6.4 Federal Conservation Partners
6.4.4 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Te NRCS is an agency within USDA that provides assistance to land users for developing and implementing conservation plans on their lands. To complete its mission, NRCS ofers a variety of programs aimed at species and habitat conservation, including the Longleaf Pine Initiative and Farm Bill programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and Conservation Reserve Program, among others (NRCS 2013) . Te National Resources Inventory (NRI), a nationwide survey conducted annually by NRCS, is the federal government’s principal source of information on the status, condition, and trends of soil, water, and related resources in the United States. Te NRCS conservation priorities in North Carolina are highlighted below and information about programs and resources that support these priorities are described in Appendix L (page 1232). • Provide leadership in a partnership efort to conserve, maintain, and improve our natu- ral resources and environment.
• Provide conservation planning and technical consultation about natural resource management.
• Support conservation implementation through installation of conservation practices and systems that meet established technical standards and specifcations. • Conduct natural resource inventories and assessments by collecting, analyzing, and providing natural resource data. • Develop and distribute a wide array of technology pertaining to resource assessment, conservation planning, and conservation system installation and evaluation.
• Provide fnancial assistance to encourage the adoption of benefcial land-treatment practices that conserve and protect our nation’s valuable natural resources.
6.4.5 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Te National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries unit (formerly known as the National Marine Fisheries Service) is the federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the management, conservation, and protection of living marine resources within the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone (waters 3 to 200 miles ofshore). North Carolina is part of the Southeast Region, which operates a research lab in Beaufort.
NOAA Fisheries works to promote sustainable fsheries and to prevent lost economic potential associated with overfshing, declining species, and degraded habitats. NOAA
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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