By JOHN DAVID ARCH
COMMERCE INTERN
Jason Lambert, EBCI Commerce Division director, gave a luncheon keynote presentation at Haywood Community College on Wednesday, June 5 to the 2nd Annual Rockslide Conference on the Economic Impacts of the Hwy 441 Landslide. This year’s conference theme was “Building Resilience to Land and Rock Slides in Western North Carolina.”
Jason Lambert, EBCI Commerce Division director, speaks at the 2nd Annual Rockslide Conference on the Economic Impacts of the Hwy 441 Landslide held at Haywood Community College on Wednesday, June 5. (J.D. ARCH/Commerce Intern)
Lambert stated that the EBCI Public Relations Department was quite proactive in keeping travelers informed about the status of road conditions on Hwy 441 N. He also gave credit to Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) for his role in the coordination of help from FEMA for the Tribe. The EBCI were the first federally recognized tribe to receive a disaster declaration directly from the President of the United States under the Stafford Act.
“We [EBCI] have a duty to the surrounding counties to step up and lead,” said Lambert. He further commented on how outstanding it was that diverse groups from the surrounding communities came together when needed in order to arrive at a workable solution concerning the land slide.
Various representatives from the National Weather Service, NC Department of Transportation, NC Emergency Management, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources attended the conference.
