Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
valuable data on stream flow (discharge, water height, depth to water level, water temperature). Information is online https://www.usgs.gov/centers/sawsc/about.
• The NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly sponsored by the USGS, NCWRC, NC State University, and the Wildlife Management Institute. The Cooperative Unit focuses on the identification, assessment, interpretation, and alleviation of the effects of current or potential environmental changes or perturbations on fish and wildlife resources. Information about the unit is available online https://cals.ncsu.edu/applied-ecology/programs-centers/fish-wildlife-research-unit. 6.4.8 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Wilmington District As the nation’s environmental engineer, the USACE (or Corps) manages one of the largest federal environmental missions: restoring degraded ecosystems; constructing sustainable facilities; regulating waterways; managing natural resources; and cleaning contaminated sites affected by past military activities. There are two main federal laws that grant the Corps with the authority to regulate the nation’s waterways: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/overview-clean-water-act-section-404) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/section-10-rivers-and-harbors- appropriation-act-1899). The Wilmington District (https://www.saw.usace.army.mil) is responsible for two deepwater ports and more than 300 miles of federal navigation projects along the Atlantic coast stretching from Norfolk, Virginia, to Little River, South Carolina; coastal storm damage reduction; water management and multi-purpose reservoirs; Section 404 and Section 10 regulatory permit programs for waters and wetlands in North Carolina; and ecosystem restoration programs, as well as other responsibilities. Materials from dredging projects are used to create and maintain dredge spoil islands that provide nesting and roosting habitat for shorebirds. Examples include South Pelican, Ferry Slip, Goat, and Bird islands. The Wilmington District has four field offices (Wilmington, Washington, Raleigh, Asheville) and several district lake and dam facility offices located around the state. The USACE works in partnership with other federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and academic institutions to find innovative solutions to challenges such as sustainability, climate change, endangered species, environmental cleanup, ecosystem restoration, and more. The mission of the USACE is to deliver vital public and military engineering services, partner in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters. Environmental Operating Principles were developed to ensure that the Corps’ missions include totally integrated sustainable environmental practices and provide corporate direction to ensure responsibility for sustainable use, stewardship, and restoration of natural resources across the nation and through the international reach of its support missions.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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