North Carolina Wildlife Federation

THIS PROPOSAL IS INTENDED TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF TOLERANCE AND SURVIVAL OF RED WOLVES OCCURRING ON PRIVATE LANDS WITHIN THE FIVE COUNTY RECOVERY AREA THE REMAINING WILD RED WOLVES ARE PRIMARILY LOCATED ON AND AROUND ALLIGATOR RIVER AND POCOSIN LAKES NWRS WITH A TERRITORY OF UP TO 80 SQUARE MILES, PRIVATE LANDS NEAR THESE REFUGE LANDS REMAIN IMPORTANT FOR RED WOLVES AS TRAVEL CORRIDORS, FORAGING HABITAT, AND DENNING LOCATIONS BY WORKING WITH CONSERVATION PARTNERS AND WILLING LANDOWNERS, WE WILL INCREASE THE PREY BASE AND IMPROVE HABITAT CONDITIONS ON THESE PRIVATE LANDS IT IS ALSO IMPERATIVE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDOWNERS AND CONTINUE TO BUILD TRUST BETWEEN LANDOWNERS AND THE USFWS STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS INCLUDE IMPROVING HABITAT FOR THE WILDLIFE THAT LANDOWNERS VALUE AND PREY THAT RED WOLVES PREFER BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF EARLY SUCCESSIONAL AND WETLAND HABITATS, WE WILL IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR SMALL MAMMALS AND WHITE TAILED DEER HABITAT IMPROVEMENT WILL BE TAILORED TO EACH SITE AND THE LANDOWNERS INTERESTS PRACTICES MAY INCLUDE CREATING RIPARIAN AREAS, WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION, BRUSH MANAGEMENT, TREATING INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES, ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING EARLY SUCCESSIONAL VEGETATION, AND PLANTING TREES LANDOWNERS WILL CONTRIBUTE A PORTION OF THE COSTS OF HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES IN ADDITION, THEY WILL AGREE TO ALLOW RED WOLVES TO ENTER AND INHABIT THEIR PROPERTY OTHER ALLOWANCES MAY PROVIDE FOR THE SERVICE AND NC WILDLIFE FEDERATION STAFF AND OR OTHER PROJECT PARTNERS TO ACCESS THE PROPERTY TO CONDUCT MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

THE PROPOSED WORK ON POCOSIN LAKES NWR IS HIGH PRIORITY AREA FOR BREEDING HABITAT FOR THREATENED EASTERN BLACK RAILS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO RESTORE GLOBALLY THREATENED AWC (CHAMAECYPARIS THYOIDES) FORESTS WITHIN ITS HISTORIC RANGE . 1) THE PROPOSED WORK INCLUDES A) CREATE ELEVATION, SHALLOW WATER AND WETLAND EDGE HABITAT FOR EASTERN BLACK RAIL BREEDING HABITAT ADJACENT TO A CANAL (3 ACRES) AND TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY (GRASSY RIDGE FLOOD REDUCTION STUDY) B) CONVERSION OF 40 ACRES OF CROPLAND TO EARLY SUCCESSIONAL EMERGENT WETLAND WITH HUMMOCKS THAT WILL PROVIDE PREFERRED HABITAT FOR BREEDING BLACK RAILS C) CONVERSION OF 30 ACRES OF CROPLAND TO AWC FOREST. AWC SEEDLINGS WILL BE PLANTED BUILDING ON PREVIOUS RESTORATION AT 1) RESTORATION STAND PLANTED BY WEYERHAEUSER WITH SUPPORT FROM USFWS ON REFUGE IN THE EARLY 1990S AND 2) THE MILLENNIUM FOREST PLANTED BY VOLUNTEERS IN 2002. THE INTERESTED PUBLIC AND LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE EDUCATED ON THE PROGRESS OF THIS WORK AND WILL ASSIST WITH LOCAL VOLUNTEER PLANTING OF AWC SEEDLINGS.

RED WOLF HABITAT ENHANCEMENT ON POCOSIN LAKES NWR

NCWF PREY FOR THE PACK

NCWF COASTAL PROGRAM BELL ISLAND PIER MARSH RESTORATION