Summary: The project supports development of three specific components of the North Carolina Statewide conservation plan to make it more useful for State transportation planners. The project involves the development of digital wildlife habitat maps to improve planning efforts that reduce wildlife habitat fragmentation and accommodate wildlife corridors. This effort will result in better collaboration between planners and the North Carolina Department of Transportation in identifying important wildlife habitat, migration corridors, possible conservation areas, and opportunities for environmental mitigation.

Project Status: The North Carolina Department and Natural Resources signed its contract with FHWA and held its official kick-off meeting.

As of December 2008, the following work has been completed:

Work Area A — Habitat core areas for the Southern Coastal Plain and Sandhills Region have been completed.

Work Area B — The Conservation Planning Tool (CPT) has been introduced to a large number of local, State and regional planning organizations across the State. Over 400 presentations have been made. Many organizations, local governments, and regional planning groups have incorporated the CPT into their planning process. The CPT informed town master plans, comprehensive plans, and regional green infrastructure plans. Reviewing the data layers early in the planning process has streamlined the process and informed decisions about future projects. NCDOT encouraged local MPO and RPO organizations to review the CPT as part of their Long Range Transportation Planning. A case study has been identified for both an LRTP and local road project in the Wilmington area. Land trusts across the State are using the CPT information in their work with landowners and regional planning. The CPT data layers are also being compared to Department of Commerce future site selections to detect early potential conflicts and may assist in locating development in the most appropriate locations in the State. The Conservation Planning Tool is updated in January and July of every year with the most current Statewide data available and can be accessed at www.oneNCnaturally.org

Work Area C — Contracts with the Department of Cultural Resources are complete and digitizing of cultural resources is underway.

Contact: Linda Pearsall
Natural Heritage Program Director
(919) 715-4195
linda.pearsall@ncmail.net

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