Clean water, conservation and improvements to coastal resiliency would receive much-needed funding under Governor Cooper’s budget proposal released today.
The budget would direct deed stamp tax revenue, which is tied to development, to conservation trust funds such as the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and Clean Water Management Trust Fund. This is a logical way to ensure that we protect the environmental features that make North Carolina special as the state grows.
Additionally, the budget would provide funding for water quality testing to protect drinking water and funding to improve the environmental permitting system.
In response to Cooper’s proposed budget, Cassie Gavin, director of government affairs for the NC Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
"Governor Cooper’s budget would be a win for North Carolinians and the environment thanks to increased funding for clean water and land protection. It would also improve coastal resiliency from natural disasters and strengthen the state’s capacity to enforce environmental laws.
"This forward-looking budget also deserves praise for its focus on protecting drinking water, given the ongoing problem of chemical contamination of the Cape Fear River."