North Carolina Chapter of
The Wildlife Society

To guide and promote the conservation and management of wildlife resources throughout North Carolina.

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NCTWS Mentoring Program

NCTWS has a mentoring program to serve as a developmental tool for students in Fisheries and Wildlife. This program will allow students to coordinate with professionals working in the field of fisheries or wildlife and gain insight into careers and pathways that may be in their future. Contact Donna MacLennan for more details.

NCTWS supports the North Carolina Teaming with Wildlife Coalition

We are pleased to announce that we have endorsed the North Carolina Teaming with Wildlife Coalition. This coalition is part of a national effort consisting of more than 5,000 organizations working to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The Teaming with Wildlife Coalition supports increased state and federal funding for wildlife conservation, wildlife-related recreation and conservation education. We look forward to working with Teaming with Wildlife to support the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan and other proactive and cost-effective conservation efforts to enhance North Carolina’s quality of life.

This is an exciting time in the history of fish and wildlife conservation in North Carolina. With help from biologists, sportsmen, businesses and conservationists, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently completed the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan, which lays out clear needs, and actions for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. This is the first time such a comprehensive planning effort has been undertaken and it will help us take actions to conserve wildlife before they become more rare and more costly to protect. Along with other Teaming with Wildlife coalition members, we are now working to support the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan so we can conserve wildlife and natural areas for future generations.

"This publication is the culmination of three years of effort among numerous state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academics, industry professional and dedicated individuals. It provides a "blueprint" for conserving fish and wildlife species and their habitats, from the mountains of the Southern Blue Ridge to the marine habitats along the coast." - Richard B. Hamilton, Executive Director of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

The North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan has been developed with federal funds from the State Wildlife Grants Program. State Wildlife Grants fund wildlife conservation projects that prevent species from becoming endangered. (For examples of projects see http://statewildlife.nwf.org/NC/index.htm). Gale Norton, Secretary of the Department of Interior, recently recognized the State Wildlife Grants Program as "Our nation’s primary conservation program for keeping species healthy and off the list of threatened and endangered species."

Taking action to conserve wildlife before it becomes endangered is environmentally sound and fiscally responsible. Once a species declines to the point of potential extinction, recovery efforts become risky and expensive.

Historically, state fish and wildlife agencies have operated on revenue from hunting and fishing licenses and these funds have allowed them to manage game species with great results. Despite these successes, many other species have continued to decline, as evidenced by the staggering fact that more than 1,000 species are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the past seven years, State Wildlife Grants have given $11.5 million federal dollars to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in our state.

Despite the success of the State Wildlife Grant Program, its future is uncertain. Annual appropriations for the program fluctuate depending on the federal budget and political climate, making long term efforts like the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan more difficult to implement. An adequate, long-term funding source for wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, and related education is needed. Teaming with Wildlife is committed to securing this funding from federal, state, and private sources and we are proud to join them in such a critical effort!