North Carolina
Leland and NC Wildlife Commission unveil eco-blueprint for future growth | Port City Daily
LELAND — A partnership between the Town of Leland and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission achieved its anticipated results with the development of an environmental conservation framework.
READ MORE: Leland receives $1M in grant money for flood mitigation on critical route
The Green Network Master Plan Framework Guide details a strategy for conserving Leland’s terrestrial and aquatic natural habitats and connecting them through functional corridors. It has been in the works since the town and commission’s partnership was formed in 2022 and is included in the Leland 2045 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2021 as part of the town’s objectives to protect natural and cultural resources and to create connected neighborhoods.
The guide received unanimous approval from the council at their June 20 meeting.
The Green Network Master Plan Framework Guide will influence development processes, as it will be adopted to support local government planning projects. This includes incorporating wildlife and natural resource conservation into land use and development planning, initiatives, and ordinances.
It directs the creation of greenways, blueways, and trails to establish a Green Network. This network will connect new and existing neighborhoods throughout the town, integrating them with surrounding natural environments and recreational resources.
Additionally, the guide offers recommendations from the NCWRC on managing growth and implementing best practices to preserve environmental integrity.
The NCWRC recommends strategies to protect natural habitats in Leland’s planning areas that could potentially be harmed by development. The recommendations include standards for environmentally friendly development and design; rules for protecting habitats and wildlife; plans to improve transportation systems; and strategies for creating and maintaining parks and open space.
Included in their recommendations, particularly concerning the development process, are:
- Requiring developers to designate natural areas for permanent conservation.
- Requiring developers to create management plans for these conserved natural areas.
- Ensuring developments incorporate Best Management Practices (BMPs) to mitigate stormwater runoff and preserve water quality. This includes strategies like limiting grading and land alteration, maintaining natural contour and drainage patterns where possible, and encouraging the use of Low Impact Development (LID) techniques such as permeable paving and green roofs.
- Implementing setbacks to act as buffers, reducing the impact of developments on nearby environmentally sensitive natural areas.
- Exclude invasive and exotic species from the list of approved landscaping options.
“Certainly, NCWRC has provided their recommendations, but they can be curtailed and massaged into what we prefer, or how we see fit, within our code of ordinances,” Griffee said during his presentation to council on Thursday.
Currently the planning department requires developmental plans to align with the goals stated in the Leland 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
The Leland 2045 comprehensive plan outlines goals and policies for Leland’s anticipated land and population growth. It emphasizes protecting natural resources, creating diverse neighborhoods that accommodate growth, and creating infrastructure that supports connected community life.
Grifee mentioned that the guide already has plans to create a blueway, hitting the comprehensive plan’s goal of connectivity. A blueway is a designated waterway route intended for recreational use, particularly by non-motorized watercraft such as canoes and kayaks, and often serves to protect the environment.
“If you know there is another kayak launch or boat ramp in X amount of miles, then you could just plop it from one end and take it out on the other,” he said.
Right now, there are designated canoe or kayak launches at Cypress Cove Park and Brunswick Nature Park.
Maps included in the report show the addition of two water access points, one in Leland’s planning boundaries and the other near Old Fayetteville Road.
The NCWRC also provided maps depicting the Leland planning area, highlighting endangered and threatened species, as well as parcels under conservation easements from local, state, federal, and private owners.
The map relies on guidance from the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program to identify areas of significant environmental value. According to the NCHP, seven areas in Leland are classified as very high or exceptionally high in terms of natural importance. Specifically, the Brunswick River and Cape Fear River marshes, Town Creek marshes and swamp, and Town Creek Aquatic Habitat are considered exceptionally high.
Goose Pond Limesinks, Rabontown Limesinks, Pleasant Oaks and Goose Landing Plantations, and the Lower Cape Fear River Aquatic Habitat are classified as very high.
Criteria for the scale considered the presence of endangered species, rare terrestrial or aquatic communities, unique ecological types, and significant biological or ecological phenomena. The assessment also takes into account the natural diversity of the surrounding area.
During the meeting, one council member raised questions about the guides implementation.
“I see a lot of this bleeding over into parks, trails, and development, and so I guess [my question] is more of the implementation: When do we—how do we—-bring these elements into those plans?” council member, Veronica Carter, said at the meeting.
Community development Planner Julian Griffee told Port City Daily in an interview Friday that, as of right now, the plan stands more as guidance.
“It doesn’t per se, have teeth, it’s not something we can enforce,” he said. “However, similar to Leland 2045, it provides insight on regulations or policies we might want to adopt or incorporate into our code of ordinances, that we can actually enforce.”
Council did not give any direction on how it would move forward with the plan and whether they would propose any ordinance changes as a result.
“The next step would be to take a look at: ‘How do we incorporate some of these themes into our regulations to accommodate the growth that balances environmental preservation with the development of the need to accommodate the growing population?” Planning Director Benjamin Andrea said.
Tips or comments? Email jalyn@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was hospitalized and treated for burns on Friday after an “incident” while campaigning for governor in Mount Airy, a campaign spokesperson told multiple news outlets.
The controversial Republican nominee suffered burns to his hand after leaning against a truck at the event, according to The Washington Post’s Amy Gardner. The campaign described him as being in “good spirits” despite the hospitalization.
Robinson sustained second-degree burns and is set to return to the campaign trail on Saturday, NewsNation campaign reporter Libbey Dean noted.
He was set to drop by the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade in Mount Airy, according to his Friday schedule, detailed by CNN.
NewsNation was the first to report on the hospitalization.
Breaking: I’m told NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was rushed to the hospital tonight.
Robinson is said to have left a campaign event at Mayberry truck show in Mt. Airy in a hurry and apparently remains in the hospital, a source familiar tells me.
— Libbey Dean (@LibbeyDean_) September 28, 2024
Robinson’s hospitalization comes just over a week after a CNN report linked him to disturbing comments on a porn site, including declaring himself to be a “black NAZI” and describing himself as a “perv” who likes pornography of transgender people.
Robinson has referred to the reports as “lies” while suggesting that the comments on the site “possibly happened.”
Several staff members on his campaign have resigned following the reports on the scandal, and former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Robinson and called him “Martin Luther King on steroids,” told reporters this week that he didn’t “know the situation” when asked if he’d rescind his support.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Related…
North Carolina
Interstate 40 is impassable between Tennessee and North Carolina due to massive floods and a mudslide
Tropical Storm Helene floods Asheville’s River Arts District
The French Broad River is expected to reach a height of 21 feet, according to NOAA projections, continuing to flood the River Arts District.
Interstate 40 is impassable between Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina, and beyond, because of catastrophic floods from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
A mudslide and flooding have shut down the route.
Here are the I-40 closures listed on DriveNC.gov, though North Carolina Department of Transportation officials have told drivers all Western Carolina roads are essentially shut down.
- South of Asheville, all lanes of I-26 are closed between Exit 49 to US 64 and Exit 53 to Upward Road.
- All lanes of I-40 between Exit 66 in Ridgecrest and Exit 72 in Old Fort are closed due to a mudslide.
- All lanes of I-40 are closed near Black Mountain, one mile west of Exit 64 to NC 9.
- All lanes of I-40 are closed at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line.
- All lanes of I-40 is closed at Exit 20 to US-276.
- I-40 East is closed at Exit 4 to NC 191.
- I-40 West is closed at Exit 7 to Cold Springs Creek Road.
- On the Tennessee side, all lanes of I-40 in Cocke County are closed, according to a post TDOT made on Facebook.
Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email hayden.dunbar@knoxnews.com.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Heading into the 2025 season, North Carolina boasts one of the most prospect-filled rosters in college basketball. High-upside freshmen, returning players, and transfers help make the Tar Heels not only an interesting team to monitor in terms of the draft but also a real title contender.
Let’s highlight five standout players who have the best chance of being selected in the 2025 NBA draft.
Ian Jackson may have the most star potential out of this group, thanks to his polarizing two-way upside. He has great athleticism, which allows him to disrupt opponents on the defensive end as well as finish plays above the rim in transition. While playing in the halfcourt, Jackson does a great job of penetrating defenses and either sliding to the rim or knocking down mid-range pull-ups. His ability to make highlights will surely make him a fan favorite and could propel him up draft boards, but he will need to improve his connectivity and three-point shooting to reach his full potential as a prospect. Jackson looks like a surefire first-round selection and could battle his way into the top 10 if his fit promotes him to one of the Tar Heel’s first scoring options.
Drake Powell is a physically dominant wing whose high-level motor makes him impactful all over the court. He is not much of a self-creator at the moment, which could slow his development throughout his freshman year, but he excels in the open court. His ability to attack the rim off-ball is impressive, as he jumps at opportunities to cut for open runways. Defensively, Powell uses his elite athleticism and strong frame to create havoc within opponents’ offenses. Major shooting improvements may be a little ways off, but if he can show some steps in the right direction, his potential will be extremely intriguing to NBA teams. Powell could easily be viewed as a lottery-level talent, but time will tell just how promising his off-ball skill set will be.
Elliot Cadeau was one of the highest-ranked guards coming into his freshman season in 2024 but struggled at times, which led him to return for his sophomore year. He is a little undersized but has an impressive handle, great court vision, and high-end change of speed. Cadeau led the Tar Heels in assists last season and should be able to continue his playmaking productivity heading into year two. A key factor in his draftability will rely on how well he improves his three-point shooting. Last season, Cadeau made just below 19% of his threes, which is far from NBA-ready. Depending on where his improvements take him during the upcoming season, Cadeau’s draft range is uncertain but would likely fall somewhere in the second round.
Cade Tyson is a very intriguing transfer for the Tar Heels and has a chance to be seen as one of the best shooters in all of college basketball. He has good size and moves extremely well off-ball while getting to his spots for open threes. Tyson also has decent athleticism, which can be seen as he runs the court in transition and finishes plays at the rim when he gets a running start. His career shooting splits of 49%/45%/86% paint a clear picture of just how deadly he is on jumpers. He has good touch inside the perimeter and can also serve as a great connective playmaker, which should take another leap while playing with a more talented Tar Heel roster. If Tyson enters the 2025 draft, he would most likely be viewed as a second-round steal and could be a plug-and-play shooter.
RJ Davis was one of the best players in college basketball last season, and while he does not have great positional size, his ability to create space seems translatable to the NBA level. He can score from all three levels efficiently and excels both on and off the ball. Davis was productive while playing with upperclassmen last season and should showcase even more leadership on their retooled roster. Davis’ on-ball scoring could fit into a spark-plug off-the-bench role for several NBA teams, similar to how Cam Thomas has been used by the Nets at times, but he will need to continue improving on the defensive end. As an older, undersized prospect, his draft range is wide, but he will definitely get an opportunity to prove himself regardless of where he is drafted.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Remnants of Hurricane Helene will pass close to rainy Pennsylvania
Candidates trade blows in rematch to represent Oregon’s 6th District in Congress
Hurricane Helene update: outage map shows millions left without power
How important is Quonset Business Park to RI’s economy? We break down the numbers.
South Dakota artist wins Duck Stamp competition
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
FLASHBACK: Arizona Dem Senate candidate called Trump voters 'dumb': 'Worst people in the world'
Eight killed in Russian drone attacks on medical centre in Sumy, Ukraine
A weakened Helene brings 'catastrophic' flooding as it crosses southern Appalachians
NC gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson hospitalized following 'incident' at campaign event
State of the Union: Zelenskyy's attempts to drum up new support
-
News1 week agoToplines: September 2024 Inquirer/Times/Siena Poll of Pennsylvania Registered Voters
-
Business1 week agoCheaper Mortgages and Car Loans: Lower Rates Are on the Horizon
-
Business1 week agoVideo: Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates for the First Time in Four Years
-
Politics1 week agoHouse committee to demand 'stonewalled' memo detailing Biden agency's 'curious' voter registration work
-
Politics1 week agoDem lawmakers push bill to restore funding to UN agency with alleged ties to Hamas: 'So necessary'
-
News7 days agoVideo: Who Are the Black Swing Voters?
-
News1 week agoWatch: House Democratic leaders hold briefing
-
Politics1 week ago'I've never seen this': Top Republican details level of Secret Service 'lack of cooperation'