The North Carolina Land and Water Fund Board of Trustees has awarded financing for projects that will protect the state’s land and water from the mountains to the coast.
More than $45 million will be available immediately to fund these projects.
The funds will protect nearly 17,000 acres and 134 types of rare plants, animals, and natural communities.
This year’s grants will support North Carolina’s $28 billion outdoor recreation economy by protecting over 6,000 acres in local parks and preserves in Bertie, Carteret, and other counties.
They will also fund planning grants to identify threats to water supplies, stormwater management and stream restoration opportunities, and wetlands and floodplains capable of mitigating flooding in communities that include Greenville.
Two innovative stormwater projects designed to evaluate the effectiveness of novel stormwater treatment systems will be funded, in Wilson and Craven counties.
North Carolina Land and Water Fund grants will also provide buffers for military installations and training areas, awarding $6.7 million and protecting over 6,200 acres near MCAS Cherry Point and four other bases.
