Name as it appears on the ballot: Natalie Murdock

Campaign website: https://nataliefornc.com

Phone number: (336)207-0360

Email: [email protected]

Years lived in the district: 7 years

1. Why are you running for the position of soil and water conservation district supervisor? In your answer, please explain your understanding of the role and why it is important.

I am running for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor for a host of reasons. I am passionate about agriculture, preserving our natural resources, and making our communities better for all people. I want to do all that I can so that future generations are left with the environmental resources they need to live. This office is particularly important and personal to me. My grandfather was a farmer, and he was able to raise five children without fear that they would be fed with fresh and healthy food. I was too young to remember my grandfather, but when I work with farmers today, I am honored to uphold his legacy and make him proud.

I have studied public policy, budgeting, public administration and leadership, and organizational change. Having worked in local government, I have an understanding of the limitations and parameters often placed on state and federal funding that the Soil and Water Board depends on to provide programs. I also have experience working with legislators and our county commissioners to move the needle forward in regards to funding needs.

I will be effective in this role because I am sensitive to the challenge of working to preserve our environment while growth is rapid and development patterns are constantly changing. Land preservation becomes very difficult when developers can offer millions of dollars to farmers and landowners. With more development, we must work that much harder to keep our waterways clean.

My platform – Our Soil, Our Water, Our Community – is more than a campaign slogan. It notes the intersection of food and our environment with our everyday lives. I want to work to serve local food at local restaurants and work with farmers to maximize their potential. I want to work with state and federal partners to increase state funding for programs that preserve and conserve our water. I also want to expand our partnerships with local schools to provide educational and training programs to get students excited about environmental stewardship and STEM.

We all must work together and do our part to protect and preserve our environment. In North Carolina and nationwide, we have Soil and Water Conservation Districts that are led by a Board of Supervisors supported by professional and technical staff. These Boards provide leadership in making local conservation decisions. These Conservation Districts partner with the USDA, the State of North Carolina, and other local partners to work with landowners and the community at large to implement a wide array of programs.

Soil and Water District Supervisors can also work together across the state on issues such as increasing funding for water quality through legislation, supporting farmers, supporting the local food movement, and assisting with hurricane recovery efforts. In Durham, we also have unique opportunities to partner with local conservation groups such as the Eno River Association and state partners such as the cooperative extension.

2. What are the three most pressing natural resources issues in the county? How do you plan to address these issues? Please be specific.

Preserving our natural resources is key to the mission of what it means to be a Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. My top three priorities would be stream restoration, farmland preservation, and stormwater management/funding. In considering all of these issues, we need to work to bring more diverse voices to the table as we seek solutions.

Stream Restoration

The Soil and Water Conservation District in collaboration with other agencies has made improvements around Jordan Lake, so we currently prioritize a lot of projects around Falls Lake. Watershed plans also include suggestions for potential stream restoration projects. The streams that are top priorities are Chunky Pipe Creek, Third Fork Creek, and Little Lick Creek.

Stream restorations take a lot of work, but they are critical to the overall health of our environment, and they can reduce flooding. Streams can be restored, and stormwater can be collected and treated. For instance, Chunky Pipe Creek and Little Lick Creek run into Falls Lake. Because of its proximity, restoration projects were conducted at Southern High School which captured and managed stormwater to improve water quality and save the county money. (Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District 2017 Annual Report)

I will work to ensure that we continue to prioritize stream restoration projects and find the funding needed for implementation. The community can play a role in stream restoration by commenting on improvement plans and participating in annual cleanups such as Creek Week and Big Sweep.

Farmland Preservation

Durham is growing at a rapid pace. As our county continues to grow, we must work to preserve our local farmland. Having access to local food requires that we have local farms. Programs that preserve farmland need staff, local partners, hard work, and funding. Long-term farmland preservation requires inspiring a new generation of farmers and showing young children the value of farming. I want to work to increase funding for farmland preservation and to expand our HUB Farm outreach to encourage more high schools to take advantage of our local programs. Durham local leaders and elected officials work to keep policies in place to preserve farmland, and I pledge to work to ensure those policies are strengthened and remain in place.

Stormwater management

My third top priority would be the effective management of stormwater. In urban areas with high levels of growth and development, working to remove pollutants before stormwater flows and drains into our sewer systems is critical to preserving healthy waterways. Best management practices that treat and utilize stormwater need to be installed on public and private property. Our office can provide the technical support needed to help private landowners and homeowners better manage stormwater. Green and gray infrastructure projects cost money. Some of the most successful stream restoration and stormwater projects here in Durham County were funded by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and state level grants. This is a strained and limited funding source that has never been restored to pre-2008 recession levels. As a Supervisor, I will work to increase those funding levels by working with leaders in the General Assembly.

4. What funding issues are facing the Soil and Water Conservation District? How would you ensure the district receives full funding? Are there alternative funding sources the district could explore? If so, what are they?

Soil and Water Conservation Districts across the state are very dependent on state funding. Like a number of programs, these funds have declined since 2007. RTI international conducted a study in May of these funding levels and programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP); they found that funds have been cut by 77%. Programs that are heavily utilized here in Durham County such as the Agriculture Water Resource Assistance program (AgWRAP), NC Agriculture Cost Share Program (ACSP), and Clean Water Management Trust Fund have been cut by 29%-73%. The NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has also experienced a host of devastating budget cuts; this department needs the staff and funding required to provide oversight and deliver grants and programs to county level districts.

Durham County, in my opinion, does the best job of leveraging state dollars such as CCAP; it is our most effective and a very popular program. The Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) is a voluntary, incentive-based program designed to improve water quality through the installation of various best management practices (BMPs) on urban, suburban, and rural lands not directly involved with agriculture production (ncagr.com). Our district works so hard to do more with less and determine the best way to leverage our limited dollars by working to find worthy projects.

As a state leader, we can work harder and strategically with counties across the state to restore the funding of these programs to pre-recession levels. A number of candidates for the State House and Senate have discussed the idea of forming a Green Caucus. It would be my goal to work with supervisors across the state to restore funding to these essential programs by working with the Green Caucus.

Alternative funding sources used here in Durham County include grants from Duke energy and EEG grants from the NC Department of Justice. I want to look at ways to find additional ways to conserve land by working in concert with local land conservation groups to raise private funds.

5. Many residents don’t know what the Soil and Water Conservation District actually does. In what ways would you reach out to residents to educate them on the issues facing the county and the district’s efforts?

When I joined the Land-of-Sky Regional Council in Asheville, NC to work on urban and rural transportation projects, I was charged with leading our public outreach efforts. While working on the Durham Orange Light Rail Transit project, we were engaged in a two-year Environmental Impact Study (EIS); I spearheaded the public engagement process and worked with environmental groups and agencies regarding their concerns about the potential impacts of the project. Throughout that public involvement process, we held over 100 meetings and talked with dozens of people.

I want to leverage my marketing and public involvement experience to ensure that members of the public are aware of the programs provided through the Soil and Water Board. I have a track record of engaging with marginalized communities that may be unaware of such programs and opportunities.

Community engagement is so much more than a meeting or public hearing. You have to be bold, think outside of the box, and meet people where they are. You have to create a number of ways to provide the public with an opportunity to engage with issues, projects, and policies. It takes time and staff, but you have to go to where the people are; it may be the Farmers’ Market, a PTA meeting, HOA meeting, or a public housing authority. By using technology, webinars, videos, and mobile meeting tools, there are so many strategies that can increase public engagement. Staff and supervisors must demonstrate why these resources are important and how the programs we offer  can impact their everyday lives.

6. What is the district’s role in making sure residents’ water–including those people who use wells―is safe to drink? What role, if any, should the district play in safeguarding the local water supply from emerging contaminants?

The Flint Michigan water crisis taught us to not take the quality of our water for granted. We cannot assume that the water from our faucet or fountain is safe to drink. What happened in Michigan can happen anywhere. Our water infrastructure nationwide is decades old and in need of repair. Having access to clean drinking water is a fundamental and basic human right.

There are many things that the district can do to preserve our drinking water. Stormwater management systems in urban and rural areas work to remove pollutants before that water travels to our sewers and waterways. We must continue to develop projects in watersheds that are top priorities.

Private well water testing is conducted by DHHS and local health departments. If there is a greater issue regarding the source of contamination, the NC Department of Environmental Quality is ready and able to provide assistance. If a landowner has an issue or concern with their water quality, the district is happy to work with them and make sure they receive the resources and support that they need. Some private landowners are eligible for district funds that reimburse private landowners for the cost of well repairs.

We can also expand our educational programs that demonstrate the ways that we can all work to improve water quality. The use of fertilizer is a big one. When landowners use too much fertilizer, it seeps into the groundwater and runoff that ends up in our waterways. Our staff works with professional landscapers and private citizens so that they can learn what fertilizer levels are appropriate.

7. From a standpoint of conservation and the protection of natural resources, what steps should be taken in developing the Durham-Orange Light Rail line and Wake commuter rail?

The Triangle is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Each day, 20 new residents call Durham and Orange County home. Wake County has more than a million residents, and that number grows by an estimated 67 people per day. All of these people are flocking here because of high quality of life, with our beautiful lakes and streams, our plentiful parks and open spaces, and access to higher education, jobs, and community. If we want to conserve and preserve our natural resources, open spaces, and farmland, we need a way to address our growth.

Our counties, municipalities, and transit agencies recognize that we cannot continue to grow in an unsustainable fashion without a plan to integrate land use and transportation. This is why the Durham-Orange Light Rail line and Durham-Wake Commuter Rail lines are part of the Durham, Orange, and Wake County Transit Plans. These countywide transit plans work together to form a plan for an exceptional regional transportation network that will include local, express, and regional bus services; bus rapid transit service; commuter rail; and light rail.

Projects like the Durham-Orange Light Rail line and the Durham-Wake Commuter Rail help us plan for today and our future. These projects allow us to focus growth in developments, where it’s easy to walk, bike, or use transit instead of only relying on our cars. The Durham-Orange Light Rail line alone will take cars off the road, reducing our energy consumption by over 80 billion BTUs; that’s about the equivalent to the energy consumed by a small town.

By focusing growth along frequent transit lines, we lessen the pressure that development places on our precious natural resources. These projects will not only improve mobility and transportation options and provide for access to housing, jobs, and healthcare, but they will also help us plan for future growth, and allow us to preserve the precious open spaces, farmlands, and natural resources that make the Triangle so special.

Now don’t get me wrong, planning for these lines hasn’t been easy. I’ve been a transportation planner for the bulk of my professional career. That work exposed me to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental policies that work to protect and preserve our environment in the midst of growth and development. Those experiences provide me with a perspective that always considers how growth and development will impact the environment. Our policies are not perfect and can always be improved, but it showed me that we must put potential risk of environmental impacts at the forefront, it can’t be an after-thought.

I joined GoTriangle to spearhead the public involvement program for the Durham-Orange Light Rail (D-O LRT) project during the environmental planning phase. It was a challenging yet quite rewarding experience. We held over 300 meetings, where I heard the concerns expressed by the community. What we heard helped to drive key decisions for the location of the light rail line to minimize the effects on to water resources and open spaces.

One thing I heard loud and clear, is that we live in a community that cares. We care for our future and for our natural resources. We will need to continue to work with citizens, environmental groups and conservation organizations to design transit facilities that have the least impact on our natural environment.