What Will the Next Governor Do About Water?

Candidates will discuss water issues at Tuesday forum

Monday, March 24, 2008

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Durham, NC -- The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University is partnering with seven statewide organizations to host a public forum on water issues in North Carolina for gubernatorial candidates from 1 to 4 p.m., March 25.

The forum, “The Future of the Water in North Carolina,” will be held in 500-seat Griffith Film Theater in the Bryan Student Center on Duke’s main campus.

Former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, State Treasurer Richard Moore and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue have committed to the forum. Commitments from other candidates are under negotiation.

Seats are free and available to the public, but must be reserved in advance through the University Box Office at (919) 684-4444 or mailto:tickets@duke.edu.

The organizations partnering with the Nicholas Institute to sponsor the event are: the North Carolina League of Municipalities; the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners; the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center; the Conservation Council of North Carolina; the North Carolina Association of Realtors; the North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club; and the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation.

“Water quantity and quality is essential to our state’s economic and environmental health,” said Bill Holman, director of state policy at the Nicholas Institute. “This forum will provide gubernatorial candidates with the opportunity to address water management and conservation issues and discuss options for ensuring that we have clean, abundant water for generations to come.”

Each candidate will make a brief opening statement, respond to questions from the forum’s co-sponsors, and make a closing statement. Questions are being provided to the candidates in advance, Holman said, to allow them ample time to prepare thoughtful answers.

The forum will be videotaped and made available online after the event here.

Public parking is available at the Bryan Center Parking Deck, located adjacent to the student center.