Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
• Lake Waccamaw State Park in the Coastal Plain ecoregion features one of the largest natural Carolina bays in the state, and it is home to several unique plants and animals— some of which exist only at this location. 6.3.3.2 Federally Owned Public Lands The USFWS manages the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats. Managing these habitats is a complex process of controlling or eradicating invasive species, using fire in a prescribed manner, assuring adequate water resources, and assessing external threats such as development or contamination. National wildlife refuges are home to more than 380 of the nation’s 1,311 endangered or threatened species. So far, 11 of those species have been removed from the list due to their recovery, and conservation efforts have resulted in 17 others being downlisted from endangered to threatened status. More than 500 listed species are now stable or improving. Fifty-nine national wildlife refuges have been created specifically to help imperiled species. North Carolina has 11 national wildlife refuges, including one of the newest, Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge. The USFS manages public lands in national forests and grasslands. North Carolina falls within the Southern Region of the Forest Service (Region 8). There are four National Forests in North Carolina: Croatan, Uwharrie, Nantahala, and Pisgah. Each has its own Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP), a document that provides direction for the future management of the forest and its resources. Information is available on the USFS website https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land. Information about National Forests in North Carolina can be found online https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina. The National Park Service (NPS) manages several public lands scattered across the state. Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout national seashores protect more coastal acreage, including beaches, maritime grasslands, and maritime forests, than do any other managed areas in the state. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway protect several hundred thousand acres of mature forests in the Mountain ecoregion, including some of the best examples of Spruce-Fir forests. Information about NPS locations in North Carolina is available online at https://www.nps.gov/state/nc/index.htm. 6.3.3.3 Municipal Parks and Open Space The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan suggests a link between access to open space and the overall mental and physical health of nearby residents (NCDPR 2015) . Many city and county parks in North Carolina have been developed with human recreation as the top priority, but opportunities also exist to improve habitat management and wildlife-related recreation and education on these public lands. An urban wildlife program can serve to maximize biodiversity within urban areas, build critical public support for conservation efforts, and assist in guiding development pressures to help ensure the conservation of species and habitats in presently
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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