Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
• Incorporate forest habitat management that benefits priority wildlife species in Forest Stewardship Plans.
• Ensure that partners implementing the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) have access to up-to-date data and maps of priority riparian and wildlife conservation areas.
• Use agriculture cost-share programs to target protection of priority watersheds. See Chapter 4 Habitats, Section 4.5 River Basins for maps of priority watersheds.
• Assist conservation partners (including land trusts) with purchasing or acquiring easements on land with priority habitats. Rural land around urbanizing areas is a critical priority. • Develop large-scale incentive programs designed to improve wildlife stewardship by corporate landowners. Include measures that support prescribed burning on private and corporate timber lands. 6.3.2.2 Incentives and Programs Cost-share and tax incentive programs can reduce tax rates and the cost of establishing new conservation practices for private landowners, thereby encouraging them to implement better habitat and natural resource management on their lands. Examples that can benefit private landowners include the following North Carolina and federal agency programs. The Wildlife Land Conservation Program (WLCP) is a NCWRC program that allows private landowners who have owned their property for at least five years and want to manage for protected wildlife species or priority wildlife habitats to apply for a reduced property tax assessment. A site visit by the NCWRC is made to verify that the landowner has at least 20 acres of defined priority wildlife habitat. The legal framework for the program can be found in NC G.S. Section 105-277.15. These lands are assessed by the county in which they are located at a reduced value, and landowners participating in the WCLP can apply to their county tax office for a property tax deferment. Other present-use tax reduction programs exist in North Carolina for private lands actively managed for forestry or agriculture; however, benefits cannot be combined from multiple programs. More information is available online at https://www.ncwildlife.gov/wildlife-habitat/private-lands-management/wildlife-conservation- land-program. The NC Forest Service (NCFS) offers forest and tree conservation technical assistance and incentives for landowners. A forest management plan approved by a representative of the NCFS is required. NCFS foresters also use all the forestry programs and incentives outlined in this chapter. There are different qualification standards for different forest types.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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