Gubernatorial Candidates at Forum on Water Issues March 25 at Duke

The forum, “The Future of the Water in North Carolina,” is hosted by the Nicholas Institute and open to the public.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Durham, NC -- State gubernatorial candidates will participate in a public forum on water issues in North Carolina from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at Duke University.

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

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

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke is partnering with seven statewide organizations to sponsor the event. The organizations partnering with the Nicholas Institute 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 at www.nicholas.duke.edu/candidatesforum.

Public parking is available at the Bryan Center Parking Deck off Science Drive.