Roy Cooper Governor
D. Reid Wilson Secretary, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Will Summer Director, Division of Land and Water Stewardship Executive Director, NC Land and Water Fund
March 11, 2022
Ms. Cindy Simpson North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 1721 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1721 RE: NC Wildlife Action Plan Addendum 2 – Plant SGCN
Dear Ms. Simpson:
North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Program supports all of the 2022 revisions to the NC Wildlife Action Plan included in Addendum 2, related to adding plants to the list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Including plants and plant habitat in North Carolina’s Wildlife Action Plan will help inform and support conservation strategies, decision-making, and sustainable action for rare and threatened plants and their habitats. The plant species included in Addendum 2 are listed in the NC Protected Plant List, with a status of Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern-Vulnerable, or Special Concern- Historical. These designations were developed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Plant Conservation Program (NCPCP) staff, working closely with North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Program, the NCPCP Scientific Committee, and published in the NC Administrative code (02 NCAC 48F .0300), amended effective May 1, 2021. These represent the most imperiled plant species in North Carolina, with verifiable data demonstrating threats and trends. Including plants as SGCN will increase awareness of plant conservation; provide more consistent information for planning, conservation, and land management across state agencies; and help inform conservation and inventory priorities. We believe it will also encourage research, restoration, outreach, and leadership efforts for plant conservation. We appreciate and support this opportunity to collaborate with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Plant Conservation Program, and US Fish and Wildlife Service for conservation of wildlife, plants, and habitat in North Carolina.
Sincerely,
Misty Buchanan, Deputy Director for Natural Heritage Division of Land and Water Stewardship
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