In
partnership with Mecklenburg County LUESA Air Quality and Solid
Waste Divisions, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Mecklenburg
Utilities
Sponsored by the
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business at UNC
Charlotte, The Environmental
Corner is designed to serve as an
environmental management and pollution prevention resource.
A
ccording to CNNMoney.com, Charlotte was one of the best places to
live in 2006 and continues to be one of the top 10 rapidly growing
metropolitan areas in the nation. According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, Mecklenburg County has had a 72 percent increase in
population since 1980. On the other hand, because of
Mecklenburg County’s population growth, the rate of urbanization and
tree loss are on the rise.
When companies want to establish themselves in a city, they look
for growing metropolitan areas where their business can flourish and
a beautiful surrounding that will attract clients and
employees. Take a look outside your parking lot. What is
it missing? If your answer is trees, you’re exactly
right.
You already know that trees supply us with food, shelter,
clothes, shade, and that it helps supply oxygen and refresh the air.
Are you also aware that trees reduce noise pollution, act as wind
buffers, absorb dust and other air pollutants and help absorb
CO2 created during the burning of fossil fuels. Are you taking
the advantage of these longest living organisms?
This issue of the EAO newsletter will address the benefits of
trees and tree ordinances in Mecklenburg County, the importance of
planting trees, what trees or plants are best for our region, and
the best places to plant them. Help your business flourish by
planting native trees and plants to improve our community’s quality
of life.
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etween 1984 and 2001, the county saw a 127
percent increase in areas covered by impervious
surfaces. Without a balance between impervious and
tree-covered land, the county's citizens will face costly and
unhealthy environmental consequences. The challenge faced
is maintaining resourceful use of land and a large green
infrastructure. Mayor Pat McCrory challenged Charlotte's
Tree Commission to establish a new tree ordinance for the city
that would ensure the signature status of the trees in the
future.
READ COMPLETE TREE ORDINANCE HERE: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/City+Engineering/Use+Our+Services/Land+Development/City+of+Charlotte+Tree+Ordinance.htm
The purpose of the Charlotte Tree Ordinance is “to protect
and promote the health, safety, and general welfare by
providing for the regulation of planting, maintenance, and
removal of trees located on roadways, parks, and public
areas…” Some of the ordinance’s key goals are:
· to emphasize the importance of trees, both visual
and physical
· to promote clean air quality by reducing air
pollution and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
· to minimize increases of temperature on lands with
natural and planted tree cover
· to conserve natural resources
· to minimize the cost of construction and maintenance
of drainage systems
So what does the City of Charlotte Tree Ordinance mean for
your small business? If you plan on livening up your
small business through expansion or are changing plans, there
are requirements within the ordinance that you must follow
before you plant trees or any other type of plant.
FOR COMMERCIAL PLANTING AREA REQUIREMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
CLICK HERE:
http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/egigatvm7kifdhzpjn3sw7zc35gagcxukml5d5l5p6eccgjokhgvixpwat6nougpoiujgqrzlg62qgwqapmdq7lmmnd/Tree+Ordinance.pdf |
WHAT KIND OF TREE ARE YOU?
Take the 5-
WHAT KIND OF TREE ARE YOU?
Take the 5-minute quiz
that will tell you what type of tree you are based on your
personality.
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=98547
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GET YOUR BUSINESS BLOOMING: WHAT
SHOULD I PLANT?
ative plants are
those that are produced naturally in an area, having not been
introduced by human action. The natural processes from which natives
evolve represent a healthy ecosystem. Invasive plants (also known as
“alien” or “exotic” plants) are rapidly growing in North Carolina
and are beginning to take over our native plants. These plants are
not native to NC area and have been brought into environment by
human activities. Invasive exotic plants disrupt the ecology of
natural ecosystems, displace native plant and animal species, and
degrade our biological resources. Your business should plant native
plants for the following reasons:
•They promote the
conservation of our natural resource
•They restore regional landscapes
•They prevent future alien plants from being grown
•They should withstand regional weather extremes when properly
planted
Below is a list of native species and exotic
species:
| NATIVE
SPECIES |
EXOTIC
SPECIES |
| Hickory Trees |
Mimosa |
| Sweetfern |
Japanese honeysuckle |
| Blue star |
English Ivy |
| Gray’s Lily |
Garlic mustard |
| Cranberry |
Multifloral Rose |
| Paw Paw |
Princess Tree |
| Flowering Dogwood |
Alligator weed |
| Virgin’s Bower |
Autumn Olive |
| Coral Honeysuckle |
Russian Olive |
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF RECOMMENDED NORTH
CAROLINA SPECIES CLICK HERE:
http://www.ncwildflower.org/natives/natives.htm
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hen you think of trees, the first thing that comes to mind may be
their beauty and how they add to landscape scenery, but beauty is
only one of the benefits that trees possess.
Climate Control-- Trees offer a measure of
climate control by moderating the effects of the sun, wind, and
rain, radiant energy from the sun is absorbed or deflected by leaves
on deciduous trees in the summer and is filtered by branches of
deciduous trees in winter.
Protection from the Elements -- Wind speed and
direction and even rain are affected by trees. The more packed
the leafage is on trees, the greater influence they have on
windbreak. Even when it rains, sleets, or hails, these elements
are initially deflected by trees, providing some protection to
people, animals, and buildings. Trees also store water for
their roots and reduce storm runoff and the possibility of
flooding.
Temperature – Trees lower the air temperature
around them and the larger the tree, the greater the
cooling. Planting trees in the city can prevent the heat island
effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial areas.
Air Quality -- Leaves filter the air we breathe
by removing dust and other particulates and rain then washes the
pollutants to the ground. Leaves also absorb other air
pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide and
give off oxygen.
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ccording to
treesaregood.org, economic benefits of trees can be both direct and
indirect. The direct economic benefits are usually associated
with energy costs like air conditioning and heating. A
tree-shaded home or business lowers air-conditioning, and heating
costs are reduced when a home or business has windbreak.
Indirect economic benefits are associated with the community or
region when power companies are able to use less water in their
cooling towers, build fewer new facilities to meet peak demands, use
reduced amounts of fossil fuel in their furnaces, and use fewer
measures to control air pollution. Communities also can save
money if fewer facilities must be built to control storm water in
the region.
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veryone likes trees. According to
treesaregood.com, hospital patients have been shown to recover from
surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of
serene and beautiful trees. City trees often serve several
architectural and engineering functions and provide background to
and soften, complement, or enhance architecture.
orth Carolina is one of the
most beautiful and ecologically diverse states in the southeast. This
diversity is exhibited by over 4000 native species of plants found
throughout the state. Without intervention, however, North
Carolina's natural world may soon suffer from plant species
loss.
With the passage of the Plant Protection and Conservation Act in
1979, the State of North Carolina established the NC Plant
Conservation Program in the Department of Agriculture.
The Program's responsibilities include:
• Maintaining the list of Endangered, Threatened, and Special
Concern NC Plant Species Listings (Courtesy of the NC Plant
Conservation Program)
•Enforcing regulations and issuing permits concerning
state-listed plant species
•Carrying out field projects in biology, monitoring, and
management of populations of listed species
•Providing educational materials to the public
•Monitoring trade in American ginseng
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE
NC PROTECTED PLANT LIST: http://www.ncagr.com/plantindustry/plant/plantconserve/plist.htm
UNC CHARLOTTE SPRING PLANT SALE
Friday & Saturday, April 18-19th
8 am – 3 pm @ UNC Charlotte’s Greenhouse
_________________________________________________________________________
Plant
lovers can expect a wide selection of wildflowers, trees and shrubs,
perennials, carnivorous plants, orchids, tropical, and indoor
plants, at our largest sale of the year. There is definitely
something for everyone. This is our major fundraising event and
all proceeds support the greenhouse and gardens
operations. Thanks for your continued support and happy
planting! For more information contact Paula Gross at
704-687-2870.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NC
FORUM ON WATER QUALITY MONITORING - NCForWater
2008 Wednesday, May 14th 8am-5pm and Thursday, May
15th 8am-1pm UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human
Services
We invite you to join us in the Queen City, Charlotte, North
Carolina for presentations and discussions related to all aspects of
water quality and ecological monitoring. Topics for the forum
include restoration monitoring, long-term monitoring, state and
federal programs and emerging monitoring needs. “NCForWater
2008” will bring together the public, regulators, consultants, and
researchers involved in water-monitoring programs throughout North
Carolina. The goals of the forum include:
•Fostering improved communications • Improving information
sharing • Exploring new efficiencies in monitoring
For more information on the NCForWater 2008, go to the website
at: http://www.eao.uncc.edu/ncforwater/index.cfm
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Environmental Assistance Office
(EAO) for Small Business
The
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business provides
non-regulatory, client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region. The EAO is
designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts to
voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies,
and new technologies. The office provides links of resources to
needs between the region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a particular issue or
question you would like to see in an upcoming edition, please send
an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact
Information:
Environmental
Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201
University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC Charlotte,
Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone
number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·
Assistance
with Air Permits - Assistance for small businesses in completing
paperwork for EPA air permits.
·
Educational
Materials - Educational pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and other
materials to relate facts on pollution prevention.
·
Educational
Outreach - Develop educational outreach campaigns and presentations
for the public or employee training.
·
University
Resources - Library information, faculty expertise, student projects
and research at both graduate and undergraduate
levels.
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