State Wildlife Action Plan Receives Federal Go-Ahead

  • 25 May 2016
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State Wildlife Action Plan Receives Federal Go-Ahead
The 2015 N.C. Wildlife Action Plan describes the threats facing Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats and recommends measures to address current and emerging threats through 2025, when the plan will be revised.

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 25, 2016) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recently received approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the 10-year update of the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan ­— a comprehensive document that identifies the state’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need and conservation priorities for fish and wildlife species and their habitats through the next decade. The Wildlife Action Plan is posted on the Commission’s website (www.ncwildlife.org/plan).  

Over the last three years the Commission led a comprehensive review and revision of the 2005 Wildlife Action Plan with partners from state and federal agencies, conservation organizations and citizen stakeholders. The current version describes the threats facing Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats and recommends measures to address current and emerging threats through 2025, when the plan will be revised. Implementation of these recommendations will help prevent the need to list species for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The plan also catalogs ongoing efforts to protect and conserve the state’s fish and wildlife species and their habitats — from mammals and birds to fish, crustaceans, reptiles and amphibians. 

The Wildlife Action Plan was created in response to a 2002 congressional requirement that each state must have a comprehensive conservation strategy to be eligible for federal matching funds under the State Wildlife Grants Program. Each year, North Carolina receives approximately $1.3 million to support implementation of conservation actions recommended in the plan. Projects include survey and monitoring efforts that help fish and wildlife biologists understand the conservation status of nongame species in the state. State Wildlife Grants also support enhancement and restoration efforts such as propagation and release of rare species into native habitats or conservation of existing populations of rare species and their habitats.

For more information about the plan or the comment process, contact Cindy Carr. cindy.carr@ncwildlife.org, 919-707-0227, or N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Attn: Cindy Carr, 1721 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1721. 

Media Contact:

Jodie B. Owen
919-707-0187
jodie.owen@ncwildlife.org

Photographer:

Download a high-resolution version of a bog turtle suitable for printing. Please credit Jeff Hall/NCWRC

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