Chapter 4 Habitats
4.2.14.6.4 Management Practices Management practices that reduce impacts and work synergistically with other conservation actions are needed to enhance the resilience of natural resources. Particular needs include preserving biodiversity, protecting native populations and their habitats, and improving degraded habitats.
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Planning and locating wastewater treatment facilities to areas above sea level will minimize or eliminate risks (APNEP 2012) .
• Restore areas capable of supporting SAVs. This will require study of effective restoration techniques, bathymetric mapping, water quality monitoring, and other efforts (APNEP 2012) .
• Develop and refine ecological flow requirements for each major river (APNEP 2012) that drains to estuarine waters.
• Reduce potential water pollution by protecting critical buffer areas of upstream drainages, sound planning, adopting low impact development (LID) criteria, and other best practices.
• Establish contaminant management strategies for waters not meeting water quality standards. Strategies that address pathogens, toxics, and nutrients are needed, not just the traditional total maximum daily load (TMDL) plans, which primarily manage industrial point sources and municipal stormwater (APNEP 2012) .
• Where practical, restore marsh habitat by filling drainage ditches and install tide gates in agricultural fields so that sea water does not flow inland through them (DeWan et al. 2010) .
• Consider closing fisheries for declining species during the spawning season.
4.2.14.6.5 Conservation Programs and Partnerships Conservation programs, incentives, and partnerships should be used to the greatest extent possible to preserve high-quality resources and protect important natural communities. Protective measures that use existing regulatory frameworks to protect habitats and species should be incorporated where applicable. Land conservation or preservation can serve
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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