Chapter 1 Introduction
The Office of Conservation Investment, which is part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), administers the SWG program and apportions funds each year to state wildlife agencies. To be eligible for the matching funds, states and territories are required to work collaboratively with partners, stakeholders, and individuals to develop a State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) that identifies and prioritizes conservation actions. 1.2 State Wildlife Grants Eligibility and Requirements Each SWAP must address Eight Required Elements designated by the USFWS as minimum requirements included in the Plan (Appendix 1-1). A comprehensive review and revision of the SWAP is required at 10-year intervals. North Carolina’s first SWAP, which was developed to provide a foundation for state and federal agencies and other conservation partners to think strategically about their individual roles and coordinate prioritizing conservation efforts, was reviewed and approved by USFWS in 2005. Details about the development of North Carolina’s SWAP are available on the internet (www.ncwildlife.gov/plan). The NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC or Commission) is responsible for managing the SWG program and leads statewide efforts to develop and implement the conservation priorities included in the SWAP.
Non-federal funds are required to match the federal SWG and are generated through several opportunities:
• North Carolina State Tax Checkoff for Nongame and Endangered Wildlife • Wildlife Diversity Endowment Fund donations (https://www.ncwildlife.gov/donate) • Purchases of the wildlife conservation special license plate from NC Department of Motor Vehicles (https://payments.ncdot.gov) • License funds from the sales of hunting and fishing licenses • State budget allocations • In-kind contributions produced by the efforts of volunteers and state and local partners 1.3 From 2015 to 2025—Revision of North Carolina’s Wildlife Action Plan To fulfill the 10-year SWAP revision mandate, North Carolina will complete and submit the revision to the USFWS no later than the end of September 2025. To accomplish the revision of this Plan, NCWRC staff worked with numerous federal, state, and local partners, stakeholders, and individuals to complete the review process that began in 2022. Interim updates from two addendums to the 2015 SWAP were published in 2020 and 2022 and have also been incorporated into this 2025 SWAP.
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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