Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
• Prioritize infrastructure designs—such as bridges and culverts—that enhance ecological connectivity and increase resilience to flooding. Wildlife-friendly and flood-adaptive structures contribute to both environmental health and climate adaptation goals. • Ensure that Best Management Practices (BMPs) are robust enough to protect aquatic habitats and water quality. • Encourage adoption of BMPs by landowners by demonstrating benefits and linking use with eligibility to other landowner assistance programs. • Implement NCWRC recommendations to minimize cumulative and secondary impacts during initial site design and environmental review process (NCWRC (2002, 2012) . • Encourage local government ordinances to streamline the environmental review process through reduction of development impacts. • Support the EPA’s Low Impact Development approaches (US EPA 2002) . • Use the Green Growth Toolbox Program to encourage higher-density development within existing urban boundaries and around existing infrastructure; discouraged development on urban fringes and in high-diversity or ecologically sensitive areas. • Work with home builders and developers to adopt voluntary conservation guidelines; promote the principles of “conservation design” outlined in the Green Growth Toolbox and Wildlife Friendly Development Certification programs. 6.3.5.1.4 Rules and Regulations Coordinate with partners to develop policies and programs that address the presence and movement of nonnative and exotic invasive species. Work with local municipalities (commissions, planning boards, and other government entities) to promote ordinances that protect natural resources and improve water quality. • Continue coordination with regulatory agencies that enforce wetlands regulations, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Endangered Species Act. • Support and encourage public comments to local officials or commissioners to voice their opinions on natural resources issues. 6.3.6 Partnerships and Cooperative Efforts Partnerships and cooperative efforts among natural resource agencies, organizations, academia, private industry, and landowners that focus on common goals and objectives are key to reducing redundant efforts. These partnerships provide the basis for programs and projects that implement species, habitat, and ecosystem conservation and provide public recreation opportunities, preserve open space, protect water quality, and buffer military activities. • Address habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collisions by working cooperatively with the NCDOT to implement measures outlined in the Wildlife Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2023 by the NCWRC and NCDOT. Through this MOU, wildlife mitigation measures will be part of long-range and early
6 - 31
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator