Supervisor Says Soil & Water Info 'Not Hard to Find'

July 16, 2007

HUDSON—A Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor, on a personal campaign to help citizens become better informed, says public documents and studies detailing government conservation programs are “not difficult to find.”

Dennis A. Benfield of Hudson, elected in 2006 on a promise to keep the public informed about district projects, pointed out that “a myriad of brochures, reports and formal studies about ecological problems are available directly from government agencies.”

“Some government programs and agencies,” Benfield said, “are just not necessary. But in the area of soil and water conservation, there’s a three-way partnership among state, federal and local government units that really works. The internet offers an easy way to stay informed.

Benfield to Offer Information on Caldwell Soil & Water Projects

June 27, 2007

HUDSON—Dennis A. Benfield of Hudson, elected last year as a Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) supervisor, is starting a personal publicity campaign to make Caldwell County citizens aware of some of the district’s projects.

“The only promises I made in the campaign were that I would work hard to be a good supervisor on the soil and water board, and that I would try to help keep people aware of the kinds of projects the district is sponsoring in Caldwell County,” Benfield said.

“It’s been about six months since I joined some very dedicated people on the board,” he added. “I’ve learned an awful lot and I have so much more to learn, but I have begun to see how this board uses its funds as ‘seed money’ to cause some very important conservation efforts.”

Caldwell SWCD Supervisor Urges 'Three-Front War' On IBT Law

January 16, 2007

HUDSON--Now that the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) has “awarded” Concord and Kannapolis a 10-million-gallons-per-day Inter-Basin Transfer (IBT) from the Catawba River—over the objections of a coalition of local governments and citizens from the upper Catawba basin—what’s next in this “water war?”

Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor Dennis A. Benfield, who has been active in the water fight, has suggested "that IBT opponents respond aggressively and attack the transfer on three specific fronts: in court, in the General Assembly and in the political “appointments process.”

Benfield Speaks to NC Legislative Group on Changing IBT Law

December 21, 2006

RALEIGH—A group of 40 civic leaders and elected officials from the upper Catawba River basin flew to Raleigh on Wednesday to address legislators and regulatory managers on changes they believe necessary in North Carolina’s 1993 law which determines how Inter-Basin Transfers (IBTs) are granted within the state.

Other than the legislators and regulators themselves, 14 public speakers addressed changes they wanted to see. Only one, Concord mayor Scott Padgett, spoke in favor of the proposed 36-million-gallons-per-day IBT that Cabarrus County towns want from the Catawba. All the others opposed provisions of the current law.

Benfield A Rare Republican Elected Tuesday to Soil & Water Board

November 8, 2006

HUDSON—In Tuesday’s election, Dennis A. Benfield of Hudson became one of only a few Republicans ever elected as a Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor, according to party veterans.

Bill Stone of Lenoir, former Republican county commission chairman, said he could “never remember” a Republican on that board before. Soil & Water Conservation District chairman Shawn Haigler named four other Republicans who have served as supervisors over 69 years.

Amid mixed results for Caldwell Republicans, Benfield’s victory in the seven-man Soil & Water free-for-all emerged as a bright spot for the local party, especially since he led all candidates in the race.

In unofficial returns, he polled 6,305 votes, some 830 votes more than Democrat Michael Willis and Unaffiliated incumbent Jeff Rash, who were in close contention for the second seat available in Tuesday’s election.

World Journal Finds Pollution Killing Much Marine Life

November 3, 2006

HUDSON—A candidate for the Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation board in next Tuesday’s election says a report in this week’s international journal, Science, “makes it clear that pollution is killing marine life throughout the world, including right here in Caldwell County.”

Dennis A. Benfield of Hudson, an outspoken opponent of the recent proposed inter-basin transfer of water from the Catawba River to benefit Concord and Kannapolis, said the current trend of worldwide water-borne pollutants “could cause the collapse of most major populations of seafood species by mid-century.”

Duke Energy Takes Sides in IBT Water Dispute

October 27, 2006

HUDSON—For those who think speaking out at a public hearing is probably a waste of time, the multi-county dispute over the transfer of water from the Catawba River has taken an encouraging turn. After two rambunctious public hearings in the last six weeks, in which scores and scores of speakers voiced pointed opposition to an inter-basin transfer (IBT) of water from the Catawba River, the “other shoe” may have dropped Wednesday.

Shortly after the second hearing, in Charlotte, where opponents vastly outnumbered those who favored the IBT for Concord and Kannapolis, officials of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission said they would delay their decision “to allow more time for public comment.”

Lenoir News-Topic Has New Questions for Soil & Water Hopefuls

October 16, 2006

(1) The proposed transfer of water from the Catawba River to Concord and Kannapolis will be decided soon. Whatever the decision, it has brought to light the importance of this natural resource. What actions can be taken on a local level to protect what we have and ensure an adequate water supply for the future?

The proposed water transfer, under state law, is decided by the state’s Environmental Management Commission—not local government. That’s the main problem. It’s a water quantity issue, too. The Soil & Water board’s focus, also by law, is water quality, or stopping pollution at the source. We need, for instance, to reduce storm water pollution of our primary source of drinking water, Lake Rhodhiss, which the EPA now calls “impaired.”

Soil & Water Candidate Benfield Addresses Catawba River Hearing

September 8, 2006

VALDESE—Dennis A. Benfield of Hudson was one of only three speakers from Caldwell County to address a public hearing Thursday night, opposing an inter-basin transfer (IBT) of water from the Catawba River.

Benfield, a candidate for Caldwell Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, waited some 5½ hours to speak to a crowd of some 2000 attending the hearing held by the N.C. Division of Water Resources on a proposal by the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to divert up to 38 million gallons of water per day from the river.

Lenoir News-Topic Questions Soil & Water Candidates

August 16, 2006

NEWS-TOPIC QUESTIONS FOR SOIL & WATER BOARD CANDIDATES

NAME: Dennis Allen Benfield OFFICE SEEKING: Caldwell Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor AGE: 57

HOMETOWN: Born in Cleveland County, I lived in Hickory until age 26; I’ve lived in southern Caldwell County the last 31½ years.

OCCUPATION: “Semi-retired” Nationwide Insurance agent and community college instructor, sole employee of “Wordwizard Enterprises,” a one-man public relations company.

What's in a Name? Two Dennis Benfields?

March 23, 2006

HUDSON—“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet….”

With apologies to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Caldwell County has not one, but two, Dennis Benfields. One is running for a countywide political office; the other is not.

The personal hygiene of either may not rival the sweet smell of a rose, but politically, they both seem to be on the same page, singing from the same hymnal.