Triangle Greenways Council

This year the Triangle Greenways Council recommitted to continuing the organizational

rebuilding process for its second full year. The Board of Directors held a series of special

meetings to conduct exercises to better understand and develop strategies to better conduct:

(1) implementation and compliance with the Land Trust Alliance's Standards and Practices,

and (2) financial and fundraising plans. With this foundation in place, the Board has pursued

additional capacity to fulfill its mission, and position itself to seek Land Trust Accreditation in

the future.

At last year's Annual Meeting the membership added four new members to the Board.

Kendall Abernathy, Paul Black, Larry Giles, and Matt Busch have added to the diversity of

the Board, and expanded geographic representation. The expertise, interests, and enthusiasm

of these new Board members have been key to the continuing rebuilding progress. The slate

of candidates for the 2011 Board further expands geographic representation and should create

even more organizational capacity.

The TGC has taken a step to strengthen its internal operation as an all volunteer organization

that will serve it equally well once it can secure staff assistance. Kendall Abernathy has

developed a "Board Member Handbook" that will go into use at this year's Annual Meeting.

This document includes information on the organization's structure, policies, governance

process, budget, etc. Its existence will accelerate the orientation of new Board members and

increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Another TGC objective for the year was to reconstitute its membership and major donor

efforts. Grady Shields has overseen and overcome the complexities of this major effort.

Optimism is high that it will yield positive results over the next several months and launch the

organization to a higher trajectory for the coming year.

The TGC also wanted to increase the number and diversity of members on its Board. The

objective was to build upon recent age diversity improvements with the addition of more

cultural/racial diversity. Regrettably, those individuals approached to consider mid-term

appointments to the Board were already overcommitted.

The TGC's website initiative led to the launching of its new site www.trianglegreenways.org

last year. Jon Anderson has continued to expand and improve the site throughout this year.

Next year, thanks to a commitment by Bonnie Estes, the TGC will resurrect its periodic

newsletter that will also be posted on the website. All of these efforts better connect the

organization with its members and the public, while advancing its educational and public

service missions.

The TGC's land trust activities were conducted in another challenging year, but with more

positive results. The following summary reflects the outcome/expectations related to grants.

• The TGC remained active in the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative (UNCWI).

These properties will complement proposed greenway corridors and protect drinking

water quality and quantity.

• • A 30 acre property on Chunky Pipe Creek in Durham was a bargain sale and

closed this year.

• • A 10 acre property on an unnamed tributary north of Little Lick Creek in

Durham was a bargain sale and closed this year.

• • A 50 acre property on Little Lick Creek was approved for bargain sale funding,

and is moving toward closing next year.

• • A 22 acre property on Chunky Pipe Creek was submitted for bargain sale

funding and received a positive committee recommendation. It is awaiting final

approval, and could close next year.

• • A 4 acre property on Lick Creek was submitted for bargain sale funding this

month, and if approved, could close next year.

• The TGC and other applicants have had their Clean Water Management Trust Fund

(CWMTF) grants frozen and projects delayed by the State over the past two years.

• • A 2007 project involving a 32 acre bargain sale on Walnut Creek ultimately

retained its funding, and is moving toward closing by the end of this year.

• • A 2008 project involving a 34 acre bargain sale on Walnut Creek lost its

funding, but was reauthorized in 2009 and is moving toward closing next year.

• • A 2009 application was not considered, but it was rolled over to the 2010

review cycle, and the 3.8 acres to be added to the Walnut Creek Wetland Park

was approved for funding and a closing next year.

• • A 2010 application for a Donation Mini Grant was approved for transaction

costs associated with transfer of a 78 acre part of a larger NCDOT property

in Johnston County. It is on the Neuse River and will become part of the

Mountains to Sea Trail, with a possible closing next year.

The TGC continued its collaborative effort with Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ) on

Walnut Creek in Raleigh. One joint project seeks use of 16.9 acres of State owned wetlands

along the greenway corridor and trail at Garner Road to be integrated into the adjoining

Wetland Park. The NC Council of State approved an easement to the City for such use earlier

this month. Another successful collaboration has involved TGC efforts to assemble and

donate materials [maps, books, display/educational items, etc] to outfit the Wetland Center in

the Park.

The TGC has been offered a fee donation of 14 acres on Crabtree Creek and an unnamed

tributary in Raleigh. This has the potential to expedite future trail construction in the area,

while also increasing the total acreage of conserved habitat along the riparian corridor. Work

is continuing toward a closing this year.

The TGC also continued its relationship with the Town of Clayton, through a contract

to provide landowner contact and negotiation services for the town's Mountains to Sea

Trail (MST) project. Further, the TGC also assisted the Town with preparation of a new

application for a Water Resources Development Project Grant, which was submitted for

consideration by the Legislature as part of the 2011-2012 budget. If approved, more

aggressive MST corridor acquisition will continue.

The TGC's relationship for pro bono legal services was adjusted during 2010. Real estate

transactions and closings are now being handled by the Barringer Law Firm LLP, with the

additional involvement of Charles Anderson with Ellis & Winters. This better reflects legal

resources available to the TGC and the growing need for attention to real estate specific

activity.

The TGC has maintained its contract with Bev Norwood for part-time landowner contact

and negotiation services to supplement Land Trust Committee activity. While grant funds

to continue this activity have been shrinking, it is responsible for this year's land trust

conservation successes and will be continued for as long as possible.

As a land trust, the TGC has a responsibility to steward the properties it holds. Part of this

responsibility is an annual monitoring of each property. Traditionally, the TGC opens these

Saturday morning trips to its members who might be interested in experiencing these lands

prior to their inclusion in the developed greenway system. This will be continued in February

- May 2011.

The TGC periodically takes positions or otherwise comments on issues/projects that can

impact the future of greenways. This was a banner year for such opportunities.

• The President's Americas Great Outdoors initiative solicited comments on how

the program might be structured, and held a listening session in Asheville. The

TGC participated in both opportunities, advocating for greenways, pointing out the

disproportionate distribution of conservation funding between the more populous

eastern and less populous western US, and appealing for more attention to urban open

space and ecosystem function.

• The City of Raleigh requested a letter of support for its TIGER II grant application to

the USDOT. The TGC responded with its support for the proposed project; funding

greenway trail segments and bicycle lanes in Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Wake

County, and Durham; as well as bridges across the Neuse River to interconnect the

growing regional greenway network.

• A draft Environmental Impact Statement was issued for the proposed SE High Speed

Rail Corridor. The TGC had previously adopted a resolution in support of a proposed

trail adjoining the corridor between Richmond and the Neuse River in Raleigh, and

comments on the DEIS were prepared that continued support of the proposed trail.

• The State issued draft Falls Lake Water Quality Management Rules. The TGC

submitted comments suggesting attention to the potential benefits that could be

derived by incentivizing the conservation of riparian corridors though the Rules.

• The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization hosted input for the

NC 50 Corridor Study between Raleigh and Creedmoor. The TGC submitted

comments emphasizing the need for integration of proposed highway and greenway

infrastructure and their complementary transportation, water quality mitigation, and

other public purposes.

The TGC also increased its public visibility, and promoted better understanding of the

greenways concept and related purposes this year. A new display created by Kendall

Abernathy was presented at several events, thanks to coordination by David Permar. Also, a

poster on the role of greenways in protecting wildlife during climate change was prepared by

Matt Busch and displayed at a statewide conference on a related topic.

The TGC is continuing its collaboration with NCSU for the use of one of its conserved

properties for Ecology Lab class exercises involving aquatic biology sampling. Continued

sampling and long-term trend analysis might lead to a better understanding of the ecological

function and water quality benefits of greenways. NCSU is also evaluating other TGC

properties as sites for similar collaborative efforts. Further, an individual student volunteered

to survey another TGC property to characterize its salamander population.

The TGC completed its collaborative trail construction project for Wake Enterprises at their

Fuquay Varina facility. Begun last year, Robert Hinson coordinated the planning, design,

High School volunteer activities, and subcontractors that made the project a success.

The TGC continued its supporting role along with several other nonprofit organizations and

the City of Raleigh in an effort to conduct a Walnut Creek Celebration in 2011 and thereafter.

The intent is to highlight the greenway corridor with its wetlands and other natural features; as

well as the trail and increasing number of related special features, and the history, culture, and

other unique characteristics of the area.

In summary, 2010 has been a year where the TGC has succeeded despite a difficult economic

climate, continued its organizational improvements, and increased its activities in support of

more and better greenways. Its focus on riparian corridor conservation, education activities,

and service projects is a winning formula that simply needs to be expanded. Gaining Land

Trust Accreditation and advancing local greenway systems and a regional network continues

to be the interconnected goals for future success.

Respectively Submitted,

William L. Flournoy, Jr.

President