Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
6.9 Other Statewide Conservation Partners and Initiatives North Carolina is home to several esteemed university and research colleges that are important partners in accomplishing the conservation goals outlined in this Plan. Research projects often involve partnerships with universities and organizations located outside the state. Some of the notable partnerships and initiatives are outlined in the following sections. 6.9.1 Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) is a cooperative effort jointly sponsored by NCDNCR and USEPA, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The mission of the APNEP is to identify, protect, and restore the significant resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. The APNEP pursues this mission with guidance and support from its overarching Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) (APNEP 2025) , advisory bodies, and regional partners. The program area extends across most of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, including the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Roanoke, Chowan, lower Roanoke, and parts of the White Oak River basins. In collaboration with partners, the APNEP supports implementation of the CCMP, which has a 10-year planning horizon, through development and implementation of annual work plans. The APNEP also supports several important initiatives, including a brownwater rivers floodplain inventory conducted in cooperation with the NCNHP; the Defense Coastal and Estuarine Research Program conducted in cooperation with the DOD; peatland restoration projects with TNC and the North Carolina Coastal Federation; and the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) partnership that operates under a Memorandum of Agreement between numerous federal and state agencies, universities, and conservation organizations. The NCWRC and APNEP partner in a statewide SAV signage program. Where appropriate, priority actions outlined in the CCMP have been incorporated into the relative conservation recommendations in the Chapter 4 description of estuarine and coastal wetland communities (see Sections 4.2 and 4.3). Additional information about the APNEP is available from its website www.apnep.org. 6.9.2 Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) is one of 18 habitat joint-venture partnerships in the United States. It comprises state and federal government agencies, NGOs, universities, and industries that work together to prioritize and coordinate bird conservation activities using an adaptive management framework that builds upon the best available science. The AMJV is a self-directed partnership governed by a management board representing its partners, with the NCWRC having a seat on the board. Key partners to the AMJV in North Carolina include the NCWRC, USFS, USFWS, NRCS, NPS, Audubon NC, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
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2025 NC Wildlife Resources Commission
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