Latest news with #SteveTroxler
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner encourages Horse Vaccinations to prevent deadly diseases
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)– Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus. The goal is to vaccinate against these mosquito-borne diseases and rabies. Now is a crucial time to get this vaccination as the temperatures really start to heat up and mosquitos begin to pop up. EEE is transmitted through infected mosquitos making it potentially dangerous. 'Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,' Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. 'EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. However, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.' EEE causes brain inflammation, fever, vomiting, or neurological disease. Only a few cases are reported in the United States each year, with most occurring in eastern or Gulf Coast states according to the CDC. Similar symptoms can be found with the West Nile Virus, in addition to rashes. 'So far this year we have had no cases of EEE or WNV, but last year there were five cases of EEE and two cases of West Nile Virus,' Troxler added. At Rocking Horse Ranch in Greenville, they take proper precautions to make sure their horses are healthy and happy. Last year mosquito season was very busy at the ranch along with bugs and eastern North Carolina deer flies. They stay prepared as the horses are sprayed daily and groomed by volunteers and staff. The staff does a great job letting the horses enjoy the nice weather outside, while also letting them cool down and take breaks in their stables between lessons or when it gets too hot out. 'Yeah, especially as it's getting warmer, we've got to watch out for bugs. So, we do have the facility sprayed to hopefully cut down on some of the mosquitoes. They get sprayed daily by our barn manager and even before lessons if we notice that there's more gnats or mosquitoes, right now we're having the fun battle of eastern North Carolina deer flies,' Executive Director of Rocking Horse Ranch, Lauren Harrell said. Some of the seasoned veteran horses are used to this extensive check-in, like Lexi who has been there for 20 years. 'With Lexi having so much hair, we really have to pay attention to her legs and underneath all of this hair to make sure she has no sores or something called scratches,' Harrell said. EEE outbreaks in horses typically precede any human cases. Approximately a third of all people who develop severe eastern equine encephalitis die. Death usually occurs 2 to 10 days after onset of symptoms but can occur much later according to the CDC. Troxler adds that Coggins testing and rabies vaccination should also be a part of equine care. Prevention of these diseases focuses on avoiding mosquito bites and avoiding standing water where mosquitos breed. State Veterinarian Dr. Mike Martin recommends that equine owners talk to their veterinarians about an effective vaccination protocol to protect horses from mosquito-borne diseases. The combination vaccination initially requires multiple injections for horses, mules and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utility-scale solar projects in North Carolina could see 500% property tax increase
A bill that would raise taxes on utility-scale solar facilities in North Carolina by 500% is moving through the Statehouse. House Bill 729, known as the Farmland Protection Act, passed the Agriculture and Environment Committee Wednesday morning. Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) introduced the bill in early April as a way to address concerns about North Carolina losing productive farmland. The latest version of the bill repeals an 80% tax abatement on utility scale solar projects over four years, ultimately eliminating the abatement entirely. PAST COVERAGE: Is solar threatening North Carolina farms, or is there room for cooperation? Stakeholders with the sustainable energy industry and farmers who have chosen to lease to solar companies expressed their concerns that the bill would unfairly penalize a single industry for farmland loss, which occurs primarily through housing development, while interfering with agreements property owners and solar companies entered in good faith. Before the debate and public discussion in the comittee, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler voiced his support of the bill. 'We know that solar development has exceeded the amount of farmland we could protect with the Farmland Preservation Trust fund that we have,' he said. 'So, it is time to take a look at this.' A 2020 report from the American Farmland Trust ranks North Carolina second in states with the most-threatened agricultural land, but the report claims the biggest threats are from urbanization and sprawl from low-density residential land use. It does not mention solar development. The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association released a report in 2022, claiming solar occupies 0.28% of agricultural land in North Carolina. Dixon also emphasized the potential financial boon this bill could provide local governments as they start to collect additional tax revenue, particularly in Tier 1, or the most economically distressed counties in the state, which host a disproportionate number of large-scale solar facilities. According to a note from the Fiscal Research Division, this could add an additional $60.4 million in local revenue annually by 2030, one of the primary reasons the County Commissioners Association expressed their support for the bill. Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort), who voted to move the bill through the committee called the tax abatements on these projects 'corporate welfare,' arguing solar developers need to pay their fair share if they want to continue doing business in the state. 'We are subsidizing the solar and wind industry through these tax cuts,' he said. 'Now I'll hear the argument that we subsidize other businesses. Okay, let's stop that, too. Let's make everybody pay an equal amount of taxes, because that's what we're supposed to do under the Constitution.' Joel Olsen, who runs an agrivoltaics facility in Montgomery County that Channel 9 visited earlier this month, spoke at the committee hearing, taking issue with the idea that he is not paying his fair share in taxes. 'When I bought the land, we paid $972 a year in property taxes,' he said. 'Once we completed the solar farm, we paid three years of back taxes. We paid 100% of the real property taxes, and we paid over $100,000 in personal property taxes.' He said he built his solar project with agriculture in mind, with sheep grazing alongside the panels. Olsen said this bill and rhetoric pitting solar against farming doesn't take farms like his into account. The bill was reported favorably with a clear voice vote majority and will move to the Energy Committee for further consideration. This is a revised version of HB 729, original language in the bill would have also increased regulatory constraints by requiring the North Carolina Utilities Commission to refuse to issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a utility-scale solar project if the project is to be sited on land currently being used for agricultural production and also required all solar facilities to submit a decommissioning plan to the state. VIDEO: Agriculture Committee weighs N.C. bill to disincentivize solar on farmland
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
High Point gets Tree City recognition
HIGH POINT — The N.C. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program has announced that 69 communities, including High Point and Jamestown, have been awarded 2024 Tree City USA designations. High Point University also was among 12 North Carolina colleges that earned 2024 Tree Campus Higher Education honors. Tree City USA is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns. By meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management, communities can achieve Tree City USA status, N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. 'Planting trees and responsible urban forest management at the local level, including community involvement and participation in urban forestry recognition programs, are critical to sustaining healthy forest resources in North Carolina,' he said. Greensboro also earned Tree City USA honors, and UNC Greensboro earned Tree Campus Higher Education honors.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires grow to hundreds of acres after North Carolina lifts burn ban
Western North Carolina is fending off more raging wildfires spanning hundreds of acres this week. The blazes are burning less than a month after multiple fires tore across the state as well as South Carolina amid warm and dry flames in the Tar Heel State have fed on debris left over from Hurricane Helene last fall, resulting in mass evacuations and the destruction of multiple homes. After rainy weather offered some relief earlier this month, North Carolina lifted a statewide ban on open burning. Officials told residents to remain vigilant, and that lifting the ban did not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. 'We've received some well-timed, much-needed rain over the last couple days which has helped reduce fire danger, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions across the state,' said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. 'However, we are still in the midst of spring wildfire season and our recent wildfire activity, especially in Western North Carolina, is a reminder to remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly.' That was before the start of the Rattlesnake Branch fire and the most recent Bee Rock Creek fire. While the Rattlesnake Branch fire has been contained by firefighters, the Bee Rock Creek fire is holding strong in steep and forested terrain. Rain isn't expected in the area of the fire until next week. Some social media users are calling for the state's burn ban to be reinstated. 'Time to declare another burn ban, no rain for the next three weeks and lots more windy dry days,' Stu Art said in a post on the North Carolina Forest Service Facebook page. 'I was thinking the same thing,' replied Simone Lipscomb. The Bee Rock Creek fire started on Tuesday, nine miles northwest of the city of Marion. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The blaze has forced evacuation orders around the Pisgah National Forest. An air quality alert was also issued for the evacuation area through midnight on Saturday due to the choking wildfire smoke. By Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to 856 acres with 10 percent containment. Another windy day was expected to make continuous firefighting efforts tricky. 'Firefighters will also be mopping up along Armstrong Creek Road, extinguishing hotspots to secure containment lines. Crews are prepping the Blue Ridge Parkway as a potential containment line by removing downed vegetation from Hurricane Helene,' the North Carolina Forest Service said. Elsewhere, firefighters were working to combat the 790-acre Haoe Lead fire, which is not yet contained. Located about an hour away, that fire was started by a lightning strike. Increased wildfire danger is expected across the country due to the impacts of human-caused climate change. Rainier weather will cause the growth of more vegetation that can dry out and become fuel during the drier and hotter months. Warmer temperatures will also lead to faster and stronger Atlantic hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that take aim at the Southeast. But, there are immediate steps that people can take to protect themselves from catastrophic wildfires. 'As a resident, you can do things like cleaning up any leaves or pine needles in your yard, clearing dead trees and other vegetation around your home, and avoiding outdoor fires when environmental conditions are right for wildfires,' the National Academy of Medicine said this week.
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Wildfires grow to hundreds of acres after North Carolina lifts burn ban
Western North Carolina is fending off more raging wildfires spanning hundreds of acres this week. The blazes are burning less than a month after multiple fires tore across the state as well as South Carolina amid warm and dry flames in the Tar Heel State have fed on debris left over from Hurricane Helene last fall, resulting in mass evacuations and the destruction of multiple homes. After rainy weather offered some relief earlier this month, North Carolina lifted a statewide ban on open burning. Officials told residents to remain vigilant, and that lifting the ban did not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. 'We've received some well-timed, much-needed rain over the last couple days which has helped reduce fire danger, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions across the state,' said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. 'However, we are still in the midst of spring wildfire season and our recent wildfire activity, especially in Western North Carolina, is a reminder to remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly.' That was before the start of the Rattlesnake Branch fire and the most recent Bee Rock Creek fire. While the Rattlesnake Branch fire has been contained by firefighters, the Bee Rock Creek fire is holding strong in steep and forested terrain. Rain isn't expected in the area of the fire until next week. Some social media users are calling for the state's burn ban to be reinstated. 'Time to declare another burn ban, no rain for the next three weeks and lots more windy dry days,' Stu Art said in a post on the North Carolina Forest Service Facebook page. 'I was thinking the same thing,' replied Simone Lipscomb. The Bee Rock Creek fire started on Tuesday, nine miles northwest of the city of Marion. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The blaze has forced evacuation orders around the Pisgah National Forest. An air quality alert was also issued for the evacuation area through midnight on Saturday due to the choking wildfire smoke. By Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to 856 acres with 10 percent containment. Another windy day was expected to make continuous firefighting efforts tricky. 'Firefighters will also be mopping up along Armstrong Creek Road, extinguishing hotspots to secure containment lines. Crews are prepping the Blue Ridge Parkway as a potential containment line by removing downed vegetation from Hurricane Helene,' the North Carolina Forest Service said. Elsewhere, firefighters were working to combat the 790-acre Haoe Lead fire, which is not yet contained. Located about an hour away, that fire was started by a lightning strike. Increased wildfire danger is expected across the country due to the impacts of human-caused climate change. Rainier weather will cause the growth of more vegetation that can dry out and become fuel during the drier and hotter months. Warmer temperatures will also lead to faster and stronger Atlantic hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that take aim at the Southeast. But, there are immediate steps that people can take to protect themselves from catastrophic wildfires. 'As a resident, you can do things like cleaning up any leaves or pine needles in your yard, clearing dead trees and other vegetation around your home, and avoiding outdoor fires when environmental conditions are right for wildfires,' the National Academy of Medicine said this week.
