Agenda - 06-07-1993 - VII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 • Promote coordinated inventory and mapping of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands to maintain accurate and current data which can be used for habitat protection. Accurate and current inventories and maps of these important habitats are critical to support resource managers and planners, conservation organizations, and citizens in protecting these areas. They are also important in providing predictability for development interests. (See Vital Terrestrial Areas and Wetlands Action Plan, Management Action A) • Increase efforts to protect and conserve vital terrestrial areas and wetlands through government and nongovernment acquisition,government protection strategies, and incentives for private conservation. Acquisition and careful management of vital habitats is often the best method to protect these areas. Acquisition efforts, by both public agencies and private organizations, should be targeted toward 23,000 acres of high quality rare natural communities. Acquisition efforts should be complemented by the implementation of conservation oriented management strategies including recovery plans which address habitat needs of endangered and threatened species, wildlife corridor planning, and site-specific management plans for government-owned property. Protection of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands should also be pursued through incentive programs to encourage private landowners to implement conservation measures. (See Vital Terrestrial Areas and Wetlands Action Plan, Management Action B.) • Address the preservation, conservation, and management of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands in local land and water plans. Important decisions about the protection and management of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands are often made by local governments. Many local governments in the Albemarle- Pamlico region conduct land use planning. Local land and water plans should address the protection of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands, including policy statements regarding this issue and considering innovative development tools such as cluster or rural village approaches which promote habitat protection while allowing development. Addressing the management of vital terrestrial areas and wetlands in local plans allows for special attention to issues of local concern and local priorities, and also for local control over impacts on these areas. (See Vital Terrestrial Areas and Wetlands Action Plan, Management Action C; see also Human Environment Action Plan, Management Action A) • Develop a statewide comprehensive wetlands stewardship program to complement existing regulatory protection with acquisition strategies, private conservation incentives, public education efforts, and restoration and mitigation projects. The current regulation of wetlands is generally driven by federal policy. A state-level wetlands stewardship program would allow for specific attention to state priorities in wetlands management and protection in a non-regulatory manner. This program would not be a new regulatory permit program, but rather it would encourage the stewardship of wetlands resources through voluntary acquisitions, private conservation incentives, public education programs, and restoration and mitigation efforts. The state program would serve to facilitate coordination among the agencies which manage wetlands, provide for the consideration of cumulative impacts to wetlands, foster enhanced wetlands policies, and promote local wetlands management strategies. (See Vital Terrestrial Areas and Wetlands Action Plan, Management Actions D, E, and F.) • Executive Summary-6