State Wildlife
Grant funds that have been provided to date have allowed us to:
- Initiate
a North Carolina chapter of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation (PARC), a national initiative that promotes innovative
cooperation among state and federal agencies, corporations,
academic institutions, environmental education groups, land
trusts and conservation organizations, the pet trade industry,
and the private sector to promote conservation of reptiles
and amphibians and their habitats;
- Develop
field research projects to begin inventorying the herpetofauna
on state-owned and managed Game Lands, and partner with local
universities to a) investigate minimum habitat requirements
of native snake species in the upper coastal plain and sandhills
regions, and b) determine impacts of commercial harvest on
freshwater turtle populations in the state to better understand
possibilities for sustainable harvest in the future.
- Develop
a data management system that will allow us to track population
changes, assess management effectiveness, and identify important
habitats.
- Conduct
population survey projects on cryptic small mammals, salamanders,
and bog turtles.
- Organize
and focus the efforts of numerous organizations interested
in developing livable cities that minimize environmental impacts.
A partnership will be created to address numerous urban wildlife
related issues, including land use planning and habitat protection
and management. Just a few of the outcomes anticipated from
this project include implementation of a school-yard habitat
program and creation of wildlife-friendly stormwater wetlands.
- Conduct
research on beach nesting birds that has shown very low nest
success rates for black skimmers and common terns - information
that will allow us to take key steps now could eliminate the
need for the future listing of these birds under the Endangered
Species Act.
- Assess
population levels and management needs of 21 islands located
within NC waters that have provided nesting habitat for over
20,000 pairs of nesting colonial waterbirds such as terns,
pelicans and egrets annually.
- Develop
and maintain a nationally recognized NC PIF Web site featuring
information such as: migratory bird profiles, management species
of concern profiles, fact sheets on major bird conservation
issues, documents on managing backyards habitat for birds,
multiple volunteer opportunities for birders and natural resource
managers of all abilities
- Participate
in multi-state, multi-agency bird working groups such as SAMBI,
NABCI, ACJV, and in multi-state working groups to promote conservation
of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Painted Buntings, Golden-winged
Warblers and Cerulean Warblers.
- Participate
in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hydropower project
relicensing efforts on several river basins, the objective
being to represent non-game species interests in these processes.
- Participate
on the multi-state Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee to
promote conservation of that species.
- Organize
an effort to reintroduce fish species to the Pigeon River in
response to water quality and habitat improvements made with
improved pollution control at a paper mill in the basin.
- Preliminarily
assess impacts of high density trout stocking on aquatic non-game
species.
- Cooperate
with Roanoke College ichthyologist and others to work on sicklefin
redhorse life history.
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