Conservation Cuts

Scwb

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) was established by the General Assembly in 1996 to “help finance projects that specifically address water pollution problems and focus on upgrading surface waters, eliminating pollution, and protecting, preserving, and conserving unpolluted surface waters, including enhancement or development of drinking water supplies.” The GA has also focused on the importance of establishing a network of riparian buffers and greenways along with the protection of wildlife and marine fisheries habitats.

You can thank the CWMTF for several important and beneficial projects that have occurred right here on our coast. Since 1999, nine projects have been funded within our White Oak River basin totaling over 10 million dollars. One of these projects includes the restoration of salt marsh adjacent to Wilson Bay to treat polluted water runoff as it enters the bay, which was once a raw sewage dead zone before the Wilson Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant was shut down and turned into an environmental education facility.  Along with storm-water improvements, money has been allocated for land acquisition buffers on military bases and wastewater treatment plant enhancements.

It is no surprise that in recent years, the state allocations contributing to the CWMTF have dropped, especially within the last 3 years. This year will be the second year in a row for the trust fund to be operating with the lowest annual allotment ever at just $11.25 million (a 90% reduction from the previous year). Required in its statutes, the fund should be annually contributing $100 million.

This news has drawn much attention from conservation organizations as well as local governments. Over 100 NC sporting groups came together to voice their concerns for conservation funding in a signed joint letter asking the General Assembly to restore funding for the CWMTF to $40 million. Many game and sports organizations have good reason to considering the US Fish and Wildlife Service contribute $4.3 billion to our state’s economy and support over 46,000 jobs.

Many groups, like the Land for Tomorrow and NC Wildlife Federation are calling for the people to take action by urging state representatives to support natural resource trust funds. The CWMTF is only one of four in NC: Natural Heritage, Parks and Recreation and Agricultural Development, and Farmland Preservation. For every dollar invested, the state receives at least $4 of natural goods and services like protection for our drinking water. It is not surprising to understand why these trust funds are often tapped into when budget gaps are trying to be filled; yet, it is hard to ignore the fact that their investment increases its output value. NC parks also saw a record attendance of more than 14 million in 2011, making about $409 million.

Here at home, we have local government that count on such trust funds to help offset the high costs of restoring our water basin, which contributes to our tourism, seafood industry, and quality of life. It will be even harder now to compete with the ongoing development of our basin, which has increased along with our population growth.  On top of fund cuts, new provisions set in place for the first time require how and where the trust fund must spend its money. A quarter must be spent on administration and debt service, about 13% on buffer acquisition around military bases and the rest on water infrastructure and conservation easements.

This year, 161 applicants have asked for money from the trust fund (57 from the east), totaling a request of $125 million, just 25 million more than what was originally allocated. Now only 8% of that amount requested will be distributed. 

 

White Oak-New Riverkeeper

White Oak-New Riverkeeper


Posterous theme by Cory Watilo