Dear Friend,
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2009 Annual Meeting in Raleigh. It was an informative and enjoyable evening, in large part due to a great panel discussion. Bill Holman, Dr. JoAnn Burkholder and Senator Josh Stein joined us for a discussion about Falls Lake issues and solutions. We are grateful to the panelists for their continued passion in correcting the water quality issues surrounding Falls Lake. Visit our Falls Lake page to learn more about the issues.
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Left: Panelists Bill Holman, Dr. JoAnn Burkholder and Senator Josh Stein discuss Falls Lake.
Right: Upper Neuse RIVERKEEPER®, Alissa Bierma, thanks Frank Brown for this volunteer efforts.
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The Foundation also had the opportunity to honor four volunteers who were inducted into the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation Hall of Fame. We cannot thank Frank Brown, Greg Cornelius, Debra Rezeli and Ken Wyman enough for their dedication to protecting the health of the River!
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Left: Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPER®, Larry Baldwin, congratulates Ken Wyman.
Right: NRF Hall of Fame Inductee Debra Rezeli with Upper Neuse RIVERKEEPER®, Alissa Bierma.
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Those who joined us for the Annual Meeting learned how important the actions of each one of us will be to restoring Falls Lake to her former health and beauty, but unless we act now, the fate of Falls could befall other lakes and streams in our communities as development pressure continues to mount throughout the Neuse River Basin. Your help is needed for one final push to protect the Neuse in 2009!
Impairment to more than 1,000 freshwater stream miles in the Neuse River Basin is related in some way to stormwater runoff from development and the end to this increasing threat is nowhere in sight, as the population of the Neuse River Basin is expected to nearly double between the years 2000 and 2020. Because of this threat, the Foundation is pleased to see 15 Neuse River Basin communities included in North Carolina's 2009 list of candidates for State designation as regulated public entities under the NPDES Phase II Stormwater Rules. It is our belief that the communities proposed for designation have a significant and negative impact to the water quality of the Neuse River and its tributaries due to stormwater runoff and warrants designation under the Phase II Stormwater regulations. Designation of these communities during the current cycle is imperative in order to protect the future of the Neuse and her tributaries.
The Division is accepting public comment until Monday, November 30 and your voice needs to be heard! Please send an email to the Division of Water Quality telling them you think that implementing Phase II rules in the Neuse River Basin is important ...and if you live in Benson, Roxboro, Butner, Smithfield, Clayton, Stem, Creedmoor, Trent Woods, Farmville, Wendell, Havelock, Wilson, Kinston, Zebulon, or New Bern, (or nearby) tell them something about where you live and why you think it should be protected through the improved stormwater standards required by Phase II communities!
Thank you in advance for your commitment and assistance in helping to protect our Neuse River.
Best regards,
Alissa Bierma
Upper Neuse RIVERKEEPER®
|  Larry Baldwin
Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPER®
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