Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
Additionally, though they may survive in captive populations, 61 taxa are presumed extinct or extirpated from the wild (Jelks et al.2008) . Habitat degradation and restricted range appear to be the primary factors associated with imperilment of North American fishes. The National Park Service (NPS) assessed the status of freshwater fish biodiversity in the southeastern United States (Long et al. 2012) . The NPS assessment used fish assemblage data for noncoastal park system locations (Long et al. 2012) and included four NPS sites in North Carolina: Blue Ridge Parkway, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Many of the same species identified by AFS (Jelks et al. 2008) as imperiled have been found within these sites. Human disturbance, especially urbanization, was noted to have the most important impact on freshwater fish in the park units. Linear park units such as the Blue Ridge Parkway have numerous nonnative species that represent a high threat to native species (Long et al. 2012) . In western North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI or Cherokee) have managed fisheries in the southern Appalachians for thousands of years. Fish species within Cherokee ancestral watersheds hold cultural, ecological, and economic value. Traditional practices, such as the construction of stone fishing weirs, supported subsistence harvest while allowing for long-term population monitoring across river systems. The Cherokee worldview, which names rivers the Ganvhidv Asgaya / ᎦᏅᎯᏗ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ or “Long Man,” reflects a foundational understanding of watershed function with the importance of clean, flowing, and connected aquatic systems. The Cherokee, in partnership with the USFWS, formally began fisheries management in 1964 with the creation of a recreational trout fishery program. This initiative marked the beginning of tribal governance in fisheries conservation. Since then, EBCI efforts have expanded to include native species recovery, aquatic habitat management, and long-term biodiversity monitoring. Current work builds on traditional knowledge and scientific methods to conserve fish populations in Cherokee managed lands. These efforts occur within a network of over 180 miles of EBCI-managed streams and rivers. Conservation recommendations for the associated habitats have been incorporated into the natural community descriptions in Chapter 4. Additional recommendations for aquatic habitats can be found in the river basin descriptions (Section 4.5). The following paragraphs provide information about species identified by the Freshwater Fish Taxa Team as SGCN or a priority species for research or management, and for which work has been conducted to implement conservation and management recommendations. 3.5.2 Comparison of 2015 and 2025 Priority Species The 2025 Freshwater Fish Taxa Team evaluated 226 species for conservation concern, knowledge gaps, and management concern priorities. The following table provides a comparison of changes to the number of SGCN and priority species between the 2015 SWAP,
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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