NHC Soil & Water Conservation District
Cate Calson
Party affiliation: Democrat
Career: Small business owner — impact brand building and digital mentorship tailored for nonprofits and small businesses
Degree: Bachelor of Arts from the College of Communication and Education, California State University, Chico
Q: Why are you seeking to become a representative of New Hanover County’s Soil and Water District? What in your prior work history and expertise prepares you for this role?
A: I’m running because clean drinking water and responsible growth are fundamental to the future of our rapidly growing New Hanover County. During rapid growth, this is the time not to cut corners, but to build for a resilient, flood-resilient community.
I bring a different but complementary perspective to Soil and Water: more than 25 years in communications, user experience design, project development and community engagement, combined with years of environmental advocacy and volunteer service.
I know that research and listening are the first steps to bringing people together, translating complicated information into something people can understand, and turning ideas into action. I’m not running as an agricultural expert — I’m running as a concerned citizen and communicator who understands that good conservation depends on science, good planning and an informed community.
Q: Name three initiatives the district has played a major role in that has helped the county’s conservation efforts and what specific conservation plan would you like to update?
A: Three accomplishments stand out to me:
- Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps property owners reduce stormwater pollution
- Heal Our Waterways program and other stormwater best-management projects;
- Pages Creek Watershed Restoration Plan, which identifies practical green-infrastructure and restoration opportunities.
New Hanover has a history of developing conservation programs that have become models beyond our county.
I am aligned with our conservation goals and want to contribute through my communications skills to elevate community education and awareness of the important programs we provide — programs that reduce pollution runoff, improve water management and flooding resilience, and protect our marshlands and forests. These are integral to sound growth planning in a hurricane-prone region.
Our priority should remain an unwavering focus on clean water, climate resilience and the impacts of continued development, including protecting wetlands, flood-storage areas and natural buffers. I will also continue to focus attention on PFAS and other emerging water-quality threats, including those associated with data-center development.
Q: What needs to happen in New Hanover County to combat flooding and the impacts of climate change?
A: We need to stop treating flooding as only a drainage problem. We need to protect and restore the natural systems that hold water — wetlands, marshes, forests, stream corridors and open land — while using better stormwater design where development does occur. We also need to use data, flood-mapping and watershed-level planning to identify problems before they become emergencies. Soil and Water can be an important partner in bringing scientists, residents, landowners, developers and government agencies together around practical solutions.
Q: What would you like to see in terms of stormwater infrastructure over the next year in New Hanover County?
A: I would like to see more green infrastructure integrated into good city design and planning, including rain gardens, wetlands, bioretention areas, living shorelines, permeable surfaces and other systems that slow, capture and filter water before it reaches our creeks and rivers.
I also believe there is room for better coordination between Soil and Water, engineering, transportation, planning, municipalities and residents so that we look at watersheds as connected systems rather than isolated drainage problems. Soil and Water’s strength is helping demonstrate and expand these conservation practices.
Q: Which area(s) do you consider most threatened in New Hanover County that need the district’s immediate attention; why and how will you address them?
A: Our waterways and the land that protects them are my greatest concern — particularly our rapidly disappearing marshes and wetlands. They are not just beautiful; they protect our homes from flooding and reduce pollutant runoff into our waterways, including the Cape Fear River and our smaller creeks.
We are a coastal county and everything is connected. Stormwater runoff, flooding, development pressure and contaminants, such as PFAS can compound one another. Pages Creek is a good example of why watershed-level planning matters: runoff has contributed to water-quality problems and restricted shellfish harvesting, and these impacts are beginning to affect our fishing and oyster industry.
I would continue to focus on identifying the highest-risk areas using data and community knowledge, protecting natural buffers and flood-storage areas, expanding practical conservation projects, and incorporating residents’ observations into tracking concerns. We also need to make sure residents know what they can do — and what resources are available — to protect the water where they live.
Q: How do you handle conflict between landowners and conservation interests?
A: I was raised on a farm, so I begin by listening because I know every farm has its own unique systems and challenges. Conservation cannot succeed if landowners feel that government or environmental groups are simply telling them what they cannot do. My approach is to understand the landowner’s needs, bring the best available science to the conversation, and find solutions that address their goals while creating short- and long-term value for the natural systems we all depend on. Soil and Water has an important role as a trusted resource and problem-solving partner.
Q: Seeing as oftentimes the awareness of the soil and water conservation district’s role is low, what will you do to help educate the public on its importance?
A: This is one of the reasons I’m running. People cannot use a resource they don't know exists. I would make public outreach a more integral part of our services, as budgets allow — more community presentations, partnerships with neighborhood and civic groups, schools, environmental organizations and local businesses, along with useful public-service information about home gardens, yards and water management. Most importantly, I want residents to know about the Soil and Water services already available to them.
The district already reaches thousands of students and tens of thousands of residents through education, events and social media. I want to build on that success and make Soil and Water a more familiar, accessible resource for everyday residents — not just people who already know about conservation.
Q: Do you think the district’s funding is adequate — explain. What would you do to address partnerships or sources that could help with its financial needs?
A: The district has accomplished useful work with a relatively small staff and budget, but I don't believe its current resources are enough for the challenges ahead. The county's FY 2025-2026 budget shows about $691,000 in expenditures and only two positions, while the district is being asked to address increasingly complex water, stormwater and conservation challenges in conjunction with rapid growth projections.
I would strengthen existing partnerships and seek more opportunities by providing useful, on-demand data from our boots-on-the-ground work. I would advocate for more grant opportunities with the county, City of Wilmington, state and federal agencies, universities, nonprofits and responsible private-sector partners. Soil and Water is already part of a complex network of organizations and departments, but we can always collaborate better and get better results. My experience in nonprofit work, communications and fundraising has taught me that partnerships can multiply what a small organization is able to accomplish.
Q: How would you rate the district’s functioning on a scale of one to 10? Why?
A: I would give the district an 8 out of 10. Soil and Water was designed to play an important advisory and oversight role in communities across America — to help ensure that short-term development and business goals do not lose sight of the long-term health of our natural resources. New Hanover’s district has a strong history of innovation and has created programs, such as CCAP that have had influence beyond our county. It is also doing important work in watershed restoration, stormwater projects, public education and protecting at-risk natural spaces. It is a non-partisan committee.
Where I see room for improvement is visibility, communication and connecting more of the public to the work already being done. I would like to help take a good conservation organization and make it a much more visible and accessible community resource.
Q: What impresses you most about the job the current board is doing and what do you think needs improving?
A: What impresses me most is this relatively small district has developed practical programs that produce real results — from watershed restoration to rain gardens, rain barrels and other stormwater improvements. The committee members believe in the mission and in protecting their community. The district reported reaching more than 40,000 people through education, festivals, presentations and social media in FY2024-2025, while also completing major work connected to the Pages Creek watershed.
I don't see my role as coming in to criticize the current board. I want to build on what is working and strengthen what is missing. My priorities would be stronger public engagement, clearer communication, more partnerships and keeping conservation planning focused on the realities New Hanover County faces now: clean water, flooding, responsible growth and protecting the natural systems that protect us.