GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1552

Short Title:  Upper Neuse River Basin Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Insko; Allen, Cole, Crawford, Fox, Hackney, Hensley, Luebke, Michaux, Mitchell, Mosley, and Wainwright.

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Referred to:  Environment, if favorable, Appropriations.

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May 28, 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE UPPER NEUSE RIVER BASIN ASSOCIATION, INC., FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A MODEL COOPERATIVE STATE-LOCAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION PLAN FOR THE UPPER NEUSE RIVER BASIN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The General Assembly finds that:
(1)	The water resources of the Upper Neuse River Basin provide an essential and high quality supply of water needed to meet municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs.
(2)	The water resources of the Upper Neuse River Basin are essential for wildlife habitat protection, water quality management, recreational activities, and other purposes.
(3)	Management and protection of the quality and quantity of water in the Upper Neuse River Basin are essential to the future economic vitality of the several counties and municipalities that have planning and zoning jurisdiction in the Upper Neuse River Basin.
(4)	As provided for under Part 1 of Article 21 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes comprehensive and coordinated State-local efforts are needed to develop and implement plans that provide adequate, long-term management and protection of water resources in river basins and segments of river basins, including the Upper Neuse River Basin.
(5)	It would be beneficial for the State to support development of a model State-local watershed management approach in North Carolina, as envisioned in Part 1 of Article 21 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes, enacted during the 1997 Session Laws.  The Upper Neuse River Basin Association, Inc., ("Association" ) proposes to develop such a model approach.
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Upper Neuse River Basin Association, Inc., for the 1998-99 fiscal year the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the purpose of a cooperative, comprehensive, and integrated State-local watershed management plan for the Upper Neuse River Basin, to serve as a model watershed management approach for river basins and sub-basins in North Carolina.
Section 3.  The Upper Neuse Watershed Management Plan shall comply with the requirements of G.S. 143-214.14(g).
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other appropriate State agencies shall provide technical assistance to the Association during the development of the Association's plan.  The Association shall actively solicit the input and assistance of the agencies during the identification of goals and objectives, development of performance indicators and benchmarks, and preparation of the plan.
Section 4.  The funds appropriated under this act are not adequate for the actual implementation of all or part of the recommendations included in the final watershed management plan.  The Association and its member governments shall work with State and federal agencies, and private and nonprofit organizations and individuals to obtain funding support for implementation of the plan.
Section 5.  The Association shall report on all of its activities and programs to the Environmental Review Commission on or before March 1 of each fiscal year, beginning in 1999, through completion of the final plan.  The report shall include information on the Association's activities and accomplishments during the current fiscal year, itemized expenditures for development of the plan, major planned activities and accomplishments for at least the next 12 months, and anticipated expenditures with sources of funding for the next 12 months.
Section 6.  For purposes of this act, "Upper Neuse River Basin”means all of the watershed area that drains that part of the Neuse River Basin and its tributary streams that are located above, or terminate at the Falls Lake Reservoir Dam.  The Upper Neuse River Basin is approximately 770-square miles in area and comprises all or part of six counties and eight municipalities.  It comprises about thirteen percent (13%) of the entire Neuse River Basin.
Section 7.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1998.