6.5 State Conservation Partners
completed and then approved in late 2004 and 2010, respectively, and will continue to be updated in fve-year cycles. NCWRC voluntarily joined as a participating commission in 2006 due to common issues regarding migrating fsh species that utilize both coastal and inland waters. Key programs and resources that support conservation priorities are described throughout this Plan and are summarized in Appendix M (page 1250). 6.5.5 NC Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM) NCDCM works to protect, conserve, and manage North Carolina’s coastal resources through an integrated program of planning, permitting, education, and research. North Carolina’s coastal zone includes 20 coastal counties that in whole or in part are adjacent to, adjoining, intersected, or bounded by the Atlantic Ocean or any coastal sound. NCDCM carries out the state’s Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), the Dredge and Fill Law, and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 in the 20 coastal counties using rules and policies established by the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC). NCDCM is home to the NC Coastal Reserve (NCCR) and NC National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR), a network of 10 protected sites established for long-term research, education, and stewardship. NCCR and NCNERR together protect more than 42,000 acres of estuarine land and water, which provide essential habitat for wildlife, ofer educational opportunities, and serve as living laboratories for scientists. While NCDCM is part of NCDENR, it also receives oversight and part of its funding from the Ofce for Coastal Management, part of NOAA. Additionally, NOAA administers the Federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) that ofers coastal states cost sharing for land conservation eforts, with the funds provided through an annual competitive process among eligible states. Te NC Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Plan provides an assessment of priority conservation needs and guidance for nominating and selecting land conservation projects. North Carolina received $3 million in federal CELCP funding to purchase 6,500 acres of land in Gates County, which has been added to the Chowan Swamp Game Land. NCDCM is responsible for several programs, including permitting and enforcement, CAMA land-use planning, public beach and waterfront access, North Carolina Coastal Reserves, and Clean Marinas and Pump-out grants program. Staf of NCDCM also collect and analyze data for oceanfront erosion rates and recently completed an inventory of the state’s entire estuarine shoreline.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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