Chapter 4 Habitats
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Continue working with the US Army Corps of Engineers and others to direct dredged material or conduct other management actions to refurbish waterbird nesting islands.
• Protect, restore, and facilitate the migration of salt marshes in North Carolina to minimize loss of function, benefits, add acreage through 2050 and beyond (NCCF 2024) .
• Maintain and promote adequate and larger setbacks and vegetated buffers (greater than 30 feet) for development from marshes for more protective riparian waterfront areas and marsh migration corridors (NCCF 2024) .
• Maintain contiguous freshwater wetlands adjacent to marshes to maintain overall hydrology, storm protection, and future marsh migration areas through restoration and strategic land acquisition (NCCF 2024) .
• Prevent and manage invasive species from encroaching on marsh areas by focusing on early detection, prompt removal, and using inventories and maps to prioritize problem areas where marshes are being degraded by invasive species (NCCF 2024) .
• Where practical, remove and/or retrofit barriers, such as bulkheads, roads, and undersized or failing culverts to enhance habitat connectivity, increase natural water flows, and restore sediment delivery to salt marsh habitat.
4.3.3.6.5 Conservation Programs and Partnerships Conservation programs, incentives, and partnerships should be used to the fullest extent 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 numerous purposes in the face of anticipated climate change, but above all, it promotes ecosystem resilience.
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Continue outreach and education to support use of living shorelines (NCDEQ 2021) .
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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