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RALEIGH, N.C. (July 25, 2006) – Site selection for the Coastal Plain component of the N.C. Birding Trail was recently completed. A total of 102 sites east of I-95 have been approved for the Trail. The N.C. Birding Trail will be a network of bird watching sites across North Carolina linked by highways and marketed as a single entity. It will connect birders with local communities, businesses and other cultural and educational attractions, increasing nature-based tourism and boosting local economies.
“Birding trails have been successful in more than 40 states, generating ecotourism dollars and providing financial incentives to protect vanishing habitats,” said Salinda Daley, N.C. Birding Trail coordinator with N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “The N.C. Birding Trail will provide a marketable resource to attract nature-based travelers to the state and will extend the traditional tourist season, particularly during the spring and fall bird migration period.” North Carolina has long been known for its tremendous birding opportunities. The Birding Trail sites are composed of federal, state, local government and private lands. They offer chances to see some of North Carolina’s most remarkable birds such as the painted bunting, cerulean warbler, wood stork and flocks of thousands of snow geese. The Commission, along with U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the N.C.
Cooperative Extension Service, N.C.
Sea Grant, Audubon
NC and N.C.
State Parks, is working cooperatively to develop the Trail. The
Piedmont and Mountain regions will see trail development in 2007 and
2008. The nomination process for the Piedmont region, which includes
areas east of I-77 and west of I-95, will open later this year. The N.C. Birding Trail initiative has also recently published its first promotional brochure, which includes a list of North Carolina bird species and birder calling cards. “We encourage birders to leave these cards at vendors and businesses they visit along the Trail to identify themselves as a niche market,” Daley said. Reformatted versions of the brochure and the calling cards are available for download from the N.C. Birding Trail Web site. “We’re really pleased with the progress we’ve been making on this project,” Daley said. “We’re eager to hear back from people who are starting to use these resources to bird watch along the Trail.” For more information about the North Carolina Birding Trail, log onto www.ncbirdingtrail.org, or e-mail info@ncbirdingtrail.org.
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