Public Input Requested for Draft Species Conservation Plans

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 6, 2022) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking public input on two draft Species Conservation Plans until May 5.

The plans will guide agency efforts to maintain and increase populations of two species that are declining in North Carolina and need additional conservation help to survive. Each plan presents biological information, causes of decline, conservation goals and potential conservation actions.

The two draft conservation plans are:

• Atlantic Pigtoe, an imperiled mussel dependent on clean, free-flowing water found in streams and rivers of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
• Henslow’s Sparrow, a small songbird that depends on grassland habitat during its nesting season in North Carolina, and state-listed as Endangered.

After collecting and considering all public comments, Wildlife Commission staff will present the draft plans to Commissioners for their approval at their July 2022 business meeting. Once the plans are approved, the Wildlife Commission and partners will use them as blueprints for conservation of the species.

Read the plans and provide input at ncwildlife.org/draftplan.