Chapter 2 The Need for Conservation
Appendix 2-4
In exchange for actions that contribute to the recovery of listed species on nonfederal lands, participating property owners receive formal assurances from USFWS that if they fulfill the conditions of the SHA and/or CCAA, the Service will not require any additional or different management activities by the participants without their consent. Central to this approach is that the actions taken under these agreements will provide a net conservation benefit that contributes to the recovery of the species included in the agreement. The contribution toward recovery will vary from case to case, and the agreements do not have to provide permanent conservation for the enrolled property. The benefit to the species depends on the nature of the activities to be undertaken, where they are undertaken, and their duration. Associated documents will include a description of the expected net conservation benefit(s) and how the Service reached that conclusion. Property owners can partner with NCWRC if their property is located within a targeted area and if waters on or adjacent to the property have habitat that will support the species being reintroduced. Participating landowners can enroll their property through a Property Owner Management Agreement (POMA) in which they agree to allow NCWRC and USFWS staff access to conduct stocking and monitoring activities, to not harm the species except incidental to otherwise lawful activities, and to provide notice 60 days in advance of altering the habitat. Property owners will not be required to fulfill any additional or different management activities without consent. Landowners can agree to additional land management activities on their property that would benefit the species. Once the POMA is signed, the property is enrolled into the Programmatic SHA/CCAA through a signed Certificate of Inclusion (COI) that extends the assurance to the property owner. North Carolina joins Kansas as the only two states enrolled in a Programmatic SHA and CCAA for aquatic species. Because many aquatic species listed under the Endangered Species Act occur in waters on or adjacent to property owned by private individuals and non-federal partners, involving landowners in the species conservation and recovery is critical.
Since the Fall of 2023, in partnerships with Conservation Fisheries, Inc, Piedmont Land Conservancy (https://www.piedmontland.org/) and Mayo River State Park (https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/mayo-river- state-park), the NCWRC has released 394 Roanoke Logperch into the upper Mayo River via the Safe Harbor Agreement
(https://www.ncwildlife.org/wildlife- habitat/conservation-restoration- programs/restoring-aquatic-species-north-carolina). In 2025, and annually through 2030, more Roanoke Logperch stockings are planned for the Mayo River, furthering the recovery of this rare fish. Roanoke Logperch (NCWRC)
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
11 of 20
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator