Chapter 2 The Need for Conservation
Appendix 2-4
Success Story 4 — How Conservation Actions Help Protect Species
Programmatic Safe Harbor and Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for 21 Aquatic Species
North Carolina is home to over 150 aquatic Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). As the name implies, these species are prioritized for conservation based on expert review of each species’ biological vulnerability, at-risk status, and listing for protection. Because of the imperilment of these species, many of them hold both federal and state protection status. Staff with NCWRC use a variety of management tools to help conserve and restore priority species. One method is to use species reintroductions.
Reintroduction of an aquatic species requires restoring the species to an area where it historically occurred but is no longer found. NCWRC staff often partner with property owners to gain access to the waters on or adjacent to their property while working to reintroduce species. In November 2022, NCWRC and the USFWS entered into a Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) and a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for 21 aquatic species in North Carolina. The landmark 50-year agreement allows NCWRC to reintroduce species listed and species proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act back into targeted historical locations while working with private and non-federal property owners.
Propagated Roanoke Logperch release (TR Russ NCWRC)
The SHA is a voluntary agreement involving private or other non-federal property owners whose actions contribute to the recovery of species listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA. The agreement is between cooperating non-federal property owners and the USFWS. The CCAA is a formal, voluntary agreement between the Service and one or more parties to address the conservation needs of species that are candidates for ESA protection or species that are candidates for future listing. A CCAA provides participating property owners with a permit containing assurances that if they engage in certain conservation actions for species included in the agreement, they will not be required to implement additional conservation measures beyond those in the CCAA. Participants voluntarily commit to implement specific actions designed to remove or reduce threats to the covered species. The degree of detail in CCAAs can vary widely, and if the species is subsequently listed for ESA protection, additional land, water, or resource use limitations will not be imposed on the landowner.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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