North Carolina Conservation Planning Tool
The North Carolina Conservation Planning Tool provides a valuable means for synthesizing and sharing the priorities of the state's conservation agencies and organizations with planners in government and the private sector to inform decisions and guide conservation efforts statewide.
This comprehensive planning tool is used by local and state governments, regional planning organizations, and non-profit organizations to inform decisions about conservation and other land use planning efforts in North Carolina. By showing a relative order of conservation significance, these data can assist with conservation funding decisions and support cost-effective investments.
The data and maps included in the assessments can be used independently or in combination with information from additional sources. By coordinating assessment data, users can identify natural areas that provide multiple resource priorities.
Our Conservation Planning Tool Report provides information about the data used in the development of the Conservation Planning Tool.
For more information, please contact the Natural Heritage Program at natural.heritage@dncr.nc.gov.
The North Carolina Conservation Planning Tool (CPT) provides maps that integrate information from multiple sources. Four maps are provided:
Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat
The Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat Assessment was developed by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program. It provides information about the relative priority of aquatic and terrestrial habitat, landscape function, and connectivity.
Open Space and Conservation Lands
The Open Space and Conservation Lands Map displays conservation lands that are in permanent conservation and those that are managed by federal, state, local, and private entities. Instead of valuing and ranking data representing various resources, existing data are simply overlaid into a single map by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program.
Agricultural Lands
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has developed on online map viewer to display data from the Agricultural Assessment. This assessment is comprised of three evaluations: Government Policy, Agribusiness Infrastructure, and Soils.
View the Overall Assessment Map
Forestry Lands
The North Carolina Forest Service has developed on online map viewer to display six thematic analyses to show statewide forest resource priorities. The Forest Resource Assessment reflects conservation, protection, and enhancement themes.