Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
Appendix 3
Reference Document 3-2 White Paper North Carolina Protected Plant Species Evaluation Methodology
Lesley Starke, NC Plant Conservation Program Misty Buchanan, NC Natural Heritage Program
The North Carolina Plant Conservation Board (PCP Board) is tasked with listing endangered, threatened, and special concern species of plants under the authority of the North Carolina Plant Protection and Conservation Act of 1979. The PCP Board directs their appointed Scientific Committee to assess the rare native plants of North Carolina to determine which species warrant listing, and in what category. In 2007 2008, the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program (PCP) and North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NHP) launched a comprehensive review of North Carolina's rare plants with the goal of identifying and assessing rarity, threats, and trends associated with all the vascular and non vascular plant taxa tracked by the NHP. The results of this assessment were used by the PCP Scientific Committee during their 2008 review of the North Carolina Protected Plant Species List to determine which species warrant listing and to create a list that is scientifically defensible, consistent, and intuitive. Following the update to the evaluation methodology in 2008 2009, the Scientific Committee and PCP Board set an intention to update the North Carolina Protected Plant Species List every five years to account for new data records, changes in taxonomy, and increased knowledge of emerging trends and threats. In 2008 2009, PCP staff held meetings with the Scientific Committee and botanists around the state to review criteria and assess rarity, threats, and trends for 900 plant taxa tracked by NHP. Botanists who contributed to these assessments were associated with NHP and PCP as well as US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, NC Botanical Garden, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina State University Herbarium (NCSC), Appalachian State University Herbarium (BOON), and private botanists and consultants. A final proposed list was published in the state register for a 60 day public comment period to allow for additional public input. After addressing all comments, a significantly updated North Carolina Protected Plant Species List was published December 1, 2010. Historically in North Carolina, protected plant lists have emphasized rarity as the primary factor determining extinction risk, while the current assessment methodology recognizes rarity as one of three factors (rarity, trends, and threats). The criteria for this assessment were modified from guidelines developed by NatureServe (Master et al. 2003) and the World Conservation Union {IUCN)
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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