Executive summary 8 I. Introduction 26 II. State government capability 28
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
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- Emergency Programs Division
- Public Affairs Division
- Standards Division
- Aquaculture and Natural Resources Division
- Agronomic Services Division
- Veterinary Division
- North Carolina State Animal Response Team
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICESThe North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCAD&CS) is a large department within the state government, with 19 divisions and hundreds of employees. The North Carolina Board of Agriculture is a statutory agency with members appointed by the Governor. The Board is a policy and rule making body that adopts regulations for many of the programs administered by the Department. The Commissioner of Agriculture is a member of the Governor’s cabinet, and is elected by the citizens of the State. A representative from the NCAD&CS serves on the State Hazard Mitigation Advisory Group (SHMAG) which helped formulate the State Hazard Mitigation Plan. Agriculture has traditionally been the mainstay of North Carolina’s economy. Until the latter half of the 20th century, a majority of our residents were either farmers or engaged in related businesses. While North Carolina’s industry and employment base has diversified immensely in later years, agribusiness is still a significant sector of the state’s economy. North Carolina’s agriculture industry, including food, fiber and forestry contributes $62.6 billion annually to the State’s economy, and accounts for 22 percent of the State’s income, and employs over 20 percent of the work force. Today, there are 56,000 farms in North Carolina, with over 9,100,000 acres of land in farms. There are farms in every region of the State, although more farming has shifted from the Western mountainous counties and the Piedmont to the eastern part of the state, particularly the sandhills region. There are numerous large corporate farms, particularly hog and chicken enterprises in the state (North Carolina is now the second largest hog producing state in the nation, exceeded only by Iowa); there are also many smaller, family-owned farms, some of which have remained in one family for generations. The average size of a North Carolina farm is 163 acres. North Carolina is one of the most diversified agriculture states in the Nation. Our farmers grow over 80 different commodities, producing more tobacco and sweet potatoes than any other state, and ranking second in the production of hogs, turkeys, Christmas trees and trout. Cotton, soybeans, corn, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, peaches, grapes, and apples are some of other more prevalent crops grown in North Carolina, although a wide variety of other vegetables and fruits is also grown. There are also some dairy and beef farms, as well as a few newer products, such as ostrich and llama, scattered throughout the state. Farming, by its very nature, is susceptible to the weather. Optimal conditions in terms of temperature, sunlight, rainfall, humidity, and other pertinent factors, determine the success or failure of an entire growing season and the owners’ return on investment or family income for that year. Crops in the fields, or, in the case of tobacco, in the curing barns, are extremely vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Drought, flooding, hurricane winds and tornadoes, severe winter weather, extreme heat, can all be damaging or devastating to farm products and livestock. In the past several years, North Carolina farmers have experienced first hand the damage to their crops from hurricanes. In July 1996, Hurricane Bertha slammed into the southeastern coast of North Carolina, dumping torrential rains and causing severe damage from winds. Two months later, Hurricane Fran came ashore in the same area and headed inland. Hurricane force winds blew for over 10 hours in the Raleigh area. When the sun rose, tobacco farmers discovered what force Mother Nature can unleash. Many fields of tobacco stood bare, all the leaves blown off or broken. Others suffered damage with sound leaf in the field, but no electricity to cure the crop. Less than a year later, Hurricane Danny left the Gulf of Mexico and headed north. While Danny brought much needed rain to central North Carolina, it also brought unwanted winds, damaging crops in the field. And no one can forget the damage of Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. Floyd drowned millions of dollars worth of farm equipment, crops, buildings, animals, and farmsteads. In 2002, 89 counties in North Carolina were named as primary disaster areas due to abnormally low temperatures and drought. Other counties, with the exception of Currituck and Dare, were designated as contiguous counties, and eligible to be considered for low-interest EM loans from the USDA Farm Services Agency. A chronic issue for many North Carolina farmers is the accessibility and affordability of insurance. While approximately 95 percent of tobacco grown in the state is insured, many other crops are not insured or are under-insured. This lack of financial recompense in the event of a disaster leaves many North Carolina farmers economically vulnerable. Emergency Programs DivisionThe NCDA&CS Emergency Programs Division was established to reduce the vulnerability to, or the impact from, any disaster, disease, or terrorist attack on the agriculture community of North Carolina. The Emergency Programs Division provides leadership within the NCDA&CS and the agriculture community for emergency preparedness and response. The Emergency Programs Division establishes public-private partnerships between vital government agencies, industry and volunteers. The goals of the Emergency Programs Division are to preserve the ability of the North Carolina agriculture community to produce stable supplies of food, and other agricultural products. The Division seeks to reduce the vulnerability of animal and livestock, plant, crop, and other beneficial organism populations from the effects of a multi-hazard event, and to speed the recovery from such an event. The Division enforces laws and regulations that protect public, animal, livestock, plant and crop health and ensure their general safety in case of a multi-hazard event. Possible multi-hazard events for which the NCDA&CS Emergency Programs Office is intended to prepare include, but are not limited to, the following events or circumstances:
Public Affairs DivisionThe Public Affairs Division is responsible for disseminating pertinent information to the public through news releases and other media contacts. It is also responsible for publishing The Agricultural Review, a monthly agricultural newspaper sent to 70,000 subscribers. The NCDA&CS provides timely information to farmers and others in the agricultural business regarding mitigating steps they can take to protect their farms, homes, crops, equipment and business in the event of a natural hazard. Practical advice ranges from how to secure equipment from high winds, to how to prepare tobacco that is still in the fields or in the barns before flooding or a hurricane occurs. Standards DivisionThe Standards Division is responsible for fuel tank placement permitting and inspections for compliance with safety codes. Numerous LP-Gas tanks have become loose during natural hazards throughout the State, posing a potential hazard to residents and the environment. The Division can adopt and enforce codes requiring all above-ground tanks be anchored and protected as required by current flood prevention ordinances. Aquaculture and Natural Resources DivisionThe Aquaculture and Natural Resources Division provides assistance in matters of aquaculture, environmental regulation, and natural resource management to the public and provides a liaison with farmers, producers organizations, and other agencies. Agronomic Services DivisionThe Agronomic Services Division analyzes soil samples, plant, solution, and irrigation water samples, and animal, municipal, and industrial wasters. Recommendations made by these services are designed to improve production and efficiency and protect natural resources. During Hurricane Floyd, numerous hog waste lagoons were flooded, causing unprecedented environmental and public health risks. Stricter regulations of hog waste lagoons, including requirement that they not be located in the floodplain, have reduced some of this risk, although not all waste lagoons have been made secure and still pose a health risk. Veterinary DivisionVeterinary and animal inspection services fall under the jurisdiction of the Veterinary Division. Veterinarians monitor diseases and administer animal health programs. Division inspectors regularly visit processing and slaughtering facilities in the state. North Carolina State Animal Response TeamThe North Carolina State Animal Response Team (SART) is an interagency effort dedicated to preparing, planning, and responding and recovering during animal emergencies in North Carolina. The team’s mission is to develop and implement procedures and train participants to facilitate a safe, environmentally sound and efficient response to animal emergencies on the local, county, state and federal level. The team is organized and operates under the auspices of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) utilizing the principles of the Incident Command System. SART is a cooperative effort of many partner agencies and organizations across the State, with over 30 government and animal organizations participating. The North Carolina State Animal Response Team was founded after Hurricane Floyd in 1999, during which more than three million domestic and farm animals were lost. Many could have been saved by a coordinated emergency response plan. The structure is organized on the grassroots level with County Animal Response Teams (CART). CARTs are under the jurisdiction of the county Emergency Management Coordinator, and are comprised of local professionals including animal control officers, cooperative extension agents, sheriff’s personnel, veterinarians, forestry officers, animal industry leaders and concerned citizens. The Planning Section of SART develops plans for floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, and winter storms. The Planning Section is also responsible for identifying existing state plans and incorporating them into SART plans. Directory: div div -> 9th May 1950 the schuman declaration div -> Supplemental demographic information div -> Introduction A. Purpose & Authority div -> This section includes changes made during the 2013 update div -> General occupational safety and health rules subdivision z toxic and hazardous substances div -> Computer Basics What is a computer div -> Mobile county, alabama regular board meeting div -> Privacy: Campus Living & Technology Download 1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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