Mission Statement

The North Carolina Joint Regional Forum was established to advise the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners on regional issues.  With local elected officials representing each of the seventeen multi-county planning regions of the state, the Forum identifies current and future regional issues, formulates recommendations and advocates for regional interests on behalf of local governments and their regional councils.

Preface

The North Carolina Joint Regional Forum, an organization of elected officials representing the 17 regional councils of North Carolina, is responsible for formulating policy on regional issues and making recommendations to the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. 

The Forum has studied the issue of air quality for the past nine months and from that study concluded the following: 

·  While most of the attention is centered on the urban areas of the state, air quality is an issue that is important to all North Carolinians.  The new eight-hour ozone standards have a much larger impact on the state than the old one-hour standard.

· Air quality problems are a product of both locally produced pollution as well as air that migrates from other places.

· Existing state and federal initiatives to improve air quality will significantly help, but alone likely will not do everything necessary to improve air quality to an acceptable level.

· Additional local and regional action will be needed. Local governments and regional initiatives must play a role in air quality planning.

· Poor air quality has a direct negative impact on the health of all individuals and will diminish our ability to create employment opportunities for our citizens.

· Some parts of the state were able to form Early Action Compacts to address air quality issues and defer the consequences of being designated “non attainment”.  Other areas are working independently to develop pollution reduction measures.

· There is inadequate funding for air quality programs in the state.

 Policy Statement

 At its meeting on October 3, 2003 the North Carolina Joint Regional Forum adopted the following policy statement:

 “The North Carolina Joint Regional Forum recognizes the importance of clean air for the health of our citizens and the future growth and development of our state.  The Forum advocates for legislative actions to assist local governments and regional initiatives in their efforts to improve air quality.  The Forum’s policy strongly emphasizes regional approaches, innovation and reinvestment as valued principles.   The North Carolina Joint Regional Forum endorses the following specific actions:

 · Support legislation to create a new fund, similar in nature to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, from which local governments and regional initiatives can draw to implement programs that will improve air quality.

· Advocate for formal recognition and financial support of regional efforts to address air quality.

· Advocate for a requirement to consider air quality impact when proposing changes in land use and transportation policy.

· Initiate additional programs that educate the public on the health consequences of poor air quality.

· Support providing tax credits or other incentives to businesses and private individuals for purchases or modifications that will improve air quality. [Examples include giving priority to contractors who use low emission equipment, providing incentives for diesel retrofit and replacement, and school bus replacement and retrofit programs.  Another example includes authorization for local governments to give automobile, property tax incentives to individuals who purchase high mileage and low emission vehicles].

· Advocate for state and local construction projects to specify in bidding that contractors must achieve emissions reductions in their heavy duty off road fleets.

· Advocate for the establishment of local and regional options for generation of revenue for air quality programs.  [Examples of such options include an increase in the gasoline tax, automobile license surcharge, surcharge on two and four stroke engines, pollution fees on low mileage and high emission vehicles, and voluntary designation on tax forms to allow taxpayers to contribute to an air quality fund].

· Support pro-active and innovative solutions to air quality problems.

· Support reinvestment in the rural areas of the state by promoting bio-diesel fuels.

· Support initiative to bring ultra low diesel fuel to North Carolina before the September 1, 2006 federal deadline.

· Support energy efficient design, especially in public buildings. Think “green”. Offer incentives for architects. (Lower energy costs reduce demand for power).