County nature watchdogs face crisis

By Brandon Shulleeta

Published: September 3, 2008

The Natural Heritage Committee aims to preserve Albemarle County’s environmental health and biodiversity — but representatives say its existence is threatened by a lack of county support.

The committee has released an annual report outlining its accomplishments this year, a plan to preserve biodiversity and a draft letter to landowners encouraging conservation easements and healthy property management. However, the report summary also states that the committee “lacks the capacity to implement the considerable tasks that we were appointed to accomplish.”

Without the county’s support in the next year, “the future of the committee looks bleak,” committee Chairman Michael Erwin said.

A study of how biodiversity is affected by land protection mechanisms, such as conservation easements and transfer of development rights, is among the committee’s numerous plans for fiscal 2009. However, the report states that the committee has received “limited support” this year.

For the committee to fulfill its responsibilities, it needs about $1,000 for educational brochures and $2,000 to facilitate a workshop, for example, the report concludes. It also states that the committee needs a county staff member to serve as a liaison among the committee, residents and non-governmental organizations.

Members of the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday commended the committee for its service to the community and said they hope to provide the needed funds.

Whether county resources are provided could determine the committee’s future, or lack thereof.

Charged with helping protect biodiversity and natural assets in Albemarle, such as forests, rivers and air quality, the advisory committee has 12 volunteers appointed by the Board of Supervisors whose combined expertise includes science, natural resources management and education.

“With no support, it will be fruitless for the committee members who are due to rotate off the committee to re-enlist, or to be replaced by new members,” a statement prepared by committee heads stated. “We recently lost one senior member before his term expired due in part to what he perceived as non-support by the county.”

Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said that the committee provides a valuable service to the community and joked that it’s a good thing that the volunteers aren’t actually hourly paid staff.

In an effort to show the Board of Supervisors’ support and keep the committee intact, Supervisor David Slutzky asked, “What could be said today?”

Erwin — who said the board had to show a willingness to provide resources to prevent several volunteers from leaving — said after the meeting that he was optimistic about the message received.

Slutzky said that though the Board of Supervisors couldn’t guarantee funding before it looks at next year’s budget picture, he strongly supports the committee and hopes it can provide needed funds. He requested Erwin ask committee volunteers to hold on long enough for next year’s budget.

The anticipation of an economic crunch likely to squeeze the Board of Supervisors even tighter next year was a factor in several of the board’s discussions Wednesday.

Rooker, for example, didn’t give a warm reception to the idea of spending a projected $6 million to $8 million to renovate the Old Crozet School.

Supervisors received results from a study the county commissioned that included feedback from Crozet residents about what to do with the building, which was built in 1924 but hasn’t been kept up in recent years.

Dozens of ideas were condensed to eight concepts, and from there, 53 percent of respondents said they want the building to be used as a community center.

But Rooker said that paying up to $8 million to renovate the building isn’t any cheaper, per square foot, than building one from scratch.