Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
NCWRC Resilience Strategy
Habitat Conservation staff are coordinating the update of the agency’s third iteration of a NCWRC Climate Resilience Strategy. The strategy represents a cross-collaborative planning effort between Engineering Services, Inland Fisheries, Habitat Conservation, Helene Restoration Division, Information Technology, Land and Water Access, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Education, Conser- vation Policy and Analysis, Communications, Marketing, and Digital Engagement, and Law Enforcement. The Office of Conserva- tion Policy and Analysis is hosting an intern to help develop, disseminate, and analyze a survey to engage field staff in agency resiliency work.
Beach Nourishment Activities
Several beach nourishment, beneficial-use placement, and sandbag installation proj- ects occurred during shorebird and sea turtle nesting seasons this year. Beneficial placement of material from several USACE navigation projects extended into the early weeks of May. Sandbag installations on Ocean Isle Beach and Figure 8 received vari- ances from the CRC and were also constructed during nesting season after consulta- tion with USFWS and NCWRC. Nags Head, Avon, and Buxton also have and are continuing to nourish beaches this summer with material from offshore borrow sources. Additional monitoring and coordination were required for all these projects due to the species and habitat impacts during nesting seasons. Complications included continued site disturbance, noncompatible material placement (color, composition and compaction), escarpment formation, and impervious structure installation. These projects each required extensive staff coordination and resources. Aquatic Organism Passage/Culvert Assessment Work continued on the NFWF Coastal Resiliency Grant to assess culverts in the North Carolina Coastal Plain with a focus on passage for river herring. During the quarter, about 360 assessments were completed. This was a new quarterly high for the AOP team, despite the extensive travel to coastal North Carolina. All assessments of culverts that were also sampled for river herring eDNA in spring 2025 and spring 2026 were completed. This allows us to understand if the SARP survey is accurately capturing culvert passability at a site by comparing the SARP results to the eDNA concentrations upstream and downstream of a culvert.
In early May, Hutch Hutchinson was hired as the Land Conservation intern and spent 16 days in the field assisting with SARP surveys. Hutch completed a variety of other tasks during his internship period. These included but were not limited to breeding bird surveys, bee surveys, butterfly surveys, prescribed burns, and completing a literature review for the Green Growth Toolbox, a technical assistance tool designed to help communities conserve high-quality habitat during development. Hutch concludes his internship until the end of July.
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