6.3 Conservation Opportunities and Incentives
Lily. In the Mountain ecoregion, prescribed fre is a management tool used on these game lands to maintain the understory of the Longleaf Pine and wet pine savanna communities essential for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Game lands include the largest intact and least disturbed bottomland forest ecosystem in the mid-Atlantic Region and some of the oldest Cypress-tupelo trees on the East Coast— many at least 800 years old. Other benefts include: • One of the largest, most intact remnants of Longleaf Pine ecosystems in North Carolina, a high-priority wildlife habitat in the Lands Management program. Among the species dependent upon this type of habitat are Northern Bobwhite Quail, a variety of song- birds, Eastern Fox Squirrels and the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker; • Te densest populations of Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, and Turkey, and the highest density of nesting birds in the state. Most of our 32 Black Bear sanctuaries are on game lands; • A system of foating waterfowl blinds, 19 public hunting blinds for disabled sportsmen, 32 public boating access areas, 33 public fshing areas, 6 wildlife observation platforms, and 4 public WRC shooting ranges with plans to build and manage more as opportuni- ties occur; and
• Some of the fnest examples of multiple conservation collaborations in the country.
NCFS manages the 10,400-acre DuPont State Recreational Forest in Henderson and Transylvania Counties. Tis forest also is found in the NCWRC game lands program. NCFS operates a system of six Educational State Forests (ESFs) designed to teach the public— especially school children—about forest environments. In some cases, forest restoration projects are used to promote the importance of the state’s unique natural communities. For example, the Clemmons ESF (Johnston County) is restoring the original Longleaf Pine stands, which will eventually cover as much as 400 acres of the forest and beneft many species that rely on this type of habitat. Turnbull Creek (Bladen County) is located amongst natural Carolina bays and natural Longleaf Pine savannah habitat is being restored on the site. North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR), a part of NCDENR, works to conserve and protect representative examples of the natural beauty, ecological features, and recreational resources of statewide signifcance; to provide outdoor recreational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment; and to provide environmental education opportunities that promote stewardship of the state’s natural heritage. Numerous state parks are notable for their natural resources:
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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