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30 <br /> Once conservation priorities are recognized,the Green Growth Toolbox offers guidance using three basic <br /> conservation principles: <br /> • Protect conservation priorities, including large natural areas and sensitive habitats. <br /> • Buffer these areas from suburban and urban development. <br /> • Connect these natural areas across the landscape to reduce habitat fragmentation. <br /> As described in the Green Growth Toolbox manual (NCWRC 2013),the most direct way to maintain <br /> connectivity is to keep important natural areas in a rural context where they are typically surrounded by <br /> working farms and forests,which can act as wildlife corridors. However, in more suburban and urban <br /> environments, connectivity may be maintained for many species by protecting wildlife corridors that are <br /> 150-1000 feet wide(depending on species;NC)ATRC 2012),ideally with larger patches of habitat <br /> interspersed along the corridor. <br /> In general,following the three conservation principles above using strategies outlined in the Green <br /> Growth Toolbox will encourage growth and development in areas more suitable for development. For <br /> North Carolina,the Green Growth Toolbox provides a bridge between conservation planning and <br /> development planning and, along with other science-based resources on best practices for landscape <br /> connectivity planning(such as in Appendix E),provides the framework for developing recommendations <br /> to ensure wildlife habitat connectivity across the Eno-New Hope project area. <br /> A Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity 17 <br />