Natural Resources Leadership Institute

DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE STATEWIDE MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES.

The mission of the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program (NC PCP) is to conserve the native flora of North Carolina, including the 26 federally endangered plant species that are near extinction. Research shows that it is necessary to actively manage land to ensure the survival of these rare plants yet the success of management techniques is determined through monitoring. If monitoring data indicate that a plant population is declining, then management is insufficient and should be altered. Feedback between monitoring and management is called adaptive management. Due to staff and resource limitations, NC PCP can monitor and manage only a limited number of populations.

To address this situation, Moni convened a consensus-based process with representatives from several nonprofit conservation organizations and government agencies to develop standard monitoring protocols specific to individual plant species, and to recruit land managers and volunteers to help implement the protocols.

OFF ROAD VEHICLE (ORV) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE: SETTING A STAGE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The National Park Service (NPS) at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) on North Carolina's Outer Banks is committed to developing a new off road vehicle (ORV) management plan. Important considerations in developing this new plan include protecting habitat for endangered species as well as providing recreational opportunities. Scott, Robert, and Jack interviewed beach drivers and other stakeholders to identify their issues and concerns regarding beach driving, habitat protection, and their interest in participating in a stakeholder process to develop an ORV Management Plan.

Although no final decisions or resolutions to the beach driving issue have been made, the results of the interviews were summarized, and provided to NPS and the participating stakeholders. It is anticipated that this report could assist in establishing a collaborative process for preparing an ORV Management Plan. They concluded that most stakeholders would be willing to participate in a public involvement process to prepare such a plan.

DEVELOPING LANGUAGE FOR A "WORKING FOREST" CONSERVATION EASEMENT

Conservation easements have been successfully used to protect and preserve over 40,000 acres with scenic, cultural, historical or ecological value in North Carolina. However, this land conservation tool has had limited application in forest management. Many forest landowners and professional foresters choose not to use conservation easements because they perceive that these tools are being used to create "forever wild" nature preserves or are written in a way that severely restricts forest management options. There is a need to change that perception since conservation easements on "working forests" can be an effective way to conserve open space and maintain forestry in areas experiencing suburban expansion.

Dave and Craig designed and facilitated a "virtual meeting place for discussion," accessed through the Internet. Through this assemblage of online stakeholders, Dave and Craig will develop working forest conservation easement language that encourages more forest landowners to enter into conservation easement agreements.

CONVENE A YATES MILL WATERSHED COMMUNITY MEETING.

The Yates Millpond watershed contains 3,300 acres located in south central Wake County. Surrounded by the towns of Cary, Apex, and Garner, the area has experienced intense development pressures and loss of open space, including evidence of degraded water quality in some areas. Several planning documents address the Yates Millpond watershed and guide development in the area, and Wake County is in the process of developing a watershed management program that focuses on water quality issues. In addition, a 574-acre park Yates Mill County Park is scheduled for development in the area in partnership with the local community.

Rebeccah, Bill, and Laura coordinated an educational community meeting to foster a better understanding of watershed issues and increase public involvement in future land-use decisions in the watershed.

CONVENE A YATES MILL WATERSHED COMMUNITY MEETING.

The Yates Millpond watershed contains 3,300 acres located in south central Wake County. Surrounded by the towns of Cary, Apex, and Garner, the area has experienced intense development pressures and loss of open space, including evidence of degraded water quality in some areas. Several planning documents address the Yates Millpond watershed and guide development in the area, and Wake County is in the process of developing a watershed management program that focuses on water quality issues. In addition, a 574-acre park Yates Mill County Park is scheduled for development in the area in partnership with the local community.

Rebeccah, Bill, and Laura coordinated an educational community meeting to foster a better understanding of watershed issues and increase public involvement in future land-use decisions in the watershed.

COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A FOREST LEGACY MANAGEMENT PLAN FORTHE DAVISFARM TRACT

Development pressures have increased in the last several years throughout coastal North Carolina, particularly in Brunswick County. As land values increase, forestland and other open spaces are being converted to residential and commercial uses. The Davis Farm tract, 1,200 acres of forestland owned by International Paper is well suited for development as a golf course community. It is also characterized by tremendous scenic, wildlife, water quality and timberland values. Tony coordinated an effort that brought together representatives from conservation organizations, local, state, and federal government, and International Paper to develop a Forest Legacy management plan for the Davis Farm tract. The plan preserves open space, protects wildlife habitat and water quality while at the same time enables production of timber and other forest resources.

THE ROLE OF 'THE FORGOTTEN CROP' IN BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND A BASIS FOR POLICY DECISION-MAKING FOR SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER PROTECTION.

Recent years have seen an increase in commercial and residential development across Guilford County. Coupled with this growth has been an increase in landscaped areas and backyard gardens, and a shift from agricultural land management to consumer horticulture and pest management. Known as the Forgotten Crop, managing the environment through landscaping and gardening adds natural, aesthetic, and economic value to private or public property. It also involves widespread use of various fertilizers and pesticides. Most people are not trained in the application of natural or synthetic pesticides, which can lead to water quality degradation as storm water runoff carries nutrients and pesticides to nearby streams and rivers.

Steve and Gwyn have taken the lead in expanding citizen awareness about the potential negative impacts of the Forgotten Crop and the roles citizens can play in protecting the environment. A pilot project will be carried out in Guilford County to build awareness of citizens and elected decision-makers about existing research, policy choices, and alternative horticultural methods to care for landscape and turf investments. Consequently, policymakers as well as property owners will make informed decisions and focus on maintaining water quality in their area.

IMPLEMENT A PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARD FOR FIRE FIGHTERS WITHIN THE NC DIVISION OF FOREST RESOURCES THROUGH AN INTERNAL COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.

The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NC Forest Service) is responsible for controlling and extinguishing all wildland fires on private and state owned land in North Carolina. Fire fighters work intensely for periods of up to an hour or more with no time to rest. NC Forest Service employees who are in poor health or are not physically fit are more likely than their more fit counterparts to succumb to accidents or injuries while on the fire line. Many of these incidents can be prevented if personnel are more health conscious and maintain a level of physical fitness suited to the laborious requirements of fire fighting.

To deal with this problem, Michael served on a committee to develop recommendations on implementing fitness level tests for fire fighting duty as well as to improve overall health and fitness of all field personnel. The committee is still in the process of exploring whether the division should require fitness testing standards as a condition of employment. Because of this effort, there is heightened awareness of the importance of wellness and physical fitness among NC Forest Service employees statewide.

DEVELOPING LANGUAGE FOR A "WORKING FOREST" CONSERVATION EASEMENT.

Conservation easements have been successfully used to protect and preserve over 40,000 acres with scenic, cultural, historical or ecological value in North Carolina. However, this land conservation tool has had limited application in forest management. Many forest landowners and professional foresters choose not to use conservation easements because they perceive that these tools are being used to create "forever wild" nature preserves or are written in a way that severely restricts forest management options. There is a need to change that perception since conservation easements on "working forests" can be an effective way to conserve open space and maintain forestry in areas experiencing suburban expansion.

Dave and Craig designed and facilitated a "virtual meeting place for discussion," accessed through the Internet. Through this assemblage of online stakeholders, Dave and Craig will develop working forest conservation easement language that encourages more forest landowners to enter into conservation easement agreements.

DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE EVALUATION PROCESS ON THE USE OF BIO-RETENTION BASINS FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN CHAPEL HILL.

The town of Chapel Hill is exploring ways to improve its stormwater management program by encouraging the use of bio-retention basins, a technology that had not been used at all in Chapel Hill and in a limited way in other parts of the state. The owners of the University Mall property have agreed to retrofit part of their site with bio-retention basins and participate in a performance monitoring program. The town anticipates using this data to evaluate the effectiveness of these systems given local conditions. In addition, the town wanted to conduct at least two workshops for local engineers, developers, and town planning and public works staff on bio-retention basins, as a means of promoting their use. Pat coordinated the workshops and facilitated information exchange between the workshop participants. The workshops provided very good information on the application, design, siting, and maintenance of bio-retention basins for stormwater management to local engineers and landscape architects. In addition, the Engineering Department of the Town was able to prepare design specifications for bio-retention basinswithin the town. Because of the workshop, the Engineering Department added informational requirements from applicants and made changes to the documentation required once a bio-retention basin is installed.

CONVENE A YATES MILL WATERSHED COMMUNITY MEETING

The Yates Millpond watershed contains 3,300 acres located in south central Wake County. Surrounded by the towns of Cary, Apex, and Garner, the area has experienced intense development pressures and loss of open space, including evidence of degraded water quality in some areas. Several planning documents address the Yates Millpond watershed and guide development in the area, and Wake County is in the process of developing a watershed management program that focuses on water quality issues. In addition, a 574-acre park Yates Mill County Park is scheduled for development in the area in partnership with the local community.

Rebeccah, Bill, and Laura coordinated an educational community meeting to foster a better understanding of watershed issues and increase public involvement in future land-use decisions in the watershed.

OFF ROAD VEHICLE (ORV) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE: SETTING A STAGE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The National Park Service (NPS) at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) on North Carolina's Outer Banks is committed to developing a new off road vehicle (ORV) management plan. Important considerations in developing this new plan include protecting habitat for endangered species as well as providing recreational opportunities. Scott, Robert, and Jack interviewed beach drivers and other stakeholders to identify their issues and concerns regarding beach driving, habitat protection, and their interest in participating in a stakeholder process to develop an ORV Management Plan.

Although no final decisions or resolutions to the beach driving issue have been made, the results of the interviews were summarized, and provided to NPS and the participating stakeholders. It is anticipated that this report could assist in establishing a collaborative process for preparing an ORV Management Plan. They concluded that most stakeholders would be willing to participate in a public involvement process to prepare such a plan.

CONVENING OF THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA STRAIGHT-PIPE ELIMINATION PROJECTS.

Straight piping is the release of untreated sewage directly into the environment. Straight piping affects public health, economic development, and the environment. It poses a risk to public health by increasing the levels of coliform bacteria in surface waters; it impacts economic development by lowering property values and making it more difficult to recruit businesses and attract tourism to the area; and, it contributes to the degradation of the environment at the very head waters of many of North Carolina's streams and rivers. Straight pipe elimination has been on the Governor's agenda since 1996. Since then, six straight pipe elimination projects, involving 12 counties, have been initiated in western NC.

Brian and Paul brought project coordinators together to share information and experiences, increase public awareness of straight piping, and coordinate contact with policy makers. They developed a contact list and facilitated an e-mail discussion group among the project coordinators network. The network will continue to be utilized to for ongoing communication and other strategic efforts.

BUILD STAKEHOLDER TRUST TO DEVELOP A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IN THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, CENTRAL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

The current management strategy of the San Joaquin River, wholly diverted for agricultural and municipal water needs, has been declared unsound by the California court system. In addition to the court's decision, there is local pressure from a coalition of environmental and commercial fishing interests, advocating for reconsideration of the current management strategy. Recently, key entities, representing most of the stakeholders associated with the issue, have agreed to work together to find an equitable management scheme. However, the stakeholders have not moved beyond positional arguments, and there does not seem to be an incentive for them to do so.

Kevin's role, as Program Manager, is to facilitate the group in working toward a preferred alternative acceptable to the stakeholders, one that is scientifically sound, implementable, has adaptive feedback loops, meets legal requirements, and allows for long-term working relationships. The solution, at the minimum, should not cause economic harm to Friant Division agricultural stakeholders, nor increase the potential flood losses of downstream entities, and should restore aquatic habitat that supports self-sustaining populations of anadromous salmonids and federally-listed threatened and endangered riparian mammals.

DEVELOP A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN WEYERHAEUSER, THE NC NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND THE COASTAL LAND TRUST IN ADDRESSING CONSERVATION INITIATIVES ON WEYERHAEUSER LAND.

Twenty Natural Heritage Areas overlap Weyerhaeuser Company's lands in eastern North Carolina. The company issued a moratorium on any type of harvesting in these areas in 1995, however, no other action had been taken to protect these sites. Starting in 1999, Mary Beth assumed a leading role within Weyerhaeuser to begin working with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy and the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust toward protection of significant natural areas in Weyerhaeuser's ownership.

Viewing protection of Natural Heritage Areas as consistent with its commitment to the American Forest and Paper Association's Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Weyerhaeuser signed a Memorandum of Understanding with these three organizations. The agreement gave the state and nonprofit conservation organizations the right to pursue conservation of 7,800 acres of company land identified by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program as being environmentally unique. Mary Beth will continue to work on this project as the partners implement protection strategies for the natural heritage sites.

RAISING AWARENESS OF CONSERVATION IN THE UPPER TAR RIVER BASINS.

In February of 1998, Champion International Paper Company, the NC Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, and NC Partners in Flight signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to conserve riparian buffers on Champion International lands in the Upper Tar River Basin. The stream reaches covered by the MOU are considered some of the finest remaining strongholds for freshwater mussel diversity along the Atlantic seaboard. The MOU established 32 miles of buffers totaling 780 acres to protect aquatic diversity and significant neotropical migratory bird habitat.

In addition to buffer management guidelines, the goal was to communicate the agreement and benefits of riparian buffers to landowners and other interested parties in the watershed. In the meantime, Champion International was acquired by International Paper. Chuck took the lead during the acquisition to ensure the continuation of the MOU and to raise public awareness of conservation needs and activities within the Upper Tar River watershed.

ESTABLISH A TEAM TO VISION A DIRECTION FOR A NEW VECTOR CONTROL PROGRAM FOR THE ALBEMARLE REGIONAL AREA.

During the summer of 1999, the coast of North Carolina was hit by three hurricanes. Because of the flooding that followed, reports of the West Nile virus in New York, and a case of eastern equine encephalitis in Dare County, a major aerial spraying program was initiated in the Albemarle Region to control mosquitoes. However, residents voiced concerns over the impacts that spraying might have on bees, organic food production, aquatic insects, fish and shellfish. At the same time, people wanted relief and protection from mosquitoes. In order to work with the community, Walker convened and facilitated several meetings with a diverse group of citizens to develop a mosquito management program that met their interests.

The outcome of this effort is a mosquito management program that stresses education, uses insect monitoring to minimize spraying, and selects pesticides that have a minimum impact on non-target species. Most importantly, it is a program that the community supports.

CONVENE A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC) RELICENSING PROCESS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

Under the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues licenses to non-federal hydropower facilities on navigable waterways of the United States. Licenses define the terms and conditions on how a facility may be operated and require proper maintenance and safe operations. Duke Power/Nantahala Area (DPNA), a division of Duke Energy Corporation, operates hydropower facilities in western North Carolina, three of which are due for relicensing. The relicensing of these facilities will require a comprehensive evaluation of their environmental and social impacts, and will consider current state and federal natural resource protection laws. This will also be the first time that all interested parties will be given an opportunity to provide input on how these facilities manage and discharge water.

Steve, Michele, and Don have designed, convened, and facilitated a process that will augment DPNA's relicensing effort by expanding input from interested parties beyond the typical scoping comments, comments on draft documents, studies, and license applications. Through their efforts, stakeholders have begun to trust that their concerns will get a fair hearing and be addressed in the relicensing process.

CONVENE A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC) RELICENSING PROCESS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

Under the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues licenses to non-federal hydropower facilities on navigable waterways of the United States. Licenses define the terms and conditions on how a facility may be operated and require proper maintenance and safe operations. Duke Power/Nantahala Area (DPNA), a division of Duke Energy Corporation, operates hydropower facilities in western North Carolina, three of which are due for relicensing. The relicensing of these facilities will require a comprehensive evaluation of their environmental and social impacts, and will consider current state and federal natural resource protection laws. This will also be the first time that all interested parties will be given an opportunity to provide input on how these facilities manage and discharge water.

Steve, Michele, and Don have designed, convened, and facilitated a process that will augment DPNA's relicensing effort by expanding input from interested parties beyond the typical scoping comments, comments on draft documents, studies, and license applications. Through their efforts, stakeholders have begun to trust that their concerns will get a fair hearing and be addressed in the relicensing process.

CONVENING OF THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA STRAIGHT-PIPE ELIMINATION PROJECTS.

Straight piping is the release of untreated sewage directly into the environment. Straight piping affects public health, economic development, and the environment. It poses a risk to public health by increasing the levels of coliform bacteria in surface waters; it impacts economic development by lowering property values and making it more difficult to recruit businesses and attract tourism to the area; and, it contributes to the degradation of the environment at the very head waters of many of North Carolina's streams and rivers. Straight pipe elimination has been on the Governor's agenda since 1996. Since then, six straight pipe elimination projects, involving 12 counties, have been initiated in western NC.

Brian and Paul brought project coordinators together to share information and experiences, increase public awareness of straight piping, and coordinate contact with policy makers. They developed a contact list and facilitated an e-mail discussion group among the project coordinators network. The network will continue to be utilized to for ongoing communication and other strategic efforts.

THE ROLE OF 'THE FORGOTTEN CROP' IN BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND A BASIS FOR POLICY DECISION-MAKING FOR SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER PROTECTION.

Recent years have seen an increase in commercial and residential development across Guilford County. Coupled with this growth has been an increase in landscaped areas and backyard gardens, and a shift from agricultural land management to consumer horticulture and pest management. Known as the Forgotten Crop, managing the environment through landscaping and gardening adds natural, aesthetic, and economic value to private or public property. It also involves widespread use of various fertilizers and pesticides. Most people are not trained in the application of natural or synthetic pesticides, which can lead to water quality degradation as storm water runoff carries nutrients and pesticides to nearby streams and rivers.

Steve and Gwyn have taken the lead in expanding citizen awareness about the potential negative impacts of the Forgotten Crop and the roles citizens can play in protecting the environment. A pilot project will be carried out in Guilford County to build awareness of citizens and elected decision-makers about existing research, policy choices, and alternative horticultural methods to care for landscape and turf investments. Consequently, policymakers as well as property owners will make informed decisions and focus on maintaining water quality in their area.

NEUSE NUTRIENT TMDL ALLOCATION: DETERMINE WHO WILL MAKE REQUIRED REDUCTIONS IN NUTRIENT LOAD THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.

The Neuse River estuary is experiencing symptoms of eutrophication due to excessive nutrient loading resulting in the estuary being listed as an impaired stream (303d list). US EPA requires a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) calculation for all water bodies on the 303d list. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount among point and nonpoint sources. The North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) is required to develop the TMDL for nitrogen in the Neuse River basin. Chris convened a Neuse TMDL stakeholder panel in September 2000, comprised of about 35 individuals representing a broad spectrum of interests including environmental advocates, municipalities, farmers, industry, and government agencies. Chris also represented DWQ on this panel.

The stakeholder panel drafted a plan for allocating the responsibility for reducing nitrogen among different sources (e.g., point sources, agriculture, urban stormwater runoff) at different locations in the watershed. Chris assisted in the preparation and development of stakeholder meetings and will write the TMDL with guidance from the stakeholders.

COLLABORATE WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO DEVELOP PROCEDURES FOR DEVASTATING WATER QUALITY ISSUES RESULTING FROM CLEAN UP EFFORTS OF US ANTI- TERRORISM MASS DESTRUCTION WEAPONS.

The US Army has warned public officials that a terrorist strike within the borders of the continental United States using weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological, and chemical or NBC), is inevitable. In North Carolina, cities most likely to be targeted are Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Although an event such as this would be tragic enough, there are additional issues associated with the clean up at sites of terrorism such as how to address water discharged from a decontamination operation. The current policy is to discharge these pollutants to surface waters for dilution to a safe level. Yet, a " safe level" has not been determined. Whether directly or during clean up at one of these events, there may be a release of NBC agents directly to the waters of the state, which may endanger public health and the environment.

Currently, North Carolina does not have a contingency plan to contain/treat decontamination water from entering the surface waters and downstream drinking water supplies. George has been working with various federal and state agencies to build awareness about the importance of pre-planning in order to deal with the environmental consequences of discharging NBC pollutants into the surface water. This project made it possible for EPA to produce a new guidance document that addresses the discharge of NBC pollutants. Moreover, the city of Greensboro has recently developed a bioterrorism plan.

DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE RECREATIONAL PLAN FOR RANDLEMAN LAKE.

The Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) has been working towards the development of a safe and dependable water supply reservoir for the region since 1986. This water supply, known as Randleman Lake, will be located in Randolph and Guilford Counties and will supply treated drinking water for the six member governments of the PTRWA (Cities of Archdale, Greensboro, High Point, and Randleman, Town of Jamestown, and Randolph County). Construction of the dam is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2001.

Andrea organized and led a committee that developed guidelines governing recreation on and around Randleman Lake. These guidelines will protect the quality of the public water supply, while at the same time allow a variety of recreational opportunities for local citizens in the watershed. Another outcome of Andrea's project was an increase in communication and development of new partnerships among the local governments in the watershed.

CONVENE A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC) RELICENSING PROCESS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

Under the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues licenses to non-federal hydropower facilities on navigable waterways of the United States. Licenses define the terms and conditions on how a facility may be operated and require proper maintenance and safe operations. Duke Power/Nantahala Area (DPNA), a division of Duke Energy Corporation, operates hydropower facilities in western North Carolina, three of which are due for relicensing. The relicensing of these facilities will require a comprehensive evaluation of their environmental and social impacts, and will consider current state and federal natural resource protection laws. This will also be the first time that all interested parties will be given an opportunity to provide input on how these facilities manage and discharge water.

Steve, Michele, and Don have designed, convened, and facilitated a process that will augment DPNA's relicensing effort by expanding input from interested parties beyond the typical scoping comments, comments on draft documents, studies, and license applications. Through their efforts, stakeholders have begun to trust that their concerns will get a fair hearing and be addressed in the relicensing process.

OFF ROAD VEHICLE (ORV) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE: SETTING A STAGE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

The National Park Service (NPS) at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) on North Carolina's Outer Banks is committed to developing a new off road vehicle (ORV) management plan. Important considerations in developing this new plan include protecting habitat for endangered species as well as providing recreational opportunities. Scott, Robert, and Jack interviewed beach drivers and other stakeholders to identify their issues and concerns regarding beach driving, habitat protection, and their interest in participating in a stakeholder process to develop an ORV Management Plan.

Although no final decisions or resolutions to the beach driving issue have been made, the results of the interviews were summarized, and provided to NPS and the participating stakeholders. It is anticipated that this report could assist in establishing a collaborative process for preparing an ORV Management Plan. They concluded that most stakeholders would be willing to participate in a public involvement process to prepare such a plan.

PUBLIC DISCUSSION FORUM ON FORESTRY IN THE PIEDMONT.

North Carolina's piedmont region is rapidly urbanizing. As the piedmont population grows so does the diversity of the population and the new and varied demands on the resources. One result is conflict between the use and preservation of a dwindling natural resource base. The NC Division of Forest Resources typically holds training and informational meetings for those involved in forestry. These meetings reach forest landowners, timber buyers, forestry consultants, and loggers. They seldom attract people outside this group, and seldom integrate any dialogue between the groups.

Realizing the potential problems that conflicting values may pose for protecting and enhancing forest resources, Don held a public discussion forum to bring together forest landowners, timber buyers, forestry consultants, and loggers together with nontraditional audiences such as local government and concerned citizens over the topic of natural resource management. His goal was to foster a dialogue between these groups and to share varying views and ideas regarding natural resource management, especially in areas of increased developmental pressure. The forum was a success, and the Division of Forest Resources plans to continue these meetings as a quarterly event.