Chapter 1 Introduction
1.3.1 Revision Approach and Methods This version of NC’s SWAP is the result of the collaborative efforts of many federal and state agencies, local organizations, and citizens working on the revision. Similar to the process for developing previous SWAPs and Addendums, early efforts in the process were spent on planning and organization activities, including the development of committees, review of literature and guidance documents, review and revision of the species evaluation and prioritization process, and investigation of technical publication resources. Appendix 1-2 provides a copy of the USFWS letter acknowledging the NCWRC’s intent to comprehensively review and revise the SWAP. AFWA staff and Southeastern AFWA (SEAFWA) member state volunteers and work groups developed best practice recommendations for state fish and wildlife agencies to use in revising and implementing their SWAPs. • The publication Best Practices for State Wildlife Action Plans (Best Practice Guide) was first distributed to the states in late 2012 and subsequently updated in 2022 (AFWA 2022) . The guidance is intended to increase plan standardization, and enhance plan effectiveness with respect to prioritization, conservation delivery, and collaboration with partners and other states.
• Additional guidance has been published to assist states with developing digital versions of their revised plans, incorporating climate adaptation measures, and adding plants as
SGCN. These documents are available online at the AFWA website https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-informs/state-wildlife-action-plans.
To the extent possible, the NCWRC has incorporated most of these best practices, including use of ranking procedures to characterize risk and assess the conservation status and need of the state's wildlife species; utilizing spatial analysis tools to identify and map areas that offer the best opportunities for conservation of species and habitats and providing GIS data that support these recommendations; and adopting standard language and classification hierarchies in describing threats and discussing conservation actions (AFWA 2012, 2022) . Numerous federal and state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental and conservation organizations, colleges and universities, businesses, and private citizens have participated in developing and implementing NC’s SWAP. A list of key participants and letters of support for the SWAP is in Appendix 1-3. 1.3.2 Report Organization and Format North Carolina’s SWAP not only fulfills the requirements set forth by Congress, but it also serves as a practical and essential resource for planning and implementing future fish and wildlife conservation statewide. The entire SWAP document has been comprehensively reviewed for
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
1 - 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator