October 2007

CWMTF Approves $86.5 Million in Grants so far in 2007 Funding Cycle

RALEIGH -- The North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund began awarding grants in its 2007 funding cycle in August, and through October has approved 131 grant requests totaling $86.5 million for water quality projects across the state.

Some of the approved projects included:

• $3 million to the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation for its swine lagoon buy-out program
• $3 million to the City of Winston-Salem for its Bath Branch Stormwater project
• $3 milion to the Town of Burgaw to regionalize its wastewater treatment collection system and protect Burgaw Creek
• $2.4 million to the Town of Mt. Gilead to rehabilitate its wastewater collection system and protect Clarks Creek
• $2.4 million to the Town of Murphy to purchase the Murphy Tract and protect Marble Creek
• $1.0 million to the N.C. Coastal Federation to help purchase the Morton Farm Tract and protect Webb Creek

In August, the board approved 34 stormwater projects totaling $15 million. In September, 47 land acquisition projects totaling $44.6 million were also approved. At the board's October meeting, 50 wastewater grants were funded.

At its November 12, 2007 meeting in Raleigh, the CWMTF board will consider 29 remaining eligible grant requests totaling 36.7 million to complete the 2007 grant year.

CWMTF grant awards are made possible by a $100 million dollar annual appropriation by the N.C. General Assembly made in June of this year.

Important Dates:

10/22/07 - Deadline to submit surveys, appraisals, environmental assessments, and other documents to CWMTF

10/29/07: Dedication of Jones Island, White Oak River Basin - 11:00 AM @ Hammocks Beach State Park

11/11-12/07: CWMTF Board of Trustees Meeting, Raleigh

12/1/07: CWMTF Annual Report to the General Assembly Due

Richard Rogers: New Executive Director of CWMTF

As a boy, Richard E. Rogers, Jr. spent plenty of hours playing in the streams and creeks that feed the Roanoke River. Now, after 13 years building a career helping to shape North Carolina's environmental policy, the Williamston native has assumed the role of directly protecting those same creeks and streams.

On Aug. 1, 2007, Rogers left his position as Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to head CWMTF.   He assumes the helm of the $100 million agency at a time when the state is wrestling to balance economic growth and development with sustaining it's natural resources.   Rogers said he is more than ready to take on the challenge.

"The mission of the trust fund is something to get excited about," said Rogers.  "It's a fantastic opportunity to provide funds for clean water projects that will benefit North Carolina on so many levels, including enhanced habitat for our wildlife, better wastewater treatment systems to protect surface waters, restored wetlands to better our natural treatment of water and better management of storm water runoff.   These issues affect each of us everyday and   the trust fund works everyday to make North Carolina a better place to live."

The 21-member board of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund named Rogers as the fund's third executive director in June.   He succeeds former executive director Bill Holman, and interim director D.G. Martin.

"Richard has demonstrated leadership in protection of North Carolina's natural resources through his work with the land trust community, local governments and of course state agencies," said Clean Water Trust Fund Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Baddour.   "His experience, commitment and passion for the conservation of our important land and water resources gives him a solid background to take on the role of CWMTF executive director."

That commitment was forged on the banks of the Roanoke.

"In Williamston, our house was adjacent to wetlands in the floodplain of the Roanoke River -- we called it a swamp," Rogers explained. "I spent hours as a kid wandering in that swamp and in the woods, playing in the creeks, making bridges with logs and always coming home with wet feet and/or body which was forbidden."

Rogers recalls feeling a great sadness as a youngster when trees in those woods were removed for new development, or when flooding damaged the ecosystem around the swamp.

Influenced by those experiences, Rogers began his career working to protect North Carolina's environment some13 years ago, when he first came to work for NCDENR as its legislative liaison.   He said the experiences he has as a boy developed into a great passion. "I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to work in a field that I have a personal enthusiasm for.   And I also wanted the opportunity to work on issues that will sustain and enhance our natural environment that all life depends upon," he said.

As head of the trust fund, Rogers will play a very large role in protecting the state's water resources.

"The most important thing people should know about the trust fund is that it is unique to North Carolina.   It is a one of kind organization that delivers water quality protection in a non-regulatory way to the communities and citizens through diverse programs," Rogers said.

"The trust fund is relatively young and it's biggest accomplishment is getting the 900-plus grants it has made statewide on the ground for the betterment of communities across the state," added Rogers.   "That has taken a lot of support from our legislature, a lot of time and effort by the fund's trustees and hard work and commitment by its staff."

Rogers holds a Masters of Public Administration from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Arts from Hampton-Sydney College.   Prior to becoming assistant secretary for natural resources, he was the department's director of conservation and community affairs from February 2002 to September 2006. He was NCDENR's director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs from March 1997 to February 2002.

Rogers lives in Raleigh with his wife Hunter and their three children.   He admits however, that Eastern North Carolina, especially Ocracoke Island, is his refuge.

"I have great love of the North Carolina beaches and spent time in my youth at Atlantic Beach, Nags Head and Ocracoke.   Playing in the surf as well as meandering in the marshes connected me with our wonderful coastal resources," Rogers said.

Despite his coastal connections, Rogers also enjoys the state's mountains, especially wandering the trails at DuPont State Forest, which is one of the trust fund's largest projects. "The water falls there are spectacular.   And sitting by a stream and simply watching the water run clear is about a relaxing as it gets."

Project of the Month: Schenck and Ball Tracts, Green River

In September, CWMTF joined with the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy to celebrate the preservation of two important tracts of land that will help protect water quality in the Green River.

Set in one of the most pristine areas in Western North Carolina,the Schenck and Ball tracts represent the conservation of over 3,100 acres. CWMTF invested a total of $6.3 million to help purchase the property from two conservation land owners - Sandy Schenck and John Ball.

Besides the numerous recreational benefits of the Green River, the project protects a North Carolina Natural Heritage Program-identified natural area. The property includes such diverse habitats as granitic dome outcrops, steep cliffs, cove forests, Carolina Hemlock Bluffs, and Pine-Oak Heath forests.   Large unfragmented forestland with periodic openings also provide foraging habitat for a number of large mammals including black bear and bobcat. The purchase of the two tracts constitutes permanent protection of a corridor of forest land connecting DuPont State Forest's 10,000 acres to a 10,000-acre string of public lands in Upstate South Carolina. It will help to provide the kind of links among natural areas that conservation biologists say is vital for wildlife migration and long-term adaptability of species.