Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors: Jim White

Name: Jim White

Age: 64

Party affiliation: Republican

Campaign website: https://jimwhite4wake.com/

Occupation & employer: ENSESO4Food

Years lived in the area: 34

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 because Wake County’s growth creates both opportunity and pressure. Municipalities and developers naturally use growth to expand the tax base, create jobs and meet economic needs. Conservation should be part of that same prosperity strategy—not treated as an obstacle to it.

Wake County’s value comes from its distinctive mix of urban, suburban and rural communities. Losing that balance would reduce its long-term value for municipalities, employers, developers, farmers and residents alike.

The Soil and Water Conservation District can turn that principle into action. As a supervisor, I can help align Wake County, its municipalities and schools with resources from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, NC Cooperative Extension and the Department of Environmental Quality. As home to the state capital and one of the nation’s most attractive counties, Wake is uniquely positioned to build partnerships, secure funding and demonstrate conservation practices that other growing communities can follow.

My goal is to use the prosperity created by growth to protect the soil, water and working lands that make Wake County valuable. Growth is inevitable. Balance is a choice.”

2. What are the three most pressing issues facing the Conservation District and Board of Supervisors? How do you plan to address these issues? Please be specific.“The three most pressing issues are:

Managing growth without losing Wake County’s balance. Development adds homes, jobs and public revenue, but it also replaces permeable land with roads, roofs and other hard surfaces, increasing runoff, erosion, flooding and pollution. I would bring conservation expertise into planning earlier and promote buffers, wetlands, stream restoration, rain gardens and stormwater practices that slow, absorb and filter water. Growth should help finance the conservation needed to preserve the county’s urban, suburban and rural character.

Keeping farming economically viable. Wake County cannot preserve farmland without prosperous farmers. In addition to voluntary agricultural districts and conservation easements, we need a stronger local food ecosystem connecting farms with food hubs, processors, schools, hospitals, universities, restaurants and retailers. This can help interested farmers shift some production toward higher-value specialty crops and explore controlled-environment agriculture. Growth does not have to replace agriculture; it can become agriculture’s next customer.

Preparing for weather variability. Drought and intense rainfall can occur within the same year. The District should promote soil-health practices, cover crops, efficient irrigation, farm water systems, stream buffers and other practical measures that improve resilience. As a supervisor, I would help coordinate Wake County and its municipalities with USDA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, NC Department of Agriculture, NC Cooperative Extension, DEQ and nonprofit partners to expand education, demonstrate effective practices and bring more conservation resources into Wake County.”

3. As the Triangle continues to grow, what steps does the region need to take to ensure adequate water supply going forward? What role should the Board of Supervisors play in long-term water supply and conservation planning?

“Wake County receives substantial rainfall, but rainfall alone does not guarantee a dependable water supply. Population growth could outpace reservoir capacity, treatment systems, groundwater recharge and connections among municipal utilities. The county should use its One Water Plan as a coordinating framework while evaluating individual projects according to measurable benefits, costs and effects on residents and landowners.

The Soil and Water Conservation District does not operate water utilities, but it can protect the natural systems on which they depend. The Board should promote watershed protection, permeable land, healthy soils, stream buffers, efficient irrigation, rainwater capture and appropriate water reuse. It should connect landowners with technical assistance and funding from USDA NRCS, NCDA&CS, Cooperative Extension, municipalities and other partners.

Controlled-environment agriculture should be included in this strategy. As Wake County land values rise, farmers must generate more dependable revenue from each acre to remain viable. Greenhouses, high tunnels and related systems can extend growing seasons, protect production from weather variability and better align local supply with year-round demand from schools, hospitals, restaurants, retailers and food hubs. That consistency is essential to building a functioning local food economy.

Although CEA structures cover soil, their roofs can capture water for irrigation or return it to infiltration areas. The District should help develop demonstration projects and practical standards based on net water use, runoff and infiltration—not simply the presence of a roof. Properly designed CEA can conserve water, increase farm income and strengthen Wake County’s local food supply at the same time.”

4. This year’s drought heavily affected farmers. What should the Board of Supervisors do to support farmers in recovering from the drought and associated losses, and going forward as climate change increases the likelihood of worsening drought?

“This year’s drought demonstrated the importance of preparing Wake County agriculture for a wider range of weather conditions.

The District should use its educational and convening role to ensure farmers know where assistance is available and how to access it. The specialized work of documenting losses, evaluating options and completing applications is best carried out through partners such as the USDA Farm Service Agency, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, NC Cooperative Extension, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the North Carolina Farm Bureau. The District should connect farmers with these organizations, coordinate outreach and help identify those—particularly small and historically underserved farmers—who may otherwise be unaware of available assistance.

At the same time, the Board should begin promoting practical measures that make farms more resilient, including efficient irrigation and water-storage systems, moisture monitoring, cover crops, reduced tillage, rotational grazing and other practices that improve soil health and water retention. Education, demonstration projects and partnerships can help successful practices spread quickly throughout the agricultural community.

According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, Wake County still has 664 farms. Preserving those farms requires more than preserving acreage. We should strengthen the local food ecosystem so interested farmers have the opportunity to shift a portion of their production from lower-margin commodity crops toward higher-value specialty crops for nearby consumers and institutions. That requires collaboration among farmers, food hubs, cooperatives, processors, distributors, schools, hospitals, universities, restaurants and retailers.

Wake County should also explore controlled-environment agriculture, including greenhouses, high tunnels and other protected growing systems. These technologies can shield production from unexpected weather variation, increase yields on limited acreage and extend growing seasons. The District can support early demonstrations and connect interested producers with the organizations that have the technical expertise and resources needed for wider adoption.

A stronger local food ecosystem can shorten supply chains, reduce some transportation and handling inputs, limit food loss between farm and consumer and keep more food-related revenue circulating within the community. Farmers with dependable customers and sustainable income also have greater capacity to conserve resources, adopt new technology and experiment with conservation-friendly agricultural practices.”

5. Climate change is also contributing to worse inland flooding, like the Triangle saw from Tropical Storm Chantal in 2025. How can the board support the county’s climate resilience?

“Tropical Storm Chantal demonstrated the damage that intense rainfall and inland flooding can cause. Wake County’s resilience strategy should reduce our vulnerability before the next extreme event occurs.

Maintaining as much permeable land as practical is among the county’s strongest protections against flood damage. Forests, farmland, wetlands, stream buffers and healthy soils absorb and slow rainfall. As these areas are replaced by roofs, roads and other impervious surfaces, more water reaches streams faster, increasing erosion and downstream flooding.

The Board should support watershed-scale planning that preserves floodplains and wetlands, restores streams and riparian buffers, improves soil infiltration and expands green stormwater infrastructure. Conservation expertise should be introduced early in development planning, while projects can still be designed to preserve natural drainage and retain more permeable area.

The District should collaborate with county and municipal governments, NC Cooperative Extension, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, DEQ, universities, conservation organizations, landowners and responsible developers. Together, these partners can identify watersheds where development, repeated flooding, erosion and water-quality problems overlap, initiate demonstration projects and spread effective practices as quickly as possible.

Projects must also be evaluated for their downstream consequences so that protecting one property does not simply transfer additional water to another neighborhood or farm. Priority should be given to vulnerable communities and areas where conservation investments can reduce flooding while improving water quality and protecting working land.

Farmland preservation, agricultural prosperity and flood resilience should be treated as complementary goals. Economically viable farms preserve permeable land while giving landowners the resources to maintain buffers, improve soil health and adopt better water-management practices.

Strengthening the local food ecosystem provides an additional form of resilience. A community that can produce, process and distribute more food locally is less dependent on long supply chains that can be disrupted by severe weather. Protecting working lands can therefore support farmers, strengthen food security, safeguard water quality and reduce flood risks at the same time.”

6. Most candidates in this race have listed protecting farmland as a priority. What steps can and should the Board of Supervisors take in protecting farmland, and how would you balance that goal with the pressures of growth and development?

“The Board should expand participation in Wake County’s Voluntary Agricultural District and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District programs, pursue additional funding for permanent conservation easements and help landowners understand succession and preservation options before they face pressure to sell.

But easements alone are not enough. If we want farmland, we need farmers who can earn a living from it. Wake County’s growing population and large institutions create potential customers for locally produced food. Farm-to-school and farm-to-institution purchasing, food hubs, cooperatives, farmers markets, local processing and distribution can help more of the food economy remain in Wake County.

Growth should be directed toward areas with appropriate infrastructure while protecting productive soils, watersheds and connected agricultural areas. I also support bringing farmers and conservation professionals into development discussions earlier, when plans can still be improved.

This is not a choice between stopping growth and accepting unlimited development. It is a question of planning growth intelligently, respecting private-property rights and fairly compensating landowners who voluntarily preserve land for benefits enjoyed by the entire county.”

7. What steps should the county take to prevent water pollution, whether from runoff or chemicals like PFAS? What role should the Board of Supervisors play in safeguarding clean water?

“PFAS deserves serious attention, but it should be addressed within a comprehensive, risk-based water-quality strategy. Wake County’s water can also be affected by sediment, excess nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, heavy metals, industrial solvents, PCBs, 1,4-dioxane and contaminants from historic waste sites. Priorities should be based on testing, concentration, exposure pathways and potential harm—not simply on which contaminant is receiving the most attention.

Prevention begins on the land. The District should expand education, technical assistance and financial incentives for stream buffers, stabilized streambanks, cover crops, nutrient management, livestock exclusion, healthy soils, wetlands and green stormwater infrastructure. These practices can reduce erosion while preventing sediment, fertilizer, bacteria and other pollutants from reaching waterways. County and municipal governments must also enforce construction, stormwater and wastewater requirements consistently.

PFAS and industrial chemicals require a different response. The county should work with DEQ, public utilities, public-health agencies and qualified laboratories to test public water, vulnerable private wells, wastewater and groundwater near landfills, industrial properties and other potential sources. Wake County’s 34 identified pre-regulatory landfill sites are an important example: their existence creates a need for investigation, but proximity alone does not prove contamination or harmful exposure.

Testing results should be publicly accessible and explain what was tested, the concentrations found, the relevant health or regulatory standards and the action being taken. Where contamination is linked to a responsible source, that source—not affected residents—should bear the primary cost of investigation and cleanup.

The Soil and Water Board is not the county’s environmental regulator or public-water operator. Its role is to prevent nonpoint-source pollution, educate landowners, identify watershed vulnerabilities, support monitoring and connect residents with the agencies that have investigative and enforcement authority. It should also help ensure that rural residents who rely on private wells, smaller farms and historically underserved communities are not overlooked.

Clean-water policy should neither minimize emerging contaminants nor chase headlines. It should follow the evidence, address the most consequential risks and emphasize prevention whenever possible.”

8. Are there any other issues you would like to address?

Wake County’s growth creates real threats to farmland, clean water, open space and communities with longstanding connections to the land. But growth also brings resources, customers and opportunities to strengthen agriculture and invest in conservation. I am running to help make Wake County the best county in the country by combining responsible development with practical conservation—and preserving what makes our community special. Growth is inevitable. Balance is a choice.