Conservation & Restoration Programs

N.C. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NCPARC.org)

NCPARC is North Carolina’s chapter of the world-wide Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. NCPARC unifies members from all walks of life under one banner; that of the conservation of amphibians and reptiles and their habitats. NCPARC members hail from academia, state and federal agencies, research facilities, nature education centers, land trusts, municipalities, zoos, veterinary fields, forest products industries, energy cooperatives, conservation organizations, herpetological societies, pet trade industries, museums and even your own neighborhood. Anyone with an interest in herpetofauna, conservation, nature or in all these combined is invited to join our ranks and help us make a difference for the persistence of healthy amphibian and reptile populations in our state. 

Private Lands Management

Our biologists are well-versed in many facets of wildlife management and serve as the primary contact for the NCWRC Wildlife Management Division in their respective district.  They primarily  work with landowners to develop comprehensive forest management plans with wildlife as the primary focus. Landowners interested in managing their forested lands for multi-use resources including timber production, wildlife habitat, soil and water quality improvements, recreational opportunities, and aesthetics can seek guidance from one of these biologists.  They integrate wildlife management principles into land management practices for use on private lands in North Carolina. They lead agency efforts to identify suitable sites, implement early successional wildlife management, and deliver the agency's programs directed toward habitat management on private lands throughout the state.

Private lands management includes such programs as:

  • Beaver Management Assistance Program (BMAP): The BMAP helps to educate the public and participating landholders about the best strategies for managing beaver damage.  
  • Deer Cooperator Programs: 
    • Community Deer Management Assistance Program (CDMAP) - Offers residential or other highly-developed areas ways to minimize human-deer conflicts while preserving or improving herd health.
    • Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) - Offers landowners or hunt clubs options in managing deer herds on their property or leases.
  • N.C. Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) Safe Harbor Program: this program is designed to encourage and facilitate restoration and enhancement of RCW nesting and foraging habitat on non-federal lands and help private landowners by removing some of the regulatory restrictions imposed by the Federal Endangered Species Act.
  • Wildlife Conservation Land Program: this program allows private landowners who manage their property for protected wildlife species, priority wildlife habitats or as Wildlife Reserve Land to apply for a property tax deferment.

Game Lands Program

More than 2 million acres of public and private lands in North Carolina are managed for public hunting, trapping and fishing.

Green Growth Toolbox (GGT)

GGT is a technical assistance tool designed to help communities conserve high quality habitats alongside new homes, workplaces, and shopping centers. 

Habitat Conservation

The agency's Habitat Conservation Division works to protect, manage and conserve aquatic, wetland and upland habitats for the benefit of fish and wildlife populations. 

N.C. Wildlife Action Plan

North Carolina's plan for wildlife conservation under the State Wildlife Grants program.

Game and Furbearer Program

The Game & Furbearer (G&F) Program is housed within the agency’s Wildlife Management Division. Program responsibilities principally include surveys, research and regulations for game and furbearer species.

Wildlife Diversity Program

Many nongame species, including mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, snails, mussels, and fish, are common and can be seen or heard in your own backyard. Other nongame animals, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons, were, at one time, considered endangered, but now soar high in the sky, thanks in part to the work conducted by Wildlife Diversity Program biologists.

Wildlife Friendly Development Certification Program

Here you will find information about an exciting and new smart-growth collaboration between the Wildlife Commission, N.C. Wildlife Federation and the N.C. chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Wildlife Inmate Service (WISe) Woods Program

WISe is an inmate rehabilitation program located at the Dan River Prison Work Farm in Yanceyville, North Carolina. The Wildlife Commission partnered with the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction to provide a course in building wood products such as docks, kiosks metal signs for the Wildlife Commission. These products will be shipped and unitized at various locations across the state of North Carolina.