A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION COORDINATING COUNCIL TO IMPROVE THE MAPPING AND DIGITAL REPRESENTATION OF SURFACE WATERS IN NORTH CAROLINA, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE STATE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSION.
Whereas, existing State, local, and federal maps of streams and surface waters are outdated, inadequate, inaccurate, and inconsistent; and
Whereas, State, federal, and local agencies, private developers, and nonprofit conservation organizations use maps of streams and surface waters on a daily basis to make environmental and economic decisions concerning the location of schools, highways, wastewater collection and treatment facilities, stormwater collection and treatment facilities, industrial sites, businesses, homes, greenways, hazard mitigation projects, stream and wetland restoration and mitigation projects, and for other beneficial purposes; and
Whereas, State, local, federal, and private agencies and organizations must frequently send staff or consultants to the field to identify the location of streams and surface waters; and
Whereas, up‑to‑date and accurate maps of surface waters made available to government agencies and to the public via the Internet would increase the productivity of, and reduce costs for, the public and private sectors; and
Whereas, NC OneMap is currently serving data via the Internet for 72 local governments, and additional local governments desire to participate; and
Whereas, the General Assembly has invested over $50,000,000 to update and improve the mapping and digital representation of floodplains that can be utilized to improve the mapping and digital representation of surface waters; and 
Whereas, the 2004 General Assembly directed the Geographic Information Coordinating Council and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to develop and recommend to the General Assembly and to the Environmental Review Commission a plan to improve the mapping and digital representation of surface waters in North Carolina; and
Whereas, the Geographic Information Coordinating Council established a Stream Mapping Working Group composed of State, local, and federal agencies to develop the plan; and
Whereas, the Stream Mapping Working Group determined user requirements, mapping specifications, implementation options, and developed a time line and a budget for stream mapping; and
Whereas, in 2005 the Geographic Information Coordinating Council recommended the adoption of the "Implementation Plan to Improve Mapping and Digital Representation of Surface Waters," at a cost of $16,236,500 over five years; and
Whereas, the General Assembly appropriated $2,685,000 to fund Phase I of the Implementation Plan to Improve Mapping and Digital Representation of Surface Waters in western North Carolina in S.L. 2005‑1, the Hurricane Recovery Act of 2005; and
Whereas, the State Water Infrastructure Commission has recommended that the 2007 Session of the General Assembly appropriate $3,428,500 for Phase II of the Implementation Plan to Improve Mapping and Digital Representation of Surface Waters, which encompasses portions of the Broad, Cape Fear, Catawba, Neuse, Roanoke, Yadkin, and White Oak river basins, in its November 2006 report to the Environmental Review Commission; and
Whereas, the Center for Geographic Information and Analysis will complete Phase I of the Plan on time and within budget in 2007; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the sum of three million four hundred twenty‑eight thousand five hundred dollars ($3,428,500) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year to fund Phase II of the Implementation Plan to Improve Mapping and Digital Representation of Surface Waters. 
SECTION 2.  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall make the mapping and digital representation of surface waters available to other State agencies and the public as soon as practicable via the Internet on NC OneMap.
SECTION 3.  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall seek funds from federal agencies, including, but not limited to, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Survey, and United States Department of Agriculture to help fund the Implementation Plan to Improve Mapping and Digital Representation of Surface Waters. 
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective 1 July 2007.