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Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Function
The Environmental Advisory Council is assigned the following general tasks:
- Receive requests from the Board of Commissioners to research and advise them on matters of environmental significance;
- Review proposed amendments to County Environmental Ordinances and provide advisory comments related thereto;
- Consider concerns relating to County policies and programs;
- Provide opportunities for public comment and query regarding matters of environmental concern.
The primary function of the EAC is be to advise the Commissioners on broad environmental policy issues. To accomplish that goal, they are tasked in the following ways:
- Meet with the Board of County Commissioners to gain their input in the development of a yearly work plan for the Council.
- Report to the Commissioners regarding their progress and upon completion of assigned tasks.
- Assist the County's environmental staff through a regular process of evaluation of County environmental programs; make periodic recommendations for program improvements.
- s County environmental program compliance often requires the benefit of public input (i.e. NPDES) and the need to maintain open communication with the public concerning environmental issues, the new EAC could serve to facilitate public information, education, and understanding concerning County environmental policies and programs.
- Regularly evaluate other County programs to determine their consistency with good environmental management principles and the concept of pollution prevention.
- Regularly report to the Board of Commissioners on the "State-of-the Environment" in Carroll County. The report would be structured categorically and would detail both successes and deficiencies that warrant improvement.
The EAC is also tasked with broad environmental policy responsibilities. Those responsibilities are those that serve to help the County to successfully and consistently implement adopted environmental policies:
- The EAC is to act as the Carroll County Tree Commission. When acting as that body, their tasks include review of tree maintenance policies and deliberation on specific administrative plans that involve tree placement, maintenance and removal.
- The EAC must also be available to serve to review and make recommendations regarding the maintenance of County environmental regulatory policy.
- The EAC must also be in a position to review proposed Federal and State environmental regulatory and legislative proposals and to comment back to the appropriate agency on same, based on adopted County environmental policy.
Lastly, the EAC is also tasked to act as sponsor for efforts that would assist the County in fulfilling environmental education responsibilities:
- Sponsor environmental education efforts (i.e., web site, public meetings, etc.);
- Sponsor environmental education workshops and forums;
- Co-sponsor efforts such as the Earthworks Festival with the Department of Recreation and Parks;
- Prepare and distribute environmental information through the local media that would be beneficial to the communities in Carroll County; and,
- Review and present the Carroll County Environmental Awareness Awards.
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