This questionnaire gave me a headache. I think this is where I depart slightly from the Libertarian party line, and that’s why I had to read and think about each question carefully before I responded. Here are the questions and answers:

(1) What do you consider to be the most pressing conservation challenge in your district?

With the municipal development in our area comes the need to ensure that the water and sewer systems can support that growth and that waste water from homes is treated and does not pollute our soil and fresh water resources.

(2) Are there any environmental regulations or policies you consider ineffective or unnecessarily burdensome, which should be reformed?

Currently, we allow municipalities to restrict private landowners from seeking their own forms of making a smaller environmental impact. I would support state-level legislation to discourage towns from restricting its residents from building of personal solar panels, wind farms, and means of waste-water collection/reuse.

(3) Climate Change. There is a broad agreement within the scientific community that global warming pollutants must be reduced by 80% by the year 2050 in order to avoid the most severe and irreversible impacts of climate change on future generations… [text omitted for brevity]

3-A. Would you support legislation to adopt the goal of reducing global warming pollution in North Carolina by 80% by the year 2050?

No. I would like to read the scientific reports. I would respect this position more if the generalization of “broad agreement within the scientific community” was replaced with 2-3 citations from reputable researchers stating these “80% by 2050″ numbers and outlining the “severe and irreversible” impacts.

3-B. Would you support “NC SAVES” legislation (HB 1050), which would create an Independent Energy Efficiency Administrator that would help weatherize low and moderate income homes, reducing the need for new power plant construction?

No.

3-C. Would you be willing to pass legislation to put a moratorium on new coal fired [sic] power plants, until technology is developed that is safe and proven to sequester carbon dioxide, the major pollutant that causes global warming?

No. Such technology already exists and is in use today. In addition, the impact of coal-fired power on the environment is orders of magnitude less than the prosperity such plants bring to those that need it most.

(4) Effective Enforcement. The single largest pollutant by volume in North Carolina’s lakes, rivers, and streams is sediment… [text omitted for brevity] Would you support legislation to hire additional Division of Land Resource and Division of Water Quality staff in order to adequately inspect development sites for compliance with sedimentation & erosion control and stormwater standards?

Yes. It is my hope that we can shape legislation that is effective without imposing on the rights of landowners.

(5) Water Allocation. Just as we must budget for our money, we should create a budget for our water… [text omitted for brevity]

5-A. Do you support comprehensive planning for NC’s water resources?

Yes.

5-B. North Carolina’s Environmental Management Commission (EMC) has gone through a science-based, multi-year stakeholder process to create standards to address polluted stormwater runoff in North Carolina… [text omitted for brevity] Would you support proposals to weaken the water quality protection standards developed through the EMC stakeholder process?

No.

6. Land Conservation. North Carolina loses more than 100,000 acres of farm and forest land to development each year… [text omitted for brevity]

6-A. Would you support maintaining and restoring funding for the state’s four natural resource trust funds (Clean Water Management, Natural Heritage, Parks and Recreation, and Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation) once the economy has rebounded enough to do so? During FY 2008-09, state funding for conservation was cut by more then $120 million dollars and reduced by nearly 50 percent in FY 2009-10.

No. I support the Clean Water Management fund, but the others are in need of re-evaluation to determine how the money is spent and whether the funds are relevant.

6-B. Would you support making the NC Conservation Tax Credit refundable or transferable for lower income landowners? Currently the Conservation Tax Credit is capped at $250,000 that can be taken over a five year [sic] carry forward [sic] period, which many lower income landowner [sic] cannot take full advantage of due to their lower tax liability.

Yes.

6-C. Would you support a dedicated source of revenue for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Agricultural Development Trust Fund, which are both currently funded out of the state general fund?

No.

(7) Wind Energy. Would you support the development and adoption of an application process for permitting the construction of wind turbines in NC that gives individuals the right to apply for a permit to construct one or more wind turbines on their property, but requires county approval for any project smaller than 2 MW and both state and county approval before any permit is issued for any projects over 2 MW in size? The application process for a project larger than 2 MW would require public hearings, studies, and impact assessments that satisfy the permitting authorities.

Yes. Though, I’d like to see private landowners able to construct these with no application process necessary.

(8) Construction on steep slopes. Landslides across western North Carolina during the hurricanes of 2004 demonstrated the devastation that can result when homes are built on steep slopes without attention to potential landslide hazards… [text omitted for brevity]

8-A. Do you agree that home buyers in western North Carolina should be told when a home is in a known landslide hazard as mapped by the NCGS area, and do you support mandating that sellers make such disclosures?

Yes. This should be as available as flood plain information for prospective landowners, or at least available by request of local government agencies.

8-B. Do you support state legislation that would require developers building in known landslide hazard areas and on very steep slopes to consult an engineering professional to ensure that mountain homes are sited and built safely?

No. If they own the property and want to build on it, it’s their choice. They should just be ready to provide the NCGS findings to potential buyers.

(9) Coastal ecosystems. For many decades, North Carolina has maintained a policy prohibiting the construction of groins and other hardened structures on North Carolina’s coastline… [text omitted for brevity] Do you support continuing North Carolina’s policy of protecting our coastline from hardened structures?

No. On public beaches yes, on privately-owned beach property no. If there is a violation of rights, take it to court.

(10) Economic Development and the Green Economy. [text omitted for brevity] Would you support focusing our economic development policies and incentive programs on modern green companies and practices to prepare North Carolina for the next economic boom?

No. I do not support offering discriminatory incentives to hand-selected private businesses from taxpayer money.