The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization that protects land for public use and enjoyment, has released a statement praising the General Assembly for fully funding the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and protecting other critical conservation programs, including the state's Land Conservation Tax Credit and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
"In supporting these programs, the leadership of North Carolina has shown its long term vision and commitment to land conservation and water quality in our state," said D.G. Martin, Carolinas Director for the Trust for Public Land. The budget contains full funding for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund at $40 million this year, and $70 million next year. The Conservation Tax Credit program was retained and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund was funded at $200,000.
North Carolina has the nation's first and only Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Since its creation in 1972, it has been essential to local efforts to protect water quality throughout the state. The Board of Trustees of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund will consider over $100 million worth of requests in the next six months for more than 80 local governments, soil and water districts, state agencies, and land trusts to fix leaky sewers, to protect and restore buffers and streams, and to reduce stormwater pollution.
The Trust for Public Land is a national conservation organization dedicated to protecting land and environment for people. The Wall Street Journal's Smart Money magazine recently named TPL the nation's most efficient large conservation charity, based on the percentage of funds dedicated to programs.
Source: Business Wire
