N.C. DENR Protects North Carolina’s Valuable Coastal Resources N.C. DENR Protects North Carolina’s Valuable Coastal Resources
The North Carolina coast is home to a variety of fish and shellfish, largely because the state has such a great diversity of natural habitats where those animals feed, spawn and grow. Whether it is a freshwater swamp, a salt marsh or a mud flat, these habitats all play a vital role in sustaining dozens of important species of marine life.
A plan developed by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to protect these critical habitats has received final approval from the state’s three environmental commissions, and now the important work of carrying out the plan can begin. The Marine Fisheries, Coastal Resources and Environmental Management commissions each adopted the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) in December 2004.
This report not only gives an overview of the threats to fisheries habitat, but through its specific recommendations will result in better protection and restoration of habitats critical to North Carolina fisheries resources. After all, these habitats support more than just fish, they also support the economy of eastern North Carolina and a way of life for many North Carolinians.
The CHPP describes critical habitats where marine fish and shellfish feed, spawn and grow, and also identifies threats to those habitats and makes recommendations for addressing them. The CHPP recommendations are designed to: improve the effectiveness of existing rules and programs protecting coastal fish habitats; identify, designate and protect strategic habitat areas; enhance and protect habitats from physical impacts; and enhance and protect water quality.
DENR is already taking action by enhancing enforcement of existing rules protecting fish habitat, developing a set of indicators to gauge the on-going health of the estuaries and habitats and reporting on those trends, expanding oyster restoration efforts and educating the public about the importance of these habitats.
For more information about the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan go to DENR’s Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/habitat/index.html.
The North Carolina coast is home to a variety of fish and shellfish, largely because the state has such a great diversity of natural habitats where those animals feed, spawn and grow. Whether it is a freshwater swamp, a salt marsh or a mud flat, these habitats all play a vital role in sustaining dozens of important species of marine life.
A plan developed by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to protect these critical habitats has received final approval from the state’s three environmental commissions, and now the important work of carrying out the plan can begin. The Marine Fisheries, Coastal Resources and Environmental Management commissions each adopted the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) in December 2004.
This report not only gives an overview of the threats to fisheries habitat, but through its specific recommendations will result in better protection and restoration of habitats critical to North Carolina fisheries resources. After all, these habitats support more than just fish, they also support the economy of eastern North Carolina and a way of life for many North Carolinians.
The CHPP describes critical habitats where marine fish and shellfish feed, spawn and grow, and also identifies threats to those habitats and makes recommendations for addressing them. The CHPP recommendations are designed to: improve the effectiveness of existing rules and programs protecting coastal fish habitats; identify, designate and protect strategic habitat areas; enhance and protect habitats from physical impacts; and enhance and protect water quality.
DENR is already taking action by enhancing enforcement of existing rules protecting fish habitat, developing a set of indicators to gauge the on-going health of the estuaries and habitats and reporting on those trends, expanding oyster restoration efforts and educating the public about the importance of these habitats.
For more information about the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan go to DENR’s Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/habitat/index.html.
