In a significant move for conservation in North Carolina, nearly 2,000 acres of forestlands next to Moores Creek National Battlefield have now been secured as part of the State's Registry of Natural Heritage Areas, according to a press release by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). This land, spanning five property tracts owned by the Clint North family, will benefit from a voluntary stewardship agreement aimed at safeguarding their unique flora and fauna.
Recognition as a Natural Heritage Area speaks to the exceptional ecological character of these lands, and comes as a commitment by landowners to actively maintain the integrity of their land's habitats and biodiversity, as noted in the release. The Natural Heritage Program of North Carolina, overseen by the DNCR, manages the registry and it was during a ceremony last Thursday that Charles "Chuck" Roe, the program's founding director, honored the North family with a certificate recognizing their conservation efforts; he also duplicated the honor originally bestowed upon NPS Moores Creek National Battlefield staff in 1986, marking the battlefield's natural habitat areas as part of the state's protected regions.
This year's certificate presentation at Moores Creek National Battlefield coincided with the 40th anniversary of the North Carolina Nature Preserves Act, an initiative that Governor James Martin signed into law back in 1985. The DNCR's registry assists in assessing and identifying landworthy of protective status by evaluating the natural habitats and biotic resources present, for which interested landowners can contact the N.C. Natural Heritage Program through their website for further information.
The DNCR functions to promote and manage all that North Carolina offers in terms of arts, culture, history, and nature. Their charge extends across over 100 locations statewide, encompassing a broad and diverse range of sites from historic landmarks and museums to state parks and trails, further distinguished by the inclusion of cultural institutions like the African American Heritage Commission and the American Indian Heritage Commission; the full breadth of their reach and mission is detailed on their official website.
