North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Cameron Ingram, Executive Director July 7, 2021
Paul Wilkes, Chief Division of Federal Assistance U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1875 Century Boulevard, Room 240
Atlanta, Georgia 30345 paul_wilkes@fws.gov
Dear Mr. Wilkes:
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission) is working in partnership with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Plant Protection Program (PCP), and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Natural Heritage Program (NHP), to develop a plant list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). This letter is to notify you of the intent of the Commission to undertake an interim major revision to add the plant SGCN list to the 2015 N.C. Wildlife Action Plan (Plan) as Addendum 2. This interim major revision will follow the guidance in the December 2017 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) memorandum for all States on Plan review and revision. The guidance defines a major revision as a significant change to the methods, criteria, or processes used to address any of the Eight Required Elements described in the approved Plan. We understand this Addendum 2 will require a formal review by a Regional Review Team (RRT) convened by the Service and a recommendation from the RRT for approval. You will recall that we submitted an Addendum 1 to your office and received approval in September 2020 and included minor revisions to 4 chapters. Commission staff began working with the PCP and NHP on this major revision as of June 1, 2021 and anticipate submitting Addendum 2 of the 2015 Plan to the Service by January 2022. North Carolina’s Addendum 2 will include the following additions and revisi ons:
• Chapter 3: Species - add a new Section 3.13 Plant SGCN
Section 3.13 will include the methodology used to evaluate and identify protected plants, which are now considered plant SGCN in North Carolina. Priority conservation actions will also be provided in Section 3.13, following the same format for other taxonomic groups described in Chapter 3. The PCP manages the evaluation process and publishes
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699 -1721 Telephone: (919) 707-0220 • Fax: (919) 707-0028
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