Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
Conservation Agreements is on the USFWS website https://www.fws.gov/service/candidate- conservation-agreements.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is an independent collaboration of individuals and organizations that work together to improve forest management and promote responsible fiber sourcing. Certification of sustainable forest management can provide a tangible incentive to timber companies to improve their natural resource management practices. https://forests.org/buy-sfi. Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) – Timber investments occupy a considerable landmass in our state. Conservation ethics should be integrated into the decision- making process of the parent financial organizations through working with TIMOs, or other appropriate contracting organizations, to influence TIMO land management practices to include considerations for wildlife and habitats. Information about this type of investment is available online https://forestry.com/economic-impact/investment-opportunities/timber-investments- guide. 6.3.3 Public Land Stewardship Public lands include state and federal lands as well as municipal and local government parks and open space. Maintaining natural public lands and natural open space within urban areas will help make cities more livable and may reduce the pressure to develop rural farms and woodlands. There is overwhelming public endorsement of conserving the land along with documentation of associated economic benefits. According to the outdoor recreation industry, more than $3.3 billion is spent annually on wildlife-related recreation in our state. There is a continuing need to protect corridors between conservation lands to provide sufficient connectivity that facilitates species movement and gene flow across the landscape. It is critical to provide corridors and protect connections in urban areas, especially in the Piedmont ecoregion where development and urbanized areas continue to expand. 6.3.3.1 State-owned Public Lands North Carolina has more acreage of managed game lands than all states east of the Mississippi, with the exception of Florida and Michigan, both of which include lake and ocean frontage as managed land. Through cooperative agreements with federal and state agencies and private landowners, the NCWRC manages over 2 million acres of land for conservation of fish and wildlife species and broad expanses of public recreational opportunities, especially public hunting, trapping, and fishing opportunities. Information about game lands managed by the NCWRC is available online at https://www.ncwildlife.gov/wildlife-habitat/conservation- restoration-programs/game-lands-program,
NCWRC land conservation objectives include expanding existing game lands to connect them better with other wildlife conservation areas. This will improve connectivity of priority habitats
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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