6.3 Conservation Opportunities and Incentives
streamlined, better coordinated, and more efectively presented to the public. Key agencies and organizations involved in private lands programming in North Carolina should strive for better program coordination, with the goal of providing clear and consistent leadership on options and benefts to landowners. Conservation programs, incentives, and partnerships should be utilized to the fullest extent to preserve high-quality resources and protect important natural communities. Landowners should be introduced to available cost-share programs (e.g., Farm Bill pro- grams) and habitat improvement advice (e.g., Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Landbird Legacy Program) that ft their needs. Te NC Forest Service (NCFS) and NCWRC provide technical guidance to assist private landowners with sustainable management of the natu- ral resources on their property. It is recommended that priority wildlife habitat management on private lands imple- ment silvicultural management practices at appropriate locations to enhance ground forb and grass understory development; provide regeneration and habitat for disturbance-dependent species or early successional species; and enhance mature forest conditions in young to middle-aged pure stands. Quality early successional habitats should be developed and maintained through a combination of management strategies and appropriate practices (including prescribed burning, timber harvest, grazing, herbicide use, or other practices) on both public and private lands. 6.3.1.1 Incentives and Programs Cost-share and tax incentive programs can reduce tax rates and the cost of establishing new conservation practices for private landowners, thereby encouraging them to imple- ment better habitat and natural resource management on their lands. Examples that can beneft private landowners include the following: • Wildlife Land Conservation Program (WLCP)—An NCWRC program that allows private landowners who have owned their property for at least fve years and want to manage for protected wildlife species or priority wildlife habitats to apply for a reduced property tax assessment. A site visit by NCWRC is made to verify that the landowner has at least 20 acres of defned priority wildlife habitat. Te legal framework for the program can be found in NC G.S. Section 105-277.15. Tese lands are assessed by the county in which they are located at a reduced value and landowners participating in WCLP can apply to their county tax ofce for a property tax deferment. Other present-use tax reduction programs exist in North Carolina for private lands actively managed for forestry or agri- culture; however, benefts cannot be combined from multiple programs.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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