Wildlife Friendly Development Certification Program
Project #: 100545 – Updated: January 30, 2012
Project Summary
The Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program is an innovative new green-growth collaboration among the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
This voluntary program recognizes residential developers who meet high standards for wildlife and habitat conservation during all phases of site development. developers who want to have their sites certified as wildlife friendly must meet a sufficient number of criteria that address various aspects of habitat conservation ...
view full descriptionLocation (by county):
Alamance County (NC), Alexander County (NC), Alleghany County (NC), Anson County (NC), (show more)
Watersheds:
Albemarle, Black, Bogue-Core Sounds, Carolina Coastal-Sampit, Chowan, Contentnea, Deep, (show more)
Congressional Districts:
NC District 01, SC District 01, TN District 01, NC District 02, (show more)
House Districts:
NC House District 1, NC House District 2, NC House District 3, NC House District 4, (show more)
Bird Conservation Regions:
Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Southeastern Coastal Plain
USFWS Regions:
Northeast Region, Southeast Region
Project size:
296915.08 acres
Full Project Description
The Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program is an innovative new green-growth collaboration among the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
This voluntary program recognizes residential developers who meet high standards for wildlife and habitat conservation during all phases of site development. developers who want to have their sites certified as wildlife friendly must meet a sufficient number of criteria that address various aspects of habitat conservation from planning through construction. Criteria for certification were designed to ensure that sufficient measures are taken to minimize impacts and conserve wildlife habitat.
Each development is unique, so not all criteria for certification are applicable for every site. Sites that vary in size and have diverse conditions can be evaluated for certification.
The Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program implements strategies outlined in the N.C. Wildlife Action Plan and expands upon green building standards that are becoming normal components of building practices. Proceeds from the program support N.C. Wildlife Action Plan projects. Visit www.ncwildcertify.org for more information on supported projects.
Wildlife Action Plan Goals and Strategies
- 1.1. Expand information base for priority species (surveys, research)
- 1.2. Expand information on long-term trends across species groups, habitats, and management actions (monitoring)
- 2.1. Promote and support habitat protection efforts (land acquisition, easements, buffers)
- 2.2. Manage and restore terrestrial and aquatic habitats to maintain ecological function (habitat and watershed management)
- 2.3. Manage and restore populations to maintain sustainable communities of species (population management)
- 3.1. Improve data collection, management, and dissemination within and among agencies (data standards development, data management)
- 3.2. Support partnerships to achieve common goals, improve efficiency and prevent duplication of efforts (coordination, partnerships)
- 5.1. Increase efficiency and effectiveness of guidance and review processes aimed at minimizing negative impacts on species and habitats (technical guidance, permit review)
Project Assistance & Partnership Opportunities
Other
Residential or Commercial developers who promote the conservation of wildlife habitat and use environmentally sound construction practices. Applicants interested in certifying their developments as “wildlife friendly” work closely with staffs from the N.C. Wildlife Federation and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission throughout the certification process.
Goals and Targets
Primary motivations:
- Conservation Mission
- The intent of the Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program is to collaborate from the start with residential developers to conserve wildlife habitat. However, some existing sites may also qualify for certification.
- Public Benefit
- This voluntary program recognizes residential developers who meet high standards for wildlife and habitat conservation during all phases of site development.
Consistent with plans:
- State Wildlife Action Plan
- The Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program implements strategies outlined in the N.C. Wildlife Action Plan and expands upon green building standards that are becoming normal components of building practices. Proceeds from the program support N.C. Wildlife Action Plan projects.
Targeted habitats:
- Aquatic
- Estuarine
- Lakes and Ponds
- Rivers and Streams
- Forests and Woodlands
- Conifer Forests
- Deciduous Forests and Woodlands
- Mixed Hardwoods and Conifer
- Human Habitats
- Urban and Residential
- Rural Residential (Low Intensity Developed)
- Suburban Habitats (Moderate Intensity Developed)
- Urban Habitats (High Intensity Developed)
- Urban and Residential
- Shrublands and Grasslands
- Grasslands
- Wetlands and Riparian Habitats
- Forested or Shrub Wetlands and Swamps
- Lowland Riparian Forests and Shrublands
- Marshes, Bogs and Emergent Wetlands
- Montane Riparian Forests and Shrublands
Targeted species were not provided for this project.
Actions
Project Actions
Outcomes
Is the success of this project's actions being monitored? Yes
Please describe your monitoring activity.
A certified Wildlife Friendly Development must meet sufficient criteria that address various aspects of development from design and construction through completion. The criteria were designed to ensure that proper measures are taken to conserve wildlife and natural habitats during development. Not all criteria are applicable for every development, and certification can be awarded for developments of a variety of sizes and over a diversity of development site conditions, provided the applicable criteria are met. After a development becomes a Certified Wildlife Friendly Development, an Annual Renewal Fee is necessary to ensure continued compliance. Once the development is complete, the homeowners association will be responsible for paying the Annual Renewal Fee to maintain certification.
What additional information would you like to share?
The homeowners will also be responsible for maintaining habitat conservation in the development at the time of certification. If conditions in the development change, such as a natural area being converted to a recreational field, the development will be rescored based on current conditions. If the development loses points but still has enough points to be certified, the development will maintain certification. If the development loses too many points to maintain certification, we will work with the homeowners association to make necessary changes to retain certification. If the development does not pay the Annual Renewal Fee or the development can no longer be certified, all references to
Wildlife Friendly Development Certification will have to be removed and the development can no longer be referred to as a Certified Wildlife Friendly Development.
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Organization
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
(State Government)
Primary Contact
Vann Stancil
(Habitat Conservation Biologist)
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Send email
Partners
- North Carolina Wildlife Federation
- American Society of Landscape Architects