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BUNCOMBE COUNTYSTRATEGIC PLAN |
Environmental & Energy Stewardship
Fostering sustainable communities
Goal and Definition
Status Indicators for Most Recently Reported Results: On Target | Caution | Below Plan | No Information
In order to address climate change, Buncombe County adopted resolutions targeted at reducing the County’s carbon emissions as well as implementing the most fiscally and environmentally responsible solutions to reach the goal of 100% renewable energy sources for its operations as well as the community as a whole.
Actual |
Target |
Results for |
| 77% | 75% | Q4 FY24 |
What we’re watching
Percentage of the County's energy consumption provided by solar installations
The County is committed to installing and encouraging development of renewable energy sources for its internal operations wherever feasible. The incorporation of these resources will ultimately lead to a significant reduction in our carbon emissions, improve resiliency, and reduce the operations costs for our facilities.
This is not a Buncombe County Strategic Plan Goal, but watching this metric informs how county goals are pursued.
As development continues, and with natural and regulatory restrictions on steep slopes, the pressure to develop prime farmland and environmentally sensitive tracts of land increases. Farmland and environmentally sensitive tracts in the County are important to both the economy as well as the quality of life of our residents. Currently Buncombe County has 1,073 farms, covering a total of 72,284 acres, up just slightly from the previous agricultural census. However, both the count and the number of acres dedicated to agriculture have trended downward since 2006. Losses total approximately 100 farms and 20,000 acres during this timespan.
Actual |
Target |
Results for |
| 100% | 75% | Q4 FY24 |
What we’re watching
Acreage receiving conservation status
The Citizens and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners have prioritized identifying and preserving environmentally sensitive land and farmland within the county. One way to accomplish this is to encourage development on appropriate land outside sensitive areas, or encourage innovative design that conserves sensitive areas within a development. Buncombe County will help initiate the conservation of 20% of the County's total acres by 2030.
