1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I understand the immense pressure you’re facing — a state with many incredible needs and the challenge of stretching limited resources. One resource we must not cut is one of North Carolina’s most strategic and cost-effective assets: the Office of Environmental Education. This is not just another line item. This is a nationally acclaimed, internationally emulated model of what state-driven environmental education should look like. And unless you act now, it could be dismantled quietly and permanently — with devastating long-term consequences for our state’s resilience, economy, and natural legacy. North Carolina is on the verge of eliminating one of the most recognized state-level offices of environmental education in the entire country. An office that once had 10 staff now has 2 — and yet continues to support thousands of educators, schools, nonprofits, and citizens across the state. This office has done what no other agency in North Carolina can do: - Deliver state-wide environmental literacy programming - Train educators to prepare students for climate-related disasters like Hurricane Helene - Coordinate conservation messaging across government, schools, and the private sector - Cultivate the next generation of informed voters This is not charity. This is infrastructure. Environmental literacy is as fundamental to our state’s long-term survival and competitiveness as roads, internet, and clean water. What’s more — this office was established by Republicans, under Governor Jim Martin, and Secretary Bill Cobey, who said: “Regulation cannot and should not stand alone. It must be balanced with a public sense of stewardship toward our state’s natural resources.” We are on the brink of erasing this legacy. With one vote, you could undo 30 years of progress, vision, and bipartisan commitment to education, resilience, and resource protection. The North Carolina Environmental Education Act of 1993 will mean nothing if this office is gutted. We must not allow this office to disappear under the radar while legislators cast late-night votes. If you believe in responsible governance, in legacy, in fiscal common sense, then: Vote to keep the NC Office of Environmental Education open and remind your colleagues that education is prevention, and prevention is cheaper than disaster relief. Environmental education is not optional. It is not expendable. It is a strategic necessity. Stand up before it’s too late. Your legacy — and North Carolina’s — depends on it.