Environmentally Responsible Economic Sustainability

Sssion Topic:
Environmentally Responsible Economic Sustainability
Name of convener:
Jim Deal
Participants:
Jim Deal, Glenda Short, Debbie Golembieski, Mark Kirkpatrick, Kathleen McFadden, Chris Joyell, Kimbe

Main points from the conversation:
Improve Environment; Emphasize Green Businesses/Entrepreneurialship; Cottage Industries;
Arts as a Business; Ecotourism/historic markers; Windmill Farms; Build and Support local
Communities; Build Green Homes: Conservation and Energy Efficient with Green Space;
Partnerships with University; Appalachian Enterprise Center...new Business Start-ups; Energy
Audits...retrofits old homes; Incentives for programs to build all building with energy efficient
considerations and water use restrictions; Interface wtih Home Builders Association Green
Building Committee; Local Foods System and year round farmer's market; Water Conservation
Issues and Study in relation to Todd Community water intake; Green spaces in planned
communities to include outdoor recreation (mountain biking, etc.); Encourage Cluster
Developments that incorporate green space and smaller lots.

Action steps:
* Funding for study and action on expanding Watauga County and the region's ecotourism-to
include trails and recreational opportunities.
* More outreach and community education from ASU Appropriate Technology and Energy
Center, etc.-better utilize University resources in our community - helping people understand the long-term savings.
* Education on many topics, expecially Green Building Certification, LEEDS, and others; tax
incentives and tax credits; developing codes for new government buildings (county & town lead by example)
* Explore and support Cottage Industries - help with startup funding.
* Encourage with incentives cluster development.
* Local government support for local food system (year-round farmer's market) and local cottage
industry retail spaces.
* Building a green collar workforce - local green businesses such as a windmill manufacturing &
installation.
* Revolving fund to loan money for green building, energy efficiency retrofits - pay back with
savings on energy costs over time.

Economic Development

Session Topic:
Economic Development
Name of convener:
Rob Taylor
Participants:
Melissa Hanson, Bunk Spann, Gary DeLuke, Patrick Beville, Tim Futrelle, Kathleen McFadden,
Elif Kars

Main points from the conversation:
- Keep jobs local
- Reuse of shadowline facility as manufacturing facility
- Reuse of high school as renewable R & D facility
- Community wind power
- Research Triangle Park Model - Boone being mini research park
- University is a fundamental Strength
- Appalachian Enterprise Center
- not just train green jobs, create local green jobs
- Community Colle involvement
- NC State model of green job training - 2-3 weeks
- New High School facility gets kudos for using the facility as a future training tool for students
- Need housing for lower paid locals
- Need jobs beyond ASU, tourism, second homes
- Migrant workers are important and should be considered
- Budget cuts give opportunity to lead by example.
- Local food, agriculture a important possibility - Viticulture - Ginseng
- Products for local consumption supplied by local labor
- New industry should be sustainable - not just jobs for jobs sake - (i.e. company makes platic
widgets)

Creating Job Opportunities

Session Topic:
Creating Job Opportunities
Name of convener:
Virginia McCleod
Email/Phone:
jscharns@bellsouth.net
Participants:
Judi Scharns, Virginia McCleod, Kendall McDevitt, Karen Baughman, Kristen Cockerell

Main points from the conversation:
Brain stormed ideas for new jobs in Watauga.
Make Affordable Recyclable bags (maybe Watauga Opportunities)
Purple Piping link waste water to making clean drinking water. Link with Watauga RiverKeeper
Training for re-localization of food systems (food) teaching gardening
Expanding Service learning into community and for profit ASU and Watauga High.
(Watauga/High Country Corps. Employ coordinator
Policy coordinator for green jobs, remove barriers
Community Life coordinator for off campus housing (like dorm RA)
Affordable pet sitting/animal care
Resource Recovery - (10 jobs) Talk to legislators about barriers
Storage for Don't Throw it Away, expand the program off campus. Coordinator for RETHINK,
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Service to those in need.
Coordinate wiht Senior Center & other outreach organization like Social Services
Community Exchange/Community Money - Like Boone Bucks - Keep it local Include
transportation
Network and link farmer's and buyers Publications & Directories online sortable
Year round farmer's market
Affordable, quality childcare for all times of day.
In home Senior or single person health care and assistance.

Action steps:
Continue to explore what exists and develop plans to address areas of need.

Creating and conserving healthy water systems

Session Topic:
Creating and conserving healthy water systems
Name of convener:
Wendy and Andrea
Email/Phone:
wendy_patoprsty@ncsu.edu
Participants:
Donna Lisenby, Donna Duke, Crystal Simmons, Erin Singer, Kristin Cockerill, Wendy Patoprsty,
Andrea G

Main points from the conversation:
Storm Water
Waste water Land application systems
Pharmaceuticals in Water
Sustainable Water Use

Action steps:
Storm Water:
develop ordinance concerning storm-water runoff and reuse/building code
find models from other mountain communities
financial sustainability for the new storm water solutions i.e. creating jobs and funding
educate contractors
Waste water Land Application System
Support State Law concerning a change in the 100,000 gallon per day withdrawl for private entities
Educate citizens concerning the reporting of massive water withdrawl from their streams and
creeks in their communities.
Use "purple piping" technology to create a new system which would redistribute and recycle
treated water from the WWTP to use on golf courses/ski resorts etc... and as a result creating
green jobs for a more sustainable community.
Pharmaceuticals in the water
create a take-back protocol
research drug company programs, if any
media campaign to educate and address: pharmaceutocals are bad in our water, don't flush them, use take-back program if available.
Sustainable Water Use:
not allowing water infrastructure to generate urban sprawl
get a statistical study or analysis of how various water conservation measures can conserve water.
exactly "how much" water can be conserved by what means. (if everyone had to install a dual
flush toilet how much water would be conserved and how much would it cost and who would pay
for it and compare to other alternatives)

Composting

Session Topic:
Composting
Name of convener:
Rennie Brantz

Email/Phone:
brantzrw@appstate.edu

Participants:
Marsha Walpole, Dave, Diane Tilson, Kathleen Jan., Rennie Brantz, Jo Anne Orr

Main points from the conversation:
Individual composting bins offer an immediate opportunity to make a difference. Bins need to be
colorful, inexpensive, accessible, and explained.
A public composting program for town and county is a long range goal. It will cost upwards of
$2.5 million to start and then will need to be sustained with public funding.
Best way to start public composting would be a pilot project, probably in Boone
Important to success of composting will be education: individually, in schools, to public at large.
There is still a great deal of resistance to composting because it requires changes in traditional
behavior.
Partnerships will also be important between country, town, ASU, Ag. Extension. ASU is doing a
good deal as is the county. Efforts between town, county, and ASU are being coordinated. Is
more room for cooperation and expansion if resources can be made available.
We also discussed numerous technical issues: use of wood, plastic, temperatures, worms.
Benefits of composting? Reduced waste and savings for public, new green jobs, a new
environmentally friendly world view, stronger sense of community through cooperative efforts
We also noted that current economic downturn has affected recycling and composting costs and
success.
We need to work with producers to reduce packaging and wasteful use of materials. Stores could
charge for plastic bags or give credit for using your own bag.

Action steps:
1. Inventory existing composting programs and availability.
2. Establish attention to composting in schools--curriculum revision, educational programs, etc.
3. Make recycle and composting bins available more readily by town and country--May require
writing more grants or renewing grants.
4. Contact local food stores about reducing use of plastic bags.
5. Form Country wide composting committees.

Coalition Building

Session Topic:
Coalition Building
Name of convener:
Ryan Griffith
Participants:
ryan@wnca.org / 828 258 8737
Email/Phone:
Judith Pheonix, Deborah Tallarino, Bunk Spann, Jack Callahan, Will Kovalchik, Melissa Hanson, Rob

Main points from the conversation:
1. Networking between all groups and form 1 umbrella group, i.e. RiverKeepers, Partners for
Watauga Future, App Voices, etc.
2. Not reinventing the wheel.
3. Larger coalition of all groups.
4. Community is more than the sum of its parts; build a strong community of people.
5. Breaking down barriers between groups.
6. Sharing skill needs.
7. Networking meetings.

Action steps:
1. Develop Board of Directors for umbrella group.
2. Collective calendar of group events.
3. Quarterly meeting of groups to discuss events and post to collective calendar.
4. Collective e-mail address.
5. Create Google list serve.
6. Volunteer Staff:
-Rob
-Melissa
7. Calendar / Coffee hour / Quarterly.

Building Our Green Collar Economy

Session Topic:
Building Our Green Collar Economy
Name of convener:
Ged Moody
Participants:
gemoody@yahoo.com
Email/Phone:
Donna Lisenby, Lumini Merced, Kimberly Marland, Nita O'Brian, Sam Zimmerman, Travis
Thompson, Brent Summerville, Travis Thompson, Debbie Golembieski, Liz Acock, Ged Moody

Main points from the conversation:
Sustainability has a financial component
There is a fallacy that going green is more expensive, we need to combat this
Our Green Collar Economy Opportunities exist in the following areas:
1. Building Efficiency (building, testing, designing, retrofitting) these area include all of the trades that touch the building industry.
2. Renewable Energy Infrastructure. Designers, Installers, Educators. This includes solar
thermal, photovoltaics, biofuels, wind, micro-hydro...
3. Manufacturing; attracting the manufacturers who will make the components that comprise the green economy. It makes most sense to build things here that match our resources and what we use: examples: Solar Thermal Panels, Wind Turbines, ...
4. Recycling. This includes facilities for recycling a broader array of good (like #5 plastic
containers). This also includes repairing used or worn out items, and broader resale opportunities (like the ReStore)

Action steps:
Shifts in tax incentives to allow more than just businesses to benefit fully.
Build a local biofuels infrastructure including farming and processing.
Write grants to community-oriented support each of these areas: building performance,
renewable energy, biofuels, green manufacturing,
Work with local utilities to best understand how to partern to meet the demands of Senate Bill3 so that the whole community benefits fully.
Work on a local landfill gas co-generation project
Workforce development/training in green technologies (high school & community college)
Have the education system partner with economic development activities in order to attract new
businesses.
Set up an eco complex, where on companies waste products are the inputs for the next companies products, and so on...
Identify and use the coming glut of BIG BOX spaces.
Develop a region-wide energy efficiency and production plan (integrated) with a goal to make the region energy independent.
Have community and university SET GOALS for efficiency and Renewable Energy production.
Place a Green-Bulletin board, possibly and electronic board, in a prominent location in town to
promote our achievements, goals and events.
Do an inventory of all green technologies and efficient building project in town. Place the results
in a google map, where you can click on the projects/infrastructure.