Links

Category: Land Trusts (5) Referrals
Carolina Mountain Lands Conservancy
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy helps landowners protect local land and water resources vital to our natural heritage and quality of life. As a local nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the places you love, CMLC is helping to create a regional network of protected farm, forest, park and natural lands.
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High Country Conservancy
Saving the Places You Love

Protecting the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant ecological, cultural, recreational, or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country.
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Blue Ridge Forever
We face a crucial time in land protection in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. While for the moment, much of our mountain landscape is still intact, the special places we protect or lose this decade will determine the character of our landscape forever. This decade is our last chance to safeguard the large remaining tracts.

The task is too enormous to face alone - so thirteen local, state and national conservation organizations have joined forces as the Blue Ridge Forever Coalition.
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Conservation Trust for North Carolina
The Conservation Trust for North Carolina protects our state's land and water through direct conservation and cooperative work with 24 local and regional land trusts across the state.

Our mission is to preserve our natural resources as a legacy for the people who love North Carolina now and in generations to come.
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Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
The mission of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (a land trust) is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, local farmland and scenic beauty of the mountains of North Carolina and east Tennessee for the benefit of present and future generations.
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Category: Organizations That Can Provide Assistance (5) Referrals
Land-of-Sky Regional Council
Land-of-Sky Regional Council is a multi-county, local government planning and development organization in North Carolina. It is one of 17 such organizations in the state and serves Region B, which includes the counties of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania.

Land-of-Sky Regional Council is made up of chief elected officials - mayors and county commission chairpersons and alternates - from member governments, one private representative of economic development interests in each county and two at-large members. Members meet monthly to plan programs and set policies and goals to benefit the entire region.
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High Country Council of Governments
High Country Council of Governments is the multi-county planning and development agency for the seven northwestern North Carolina counties of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. The Council of Governments, which is a cooperative extension of local governments, is one of 17 multi-county planning organizations in the State and operates in accordance with the North Carolina General Statutes.
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Isothermal Planning and Development Commission
The Isothermal Planning & Development Commission is a regional council for Region C in western North Carolina. Region C consists of Cleveland, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford Counties and the municipalities of each county. IPDC seeks to serve its members, and their citizens by fostering regional collaboration and by providing professional and technical expertise. The Commission houses the region's Area Agency on Aging, Workforce Development programs, housing programs and also provides planning and technical services.
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Southwestern Commission
The mission of Southwestern Commission is to improve the quality of life and the environment in its seven county service area.
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NC Division of Community Assistance, Asheville Regional Office
Community redevelopment, expansion and growth.

Whether your community is planning future expansion, injecting new life into existing structures, or developing in an economically challenged area, the Division of Community Assistance can help you realize your community goals.
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Category: Other Useful Resources and Documents (5) Referrals
Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies report
The Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies report is the result of a year and a half of research, developing strategies and recommendations and drafting and finalizing the report. It was a collaborative effort involving many individuals and agencies. A Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Advisory Committee, representing a diverse set of interests and expertise, was formed to oversee this project and develop this report. Its recommendations are offered to government, non-profit and private sector organizations with hopes that they will incorporate them into their practices and take actions to implement them.
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Mountain Landscapes Initiative Toolbox
The Mountain Landscapes Initiative (MLI) is a long-range program by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. After some two years of research into mountain community needs, the Community Foundation discovered that many were connected to land use planning. The Toolbox effort, an MLI pilot project, was launched in partnership with the Southwestern Commission, the regional Council of Governments organization serving county and town governments in the seven westernmost counties. The project's purpose: To take a first big step towards community-determined standards for planning and development in North Carolina's mountain region.
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Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic Experience Project Phase 2 Final Report
The Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic Experience Project Phase II extended Phase I research by applying the same visitor survey to the northern North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This section extends from Asheville north to the Virginia-North Carolina state line. The study was designed to answer four key questions: What are the benefits from the various attributes of the Blue Ridge Parkway scenic experience? How will visitation to the Parkway change if scenic quality changes? How much are visitors willing to pay to preserve scenic quality along the Parkway? How much are they willing to pay to improve visibility?
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International Dark-Sky Association
"Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself."

The mission of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
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NC Division of Land Resources -- Manuals and Publications, Land Quality Section
This page lists publications (manuals, videos, etc.), listed by Land Quality Section program (Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Dam Safety, and the Mining Program). Click on any active link. Publication prices include applicable state sales tax for shipment to North Carolina addresses, and shipping cost. Click here for ordering and payment information.

Contents

* Erosion and Sedimentation Control
* Dam Safety
* Mining Program
* Ordering publications and payment
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Category: Specific Hazards (4) Referrals
Geologic hazards in North Carolina — Landslides
Many factors can cause rock and soil to move downhill. Sometimes the movement is slow, but often it is fast and can destroy homes or cover roads and highways.

This section introduces you to landslides, one of the most common geologic hazards in North Carolina and the processes behind them.
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NC Firewise Communities
Firewise Communities/USA is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team. It provides citizens with the knowledge necessary to maintain an acceptable level of fire readiness, while ensuring firefighters that they can use equipment more efficiently during a wildland fire emergency.
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Wildfire & Your Home
A Guide To Fire Safety in the “Urban Interface”

Prepared by The Black Mountain Fire Department Fire Prevention and Inspections

Each year we see it more, a house or development built on the remote high ridges and deep in the woodlands around Black Mountain. More and more people are moving to this area in order to live in a natural environment protected from the urban problems they leave behind. Many of the residents who build these homes are from other states and locations where the dangers surrounding their new homes may not be present. However the greatest threat to these dwellings and inhabitants is an ever present danger called Wildfire.
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Minimizing Wildfire Risk, A Forest Landowner's Guide
Is your forest at risk?
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Category: State Government Resources (8) Referrals
NC OneMap
NC OneMap is a public service providing comprehensive discovery and access to North Carolina's geospatial data resources. It is an organized effort of numerous partners throughout North Carolina, involving local, state, and federal government agencies, the private sector and academia. It is the geospatial backbone supporting North Carolina data users. NC OneMap is the State Clearinghouse for geospatial information.

NC OneMap is an evolving initiative directed by the NC Geographic Information Coordinating Council.
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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Since its inception in 1947, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) has been dedicated to the wise-use, conservation, and management of the state's fish and wildlife resources. Our policies and programs are based on scientifically sound resource management, assessment and monitoring, applied research, and public input.

The WRC consists of wildlife and fisheries biologists, wildlife enforcement officers, educators, engineers and administrative staff in nine districts across the state. Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, boating or are just interested in Tarheel wildlife, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is here to enrich your outdoor experiences.
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North Carolina Geological Survey
The North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS) examines, describes and maps the geology and mineral resources of North Carolina and publishes these findings in NCGS reports and maps. The NCGS administers cooperative geologic mapping agreements with the US Geological Survey, other federal agencies such as the National Park Service, and other state and local government agencies.
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NC Division of Forest Resources
The Division of Forest Resources is mandated and directed by Chapters 77, 113 and 143 of the North Carolina General Statutes and by Title 15, Chapter 9 of the North Carolina Administrative Code to protect, manage and develop the forest resources of the state. The techniques used to accomplish this mandate involve management of existing resources, development and creation of new and better forests, and protection of these valuable resources.
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One North Carolina Naturally
Natural Resources Planning and Conservation provides the science and incentives to inform and support conservation actions of North Carolina's conservation agencies and organizations.
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NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
Stewardship for a Healthy Environment

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the lead stewardship agency for the preservation and protection of North Carolina's outstanding natural resources. The organization, which has offices from the mountains to the coast, administers regulatory programs designed to protect air quality, water quality, and the public's health. DENR also offers technical assistance to businesses, farmers, local governments, and the public and encourages responsible behavior with respect to the environment through education programs provided at DENR facilities and through the state's school system. Through its natural resource divisions, DENR works to protect fish, wildlife and wilderness areas. The agency's activities range from helping to make sure drinking water is safe to managing state parks and forests for safe and enjoyable outdoor recreation experiences. From A (aquariums on the coast) to Z (the N.C. Zoological Park), DENR touches the lives of all North Carolinians and our guests in many ways to enhance and ensure our quality of life.
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Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission - Education and Certification
The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission in consultation with Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Stakeholder Advisory Board are currently developing course materials for this new program.
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NC Natural Heritage Program
The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program is a part of the Office of Natural Resource Planning and Conservation within the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The program inventories, catalogues, and supports conservation of the rarest and the most outstanding elements of the natural diversity of our state. These elements of natural diversity include those plants and animals which are so rare or the natural communities which are so significant that they merit special consideration as land-use decisions are made.
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