says the quality of life found in the Little Sugar Creek changed a few decades later – becoming community is an important part of that appeal. too polluted for anyone to play in or around its waters. “Our biggest competition isn’t for our customers, it’s Jim Whitehurst and family Samuelson, working as a county commissioner and later as a for the best talent,” he explains. “The best and State Representative, helped to change that situation. Today, brightest have their choice of where to work - both companies and locations. More and more, we are finding that Little Sugar Creek is once again a place for families to visit, its quality of life is a major determinant of where top talent chooses to live and work. I am constantly asked by people restoration the result of investment by local governments and we are recruiting about the recreational opportunities in North Carolina.” the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund. That’s why Whitehurst, who sits on the Board of Directors for The Conservation Fund, supports public funding for Today Samuelson and her family are active users of the Little land and water conservation. “NC is situated in a great area that spans mountains to beaches, but we need to Sugar Creek Greenway. “We’ve even fished there,” she says. ensure that some of those areas are preserved and accessible for recreational use,” he says. “But, without much success.” Despite the fact that he works in a high-tech business, Whitehurst says getting out in nature is important for Samuelson notes that the recreational opportunities provided everyone’s wellbeing. “I live and work in the hectic high tech world. It is exciting and fast paced, but also exhausting. by land and water conservation are important to the My kids live a similar life - with iPads at school and video games at home,” he explains. “Some of our highest quality economic and public health of all people. “The younger family time is when we are able to get away from it all. Being in nature allows our family to build special, deeper generation of employees wants open space and water access bonds. It gives us time to reflect, but also be together without the myriad distractions on our normal everyday lives.” for recreational purposes,” she says. “The retiring population His love of nature began with his grandfathers and parents fishing and hiking as a family. “I’ve been lucky enough is also attracted to it when looking to relocate in new to be able to do this with my kids. Going forward, I want to make sure that I can do the same with my communities. Both are good for our economy.” grandchildren,” he concludes. “And I want to make sure that others who may not have the same capacity to `hop on a plane’ also have those opportunities nearby to where they live.” Conservation Yearbook 2016 | 3 Thomas A. Gorry, Brigadier significant areas are General, U.S. Marine Corps protected for years to come.” Jeffrey M. Sanborn, Colonel, US Army Mike Szulak, Land Conservation Hunter Crucial to Military Hunters Depend Preparedness on Land and State conservation trust fund dollars Soldiers training in longleaf pine at Fort Bragg Water always leverage additional money. PHOTO © KISSTA FELDNER/82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION Conservation Mike Szulak One of the big sources of those PHOTO © COURTESY MIKE SZULAK dollars has been the U.S. Defense Department. North Carolina’s military installations have benefited as As an avid hunter, Mike land around them was protected – more than 45,000 acres around Camp Lejeune and 16 miles of base Szulak supports land and water conservation. “By being an boundary around Fort Bragg. outdoorsman I feel that I am also a conservationist by default. I would not be able to enjoy many of my favorite outdoor activities such as “Efforts to buffer and connect Army and State lands are a perfect example of how the United States Army turkey, deer and waterfowl hunting in addition to freshwater and and the State of North Carolina, through its trust funds, have worked together for common goals,” Bragg saltwater fishing and hiking,” he explains. “I’m passionate about being Garrison Commander Colonel Jeffrey M. Sanborn wrote in 2013 to Gov. Pat McCrory. able to participate in these activities and without land conservation it Camp Lejeune’s Commanding General Thomas A. Gorry also wrote Gov. McCrory to register his support. would be more difficult to do them with regularity.” “For several years the military has worked collaboratively with the State of North Carolina to promote Szulak grew up in Wake County and is a member of the Wake County conservation and compatible land use in the vicinity of military installations and other areas in which we Wildlife Club. “Some of my best memories with my friends have been train,” he said. “These partnering projects rely heavily on state conservation funding as a match and/or created while hunting on the natural places of North Carolina,” he leverage to the funds provided by the military and other sources.” says. “My peer group is passionate about the outdoors and has North Carolina is a leader in conservation funding around military bases, largely because it has had the created some of the most memorable times while chasing spring state trust funds to leverage the military dollars. Without those matching dollars, it is likely that the Defense gobblers, hunting elusive mature bucks during the fall, and pursuing Department money will go to other states. With the next round of decisions looming regarding base the multiple waterfowl species at our disposal. realignment and closure, it is more important than ever that the state continue to fund protection of buffers Many of Szulak’s favorite outdoor spots – including a number of game around military bases to ensure there are no incompatible uses that could compromise the military mission lands across the state, exist because of investments from the state’s or threaten the bases’ existence. conservation trust funds. He is also quick to point out that conserved Colonel Sanborn says that protecting the state trust funds is crucial for everyone involved. “As our military lands are important to the economy. “These resources provide installations continue to grow, bringing more good jobs to North Carolina, the development pressures recreational businesses such as fishing charters, hunting guides and around Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall will only intensify.
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