State: NC

Why It Matters: The wildfires in Western North Carolina, worsened by debris from Hurricane Helene, reinforce the need to actively manage forests to reduce fuel loads and improve forest resiliency. Litigation to spur a forest plan amendment is a continuation of coordinated efforts to stop forest restoration and wildlife habitat improvement work on the two…

Why It Matters: Governed in-part by the notion that wildlife management decisions and regulations be decided using the best available science, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is regarded as the most successful model of wildlife management in the world. Careful and strategic game management decisions coupled with funds generated as part of the…

Why It Matters: As America’s original conservationists, sportsmen and women understand the importance of conserving our nation’s wildlife. This also rings true for conserving North Atlantic right whales (NARW). The recreational boating and fishing community fully supports efforts to protect NARW. However, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed rule, in its final stages…

Why It Matters: Recreational anglers in North Carolina generate over $40 million in funding for conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). Therefore, ensuring access for recreational angling is critical to maintaining sustainable fisheries. Recreational anglers are also a potentially strong resource for collecting biological…

Why It Matters: In states like North Carolina where land is primarily privately owned and the population is increasing rapidly, proactive efforts such as offering financial incentives to private landowners to conserve property are essential to ensuring the future success of wildlife management efforts. These incentives, such as offering state income tax credits to landowners…

Why It Matters: Preventing sedimentation in streams is critical to protecting habitat for trout and other aquatic organisms. Streams with less sedimentation have better water quality, and vegetated buffers provide shade that helps regulate water temperatures for trout and other cold-water species that require cool, well-oxygenated waters to survive. Better fish habitat supports healthier fisheries…

Why It Matters: With marine fisheries management highly variable by state along the Atlantic Coast, it is imperative that any harvest reporting requirements be carefully developed to provide credible data. If a mandatory reporting program is developed correctly, reliable catch information could enhance the sustainability of North Carolina’s marine resources and provide additional access for…

Why It Matters: With North Carolina being one of the most rapidly growing states in the country, it is increasingly important to support landowners interested in conserving their property. North Carolina’s private lands provide important access for hunting and fishing, but as properties are developed, wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access is often lost….

Opportunities to expand angling access throughout the country have become increasingly limited in recent years due to increases in private ownership along waterways and attendant riparian rights limiting new access construction. State authorities often have the opportunity to expand fresh water angling access through the establishment of access points when state highway transportation departments are…

Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for access to activities like hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As these agencies develop strategies to manage federal lands, it is critical for those who support these activities…

In recent years, Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use has increased rapidly across the country.The unmitigated consequences of such growth not only threatens the environmental health of the lands used in OHV recreation but also threatens to eliminate future OHV opportunities. Some states have taken steps to provide adequate funding for sustainable OHV management and to…

Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance. At the time when these restrictions were first put in place, other activities that were illegal on a Sunday included opening a store for business, drinking alcoholic beverages, and tilling your fields….