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Bill Holman, director of state policy for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, and Lydia Olander, director for ecosystem services, will present a lecture titled, "Financing Watershed Protection."
Falls Lake and other drinking water reservoirs in the Upper Neuse River Basin supply over half of the water resources for the citizens of Durham, Raleigh and the fast growing Research Triangle Region. A recently completed hydrologic model for the Neuse River Basin predicts that the region will face water scarcity by 2030. Falls Lake does not meet state water quality standards. The NC Environmental Management Commission adopted rules to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in the lake earlier this year.
Over the last five years the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative have invested $54,000,000 to protect 5460 acres to help protect water quality and quantity in the Upper Neuse. Bill Holman and Lydia Olander will discuss the development of the regional payment for watershed services program and opportunities and challenges to creating integrated policy and programs for watershed and ecosystem services in the Upper Neuse.
