SHAs – Coming to a coastal habitat near you?
Coastal North Carolina is continuing to lose the race against time in conserving, protecting and restoring vital Strategic Habitat Areas (SHAs) and the functions they provide. I have been meeting with an advisory committee that will assist the Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff in developing the process by which Strategic Habitat Areas would be identified, designated and protected.

The North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan defines Strategic Habitat Areas as “specific locations of individual fish habitats or systems of habitats that have been identified to provide exceptional habitat functions or that are particularly at risk due to imminent threats, vulnerability, or rarity.” The SHA Advisory Committee, which consists of 12 scientists and professionals in the environmental community, will recommend a scientifically-based process and criteria which will identify Strategic Habitat Areas throughout coastal North Carolina. Once identified, these SHAs will be given necessary site-specific measures of protection in order to reestablish, maintain or enhance their ecological condition.

Not all habitats can be given the same level of protection; some habitats will be deemed more strategic than others. Habitats that are particularly important and especially in need of protection should receive additional regulatory protection. This does not mean that those not designated as “strategic” are not essential to healthy and viable coastal fisheries. This advisory committee understands there must be a realistic concession -- coastal waters support many other interests that compete with the protection and management of marine and estuarine resources. These competing interests require a tough balancing act, but I believe the Strategic Habitat Areas Advisory Committee is up to the task.

What's Up with Working Lands?
Agriculture and forestry are multi-billion dollar industries in North Carolina, yet the state is a leader among the 50 states in annual loss of working farms and forests. Much work is being done to maintain our state’s working lands and this column will provide relevant updates on progress being made.

The Agriculture and Forestry Commission, which is made up of state legislative and agriculture leaders, has met twice this spring:

January’s AFC meeting in Concord featured presentations relating to Dole Corporation activities. Site investigation and construction is underway on a world-class core lab, along with two fruit and vegetable processing facilities. The Concord-based core lab will be a center for research on health, nutrition and plant propagation. State agencies and universities are gearing up to assist farmers with knowledge and infrastructure to meet Dole Corporation standards. N.C. farmers who choose to learn a new way of farming will have a ready market for all the fruits and vegetables they can produce. Dole represents a new opportunity to increase agriculture and slow the loss of working land in North Carolina.

At the March AFC meeting in Duplin County, the agenda focused on precision farming, renewable portfolio standards, motor vehicle laws and building codes.

Precision farming, a technology that will save money and time as it relates to crop production, will also result in water quality improvement through exact use of soil amendments. Commission members discussed how funding from the Agriculture Cost Share Program and other programs could make it feasible for farmers to participate in PF in the near future.

Renewable Portfolio Standards is a forward-thinking approach for energy use and conservation that has already been adopted by 21 states. RPS gives power companies an incentive to cut costs, reduce emissions and increase use of biofuels. Because North Carolina and the southeast United States are the Saudi Arabia of biomass, RPS could provide a potential boon to forestry. If the RPS proposal is adopted in North Carolina, it would benefit our citizens, economy and environment, as well as the state’s farmers and foresters.

Two challenges faced by agriculture and forestry are the greenhouse construction building codes and motor vehicle law related to farm equipment operation. The AFC approved a recommendation asking legislators to consider exempting greenhouse construction from the N.C. building codes and to reach a balance between the state’s driving regulation and operation of farm equipment.

At the USDA Farm Bill Forum in Fayetteville, a panel of 16 members of Congress (including five from N.C.) discussed with 13 farmers how the 2007 Farm Bill should look. Members of the panel expressed concern as they were told repeatedly that land costs, world markets, declining profit margins, the average age of the farmer and needed improvements in the Farm Bill are primary challenges to farming in the United States. Several congressmen stated a desire to include a wider range of commodities in the 2007 Farm Bill, while stating that pressure exists to decrease overall farm bill funding.

The first meeting of the new N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services Farmland Trust Board was held on March 14. Sixteen board members discussed the state of agriculture, and the board’s purpose and future directions. The primary hurdle is increasing funding beyond the current $50,000. Information was shared about agritourism, value-added farm products and other programs. The board’s optimistic leadership and synergy of ideas will do well under Commissioner Steve Troxler’s guidance.

As I participate in agricultural and forestry-related events, I find myself crossing paths with various councils of government, Cooperative Extension Service, N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Farm Bureau, the Grange, local conservation districts and Forest Resources, among others. It is encouraging to see that maintaining working lands in North Carolina is common ground for so many different groups and people. If you are one of the many interested in working lands, it is likely that our paths will cross. So whether it is the first time, or the next time that we meet, remember that I am interested in hearing your ideas on keeping North Carolina a working lands-friendly state.