Workshop Summary
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission, through a collaborative effort with representatives of the NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, NC Dept. of Transportation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NC Natural Heritage Program, NC Office of Environmental Education, NC League of Municipalities, and NC Association of Environmental Professionals, held three one-day workshops across North Carolina in August. A total of 169 people from across the state representing local governments, consulting firms, non-profit organizations, state and federal government, academia, and other groups attended the workshops entitled “Planning for Growth: Aquatic Ecosystems and the Environmental Review Process” held in Asheville, Browns Summit, and Greenville. Speakers gave presentations on the importance of aquatic ecosystems, relevant state and federal laws, integrating conservation into project and land use planning, and described relevant case studies. Members of the audience had an opportunity to ask questions during our panel discussion. Feedback from those that attended the workshops was very positive and the agencies involved with the workshops continue to look for ways to share the information presented in the workshops with others in the future. Please check back later when we have more information on our next steps.
Newspaper headlines across North Carolina have claimed that delays of infrastructure projects, such as new roads, are due to threatened and endangered species. There are federal laws protecting these species, but unfortunately concerns about aquatic ecosystems are not always factored into a project time line. Natural resources agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NC Wildlife Resources Commission believe many issues surrounding infrastructure development and aquatic habitat protection could be minimized, or avoided, if local officials had a better understanding of aquatic ecosystems and their components, why these natural communities are important, what laws protect them and how to work with these laws.
Regulators say there is a right way and a wrong way to move your project through the environmental review process. The right way is to plan early, coordinate with state and federal agencies and incorporate measures to protect sensitive resources from harmful project impacts. This is how you “swim with the current” and watch your project follow its intended timeline. The wrong way is to swim against the current – wait for the environmental review process to uncover environmental concerns or resist the actions requested to mitigate the effects of your project. Taking this approach, a local government will likely encounter project delays.
To help local leaders gain this understanding, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission has joined with the following sponsors to develop an educational booklet and a series of workshops to help communities plan around natural features that also bring long term value to the community:
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- NC Dept. of Transportation
- NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
- NC Association of Environmental Professionals
- NC League of Municipalities
- NC Natural Heritage Program
- Office of Environmental Education
The booklet is titled "Swimming with the Current" – A guide to Help Local Governments Protect Aquatic Ecosystems While Streamlining Environmental Review” (PDF, 5 MB).
Presented by:
