Overview

Members of APNEP’s Natural Resource Policy & Economics Action Team will pursue collaborative inititatives aligned with the following APNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) objectives and actions:

  • A3.1: Assess the effectiveness of policies and regulations to minimize wetland loss. Wetlands are extremely valuable habitats, providing flood protection and filtering runoff. Policies should support the preservation, maintenance, restoration, and creation of ecologically functional wetlands.
    • Outputs: Recommendations for improved wetland protection
    • Results: Information to support better resource management decisions
  • A3.2: Assess the effectiveness of policies and regulations regarding riparian buffers. Riparian buffers reduce runoff into the estuarine system and provide other ecosystem services; however, buffer requirements differ throughout the region. Further study of the issue can help demonstrate the costs and benefits of buffer rules, allowing for optimal investment in this conservation strategy.
    • Outputs: Recommendations for improved riparian protection
    • Results: Information to support better resource management decisions
  • B2.3: Facilitate the development of incentives for protection and management of targeted natural communities and habitats. APNEP will facilitate the development and use of incentives to implement conservation easements and other conservation tools. An emphasis for protection will be placed on inland and coastal wetlands, primary nurseries, floodplain riparian areas, wetland buffers, and Significant Natural Heritage Areas.
    • Outputs: New incentives for land protection
    • Results: Increase in acres of protected lands
  • D1.5: Increase opportunities for public access to waterways, public lands, and trails. Greenways, parks, piers, and other projects can help protect water quality and provide opportunities for experiencing and learning about the environment. As people seek out these areas for relaxation and recreation, they also support an increasingly valuable ecotourism industry.
    • Outputs: New opportunities for the public to become engaged in experiencing the Albemarle-Pamlico ecosystem
    • Results: Increased awareness and engagement in implementation of the CCMP
  • D3.1: Develop and implement a strategy to improve decision-makers’ understanding of the costs and benefits of environmental protection, restoration, planning, and monitoring. While the costs of environmental protection are easy to see on a balance sheet, the benefits can be harder to quantify. APNEP will work with its partners to provide science-based information to government officials regarding the value of ecosystem services and help them incorporate this information into the decision-making process.
    • Outputs: Communication strategy and materials on ecosystem services
    • Results: Informed decisions for environmental management
  • D3.3: Provide assistance to state, regional, and local governments to incorporate climate change and sea level rise considerations into their planning processes. APNEP and its partners have made significant strides predicting and mapping future climate risks, but much work remains to be done. APNEP will support government partners that choose to integrate climate information into their planning process. Additionally, APNEP will work across sectors to identify and leverage mutually beneficial climate adaptation opportunities.
    • Outputs: State, regional, and local plans that address climate change and sea level rise
    • Results: Improved climate resiliency for human and natural communities in the region.

Discover a more detailed explanation of the APNEP’s CCMP actions.

Resources

Please contact APNEP staff if you are interested in participating or have project ideas for the team:  

APNEP staff support: