Environmentalists would have some questions for a potential transportation appointee.

Elizabeth Ouzts, director of Environment North Carolina, said that she would want to hear more from state Sen. Clark Jenkins about his views before he took a job as secretary of the state Department of Transportation.

Jenkins is one of several people whose names have been discussed by Raleigh insiders recently, though Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has not made any announcements.

Ouzts said that as a member of the state Board of Transportation Jenkins was "very vocal" about his frustration with delays on road projects caused by the need for environmental reviews, but she noted that his record as a state senator has been good.

In 2007, the group gave Jenkins an 85 percent rating on its scorecard of pro-environmental votes.

"We would hope that he would continue on that path and make decisions that were going to be good for the environment and the economy," she said.

Ouzts was not familiar with the environmental records of Gene Conti or Lanny Wilson, whose names have also come up.

The Club for Growth is targeting U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The free-market group is spending $250,000 on radio and television spots against Dole and five other senators over a bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Congress is at it again. This time, they're pushing massive new taxes and regulations in the name of global warming," says the narrator of the ad over dramatic music.

The ad then cites a study commission by the National Association of Manufacturers which found that the state could lose 146,000 jobs per year and see a 135 percent increase in electricity prices

Dole, who is running for re-election this year, is a co-sponsor of the measure sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, and Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican.

"Call Sen. Elizabeth Dole today," the narrator says. "Tell her to vote no on the Lieberman-Warner climate bill. North Carolinians just can't afford another huge costly government program."

Update: Dole was one of the original co sponsors of the legislation that would rely on a "cap and trade" program to give American companies a financial incentive to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, Rob Christensen reports.

Dole has also been subject to an automated telephone calling campaign by a group financed by coal companies according to Elizabeth Ouzts of Environment North Carolina.

She said environmentalists thnink the Lieberman-Warner bill does not go far enough and provides too many financial incentives to companies.

A transcript after the jump.

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Local environmentalists are looking to President Bush to talk about clean and renewable energy tonight during his final State of the Union address before Congress.

Bush has plans to talk about domestic production of energy, according to the White House.

Margaret Hartzell, field organizer for Environment North Carolina, said Bush should push to include business tax incentives for clean energy in the economic stimulus package now being discussed by Congress, reports Barb Barrett. The incentives, for businesses that use solar, wind and other clean energy, are set to expire at the end of 2008.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Salisbury Republican, has signed onto a letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, urging the Senate to continue the incentives.

Hartzell said in an interview today that she also hopes Bush pushes Congress to set a standard on renewable energy, much as North Carolina did last year in passing a state standard.

“We hope the president comes out strongly on ending global warming,” Hartzell said.

North Carolina lost 2.4 million acres of open space in the past 20 years.

And it will lose another 2 million acres over the next two decades if development continues at its current rate, according to a report by Environment North Carolina. (N&O)

The state is also losing farmland, including about 1,000 farms in 2005.

"The average age of farmers is getting up in the high 50s, and about the only retirement plan they've got is the land — to sell it," said a fifth-generation farmer in Leicester. (AC-T)

Advocates of land preservation used the report as part of their argument for the legislature to put a $1 billion bond referendum before voters this fall.

Rep. Lucy Allen, a Louisburg Democrat who is sponsor of the bond bill, noted that it would have competition from other budget needs, but she said it is urgent.

"There are going to be no second chances," she said. "As a former school board member and former mayor, I have many times heard people say, 'Yes, we need to do that but now is not the time.' ... I will tell you, there will not be another chance like we have right now to do this." (AP)