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New Leaders at DENR
David has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill and a law degree from Wake Forest University. Prior to working with The Nature Conservancy, he worked as an attorney, lobbyist and consultant before the General Assembly for such clients as the state chapter of the Sierra Club, the Trust for Public Land, N.C. Wildlife Federation and N.C. Planning Association. A native North Carolinian, Knight lives with his wife Avery in Raleigh. Natural Heritage Protection Priorities online
The 2009 Biennial Protection Plan provides a complete list of natural areas in North Carolina identified by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program as being of national, state, or regional significance. The list is arranged alphabetically by county, and the natural areas are listed in descending order of priority within a county. Where appropriate, sites are grouped by megasite and macrosite. The list also provides the USGS quad maps, significance rating, general ownership, and protection comments for each natural area. View the "2009 N.C. Natural Heritage Program Biennial Protection Plan: List of Significant Natural Heritage Areas" here. Conservation Partners Support Natural Area Acquisitions
The Bear Paw State Natural Area will be established in 2009 with an initial land acquisition of 350 acres through the High Country Conservancy. It will be located just north of Grandfather Mountain and the town of Seven Devils. The site is of national ecological importance and includes Hanging Rock Ridge, Four Diamond Ridge and the headwaters of Dutch Creek. Also, the site contains an outstanding example of a rare high-elevation rocky summit supporting nine rare species, including the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat. More on State Natural Areas...
Three tracts recently acquired by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will protect the nationally significant Deep and Rocky River Aquatic Habitat site, which is home to three rare species. The stream buffers will help to maintain the water quality of the Deep River, benefiting the endangered species that live in this area and the humans who use the river for drinking water and recreation. Working with the state Division of Parks and Recreation and tapping funding from three state conservation trust funds, the Triangle Land Conservancy in 2008 completed three purchases in the “Forks of the River” area of the Deep River to augment the White Pines Nature Preserve and the Deep River State Trail. These purchases conserve a total of 286 acres in the area where the Deep and Rocky rivers come together, where TLC has now led the conservation of 1,835 acres. The Lee County tracts are both located within the White Pines Promontory, a nationally significant natural heritage site. Natural Heritage Program biologist Harry LeGrand said, “To me, this is THE highlight of the entire White Pines area.” Registry of Natural Heritage AreasIn 2008, portions of three important natural areas, totaling 250 acres, were added to the North Carolina’s Registry of Natural Heritage Areas. These sites in Sampson, Pender, and Bladen counties are owned by TC & I Timber Co. and managed by Campbell Timberland Management LLC. The first of these, the Cutgrass Bay natural area in Sampson County contains a high quality example of an uncommon natural community, and is one of the most important rare plant and animal sites in the Middle Inner Coastal Plain. Cutgrass Bay provides habitat for threatened Carolina gopher frog (Rana capito). More on Gopher Frogs... Also added to the registry, the Clarks Landing Coastal Goldenrod natural area in Pender County contains one of the six known populations of coastal goldenrod (Solidago villosicarpa) – that is, only six populations are known in the world. Last, the South River Swamp Forest natural area in Bladen and Sampson counties is part of an extensive example of the Coastal Plain Bottomland Hardwoods natural community, and provides important nesting habitat for several bird species. The N.C. Natural Heritage Program continues to work with the Campbell Group to enter other ecologically important natural areas into the Registry program, including recently acquired properties that contain longleaf pine savannas and other high-priority habitats. Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in North Carolina
In 2009, APNEP will serve as a host to the EPA’s Climate Ready Estuaries pilot program, in collaboration with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and other partners.
The Climate Ready Estuaries program has produced a new guide "Synthesis of Adaptation Options for Coastal Areas," which serves as a guide for coastal managers about what adaptation options are available to reduce their system's vulnerability to climate change impacts. It can be downloaded here.
Conservation Planning Tool widely used
How are you using the Conservation Planning Tool? Email your example to our conservation planner at Kim.Douglass@ncmail.net. Conservation Trust Funds make a big impactLand for Tomorrow has released the 2009 Green Book report. The report, "Good for the Economy, Good for Public Health," is an annual compilation of county-by-county funding by the state's four land and water conservation trust funds, including Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation, Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage and Clean Water Management. Last year, the trust funds were able to provide $214.2 million for 330 projects in 89 counties. These funds are vital to help safeguard water quality and drinking water supplies, promote tourism, improve public health, provide buffers around military training areas, and protect farmlands and forest. View this year's Green Book here. More on Land for Tomorrow...
Working Lands Partnerships Easements on working lands provide another effective conservation tool. A working lands partnership to support collaboration on easements between local land trusts and the conservation districts has been established through the efforts of the Community Conservation Committee of the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Conservation Trust of North Carolina is playing a big role in this project, with funding from the Tobacco Trust Fund.
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Gov. Beverly Perdue named Mr. Dee A. Freeman secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources as part of her new Cabinet and administration. Freeman is a career public servant having served 36 years as a city manager and regional council director. During his many years of public service in North Carolina, Secretary Freeman’s experience spans a wide array of environmental stewardship, economic development interests, and, most of all, the professional administration of government services for the people of the Tar Heel State. 
Secretary Freeman has made changes to the leadership team that will work with him in leading DENR for the next four years. Freeman promoted Manly Wilder, who has ably served as DENR’s assistant secretary for Natural Resources for the last two years, as the department’s new chief deputy/chief operating officer. Wilder’s new responsibilities include coordinating the agency's budget and management functions with its programmatic activities. Manly began his work with DENR as the director of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation. Prior to working at DENR, he served in a variety of key roles – including deputy chief for strategic planning and budget analysis – during a 35-year career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Taking over the role of assistant secretary for Natural Resources is David W. Knight, who had been the director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy. In his new role, Knight provides supervision to the following divisions and offices within the department: Soil and Water Conservation, Forest Resources, Marine Fisheries, Parks and Recreation, Conservation and Community Affairs, the Ecosystem Enhancement Program, and Natural Resources Planning and Conservation. 
Which areas are the most important to protect? More than 30 years of work has gone into answering that question. Many of our conservation partners, such as land trusts and government agencies, have used the 
The impact of sea level rise to our state’s coast is expected to be significant, and several efforts are underway to address this threat. With so much of their area at risk, the 
Being a climate ready estuary means that people and the institutions that affect and are affected by the estuarine system must have three critical attributes:
APNEP, the Albemarle-Pamlico Conservation and Communities Collaborative and other partners hosted seven public listening sessions about sea level rise and population growth in the APNEP region during the summer of 2008. The goal was to provide residents of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed with an opportunity to voice their concerns about the combined impacts of sea level rise and population growth and elicit their ideas about solutions. Beyond the obvious environmental changes that would be caused by sea level rise, participants contemplated the resulting social and economic impacts their communities would experience. Download the report on public perceptions of sea level rise 
The development of the 
The 
There are now 68 counties with