The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is aiming to expand the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina by tens of thousands of acres.
A recently released final land protection plan aims to protect the integrity of floodplain forest along the Roanoke River and benefit rare and at-risk species, including bald eagles.
“The main impetus for [this] plan … is that the Service recognizes there's going to be extensive changes to the coastal portion of eastern North Carolina due to sea level rise,” said refuge manager Matt Connolly. “Large portions of what is now land in conservation status is going to be impacted by sea level rise over the next 50 to 100 years. So, by providing this habitat, wildlife [can] migrate away from those impacts.”
The new plan expands the acquisition boundary of the wildlife refuge, which is the defined area USFWS is allowed to purchase property in. The new boundary is focused along a 137-mile stretch of the Roanoke River, starting from Weldon to the mouth of the river at Albemarle Sound.
Under the plan, USFWS can add up to 50,000 acres to the Refuge. This land will be available for the public.
The plan also allows USFWS to protect up to 100,000 additional acres through conservation easements, which are voluntary agreements with private landowners. This type of land stays as private land but is also still part of the refuge.
USFWS and Connolly emphasize the importance of working with private landowners to establish conservation easements.
"Easements are a great tool and a good partnership that we can make with folks. [But] we have to deal with a willing seller," Connolly said. "We've [already] had several landowners who have approached us [saying] they're interested in easements."
The rest of the conservation area will be comprised of land owned by public and private partners.
Acquisitions will fall within Bertie, Washington, Martin, Halifax and Northampton Counties.
