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MT Raleigh Report: The Legislature Overrides More Vetoes, and Some Good News
The latest on the proposed constitutional amendments, $3 million for landslide hazard mapping in WNC and funding for a whirling disease study from the NC General Assembly.
read moreProtect NEPA: Speak Up for Your Right to Speak Up!
The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is such a basic part of our lives that we usually don’t even think about it. It’s NEPA that allows everyday people to comment on the Forest Service’s Nantahala-Pisgah Forests Management Plan, or to know the costs and impacts of projects like the I-26 expansion before they occur. The White House Council on Environmental Quality is proposing revisions to NEPA that will undo the core principles of the act. Act now by submitting a public comment to defend NEPA here.
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MT Raleigh Report: Final Update on the Farm Bill
Despite overwhelming grassroots opposition to this bill, the legislature voted to override Cooper’s veto of SB711. Below is a list of WNC legislators and how they voted on the override. We encourage you to take a moment to see how your lawmaker voted on this critical issue. And a big thanks to all of you who helped us mobilize support against this bill – we hope you will continue to join us in speaking up for WNC’s environment and the health of the people who live here.
read moreWhat’s Going On With the NC Farm Bill?
Last night Governor Roy Cooper vetoed SB711, a dangerous bill that would greatly limit the constitutional right of North Carolinians living near industrial hog farms to seek justice in the courts for nuisance and pollution of their air and water. This is when we need your calls more than ever. Will you make a quick call to your state representative now to make sure Governor Cooper’s veto of SB711 stands?
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Before You Go Out on the Watauga: Check the SwimGuide for the Latest Water Quality Reports
Swimmers, paddlers and anglers heading out for a day on the Watauga River have a new resource for checking water safety, the SwimGuide.org – a website that provides free real-time water quality information for over 7,000 beaches, lakes, rivers and swimming holes in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the Bahamas and Australia.
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MountainTrue Raleigh Report: The End (of the Session) is Near, CCA Goes to Raleigh & More
On the veto override front, the two biggest environmental bills of the session – the 2018 Farm Act and the legislature’s annual regulatory “reform” bill – are now on the Governor’s desk. A veto of the Farm Act is widely expected. There are 74 Republicans in the House and 35 in the Senate, so a strict vote along party lines would override the vetoes. However, collecting the needed votes for an override is a very different game in each chamber. Expect the Senate majority to easily and quickly override any veto of these bills. In the House, however, the vote is likely to be much closer, with many environmental groups (including MountainTrue) and other opponents of the bill working hard to find the votes to sustain a veto.
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