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Wildlife Commission seeks public comment for draft 2025 Wildlife Act...
JUNE 5, 2025
NEWS
Wildlife Commission seeks public comment for draft 2025 Wildlife Action Plan
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission invites the public to review and comment on its 2025 draft of the North Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan. The Plan identi es sh, wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), as well as research and management priorities for other species. It describes 40 types of aquatic, wetland and terrestrial natural communities that provide habitats important to SGCN and other priority species. “This comprehensive Plan is meant to chart a course for conservation actions with detailed priorities to protect and conserve species and habitats,” said Habitat Conservation Director Shannon Deaton. “It captures the threats and impacts being faced today and for the next 10 years. We have bene tted tremendously from our partners, and we want to hear perspectives from residents and academia too. What are their concerns, suggestions and desires for wildlife and habitats, whether related to development, protected areas, research interests and needs and how they can participate, from a broad or localized level. People can pick and choose chapters they wish to provide feedback on, or they can provide input to all of it. This draft provides an opportunity for everyone to contribute to this important conservation blueprint. N.C. citizens should be able to visualize themselves participating in the implementation of the plan.” The plan provides a roadmap to keep common species common and prevent the need to list a species for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Spotlights on species and habitats are captured in Chapter 3-Species and Chapter 4-Habitats. “We have several successful projects that came directly from implementing priorities identi ed in SWAP, such as the downlisting by USFWS of wood stork (Mycteria americana) from endangered to threatened and the subsequent 2023 proposal by USFWS to remove the wood stork from federal protection due to recovery of the species,” said Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator Cindy Simpson.
https://www.wakeweekly.com/news/wildlife-commission-seeks-public-comment-for-draft-2025-wildlife-action-plan-827a93d0
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