State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)
North Carolina's State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is a comprehensive planning tool developed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to help conserve and enhance the state’s full array of fish and wildlife species and their habitats. Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and other priority fish and wildlife can now be specifically targeted by carefully considering conservation, research, or management options within essential habitats.
The goal is to “keep common species common” by strategically target imperiled animals and their required habitats early, preventing them from becoming extinct.
Browse the Wildlife Action Plan
2015 State Wildlife Action Plan with Addendum 1 (2015) + Addendum 2 (2022)
The first State Wildlife Action Plan was published in 2005 in response to a mandate by the U.S. Congress that each state develop a comprehensive conservation strategy to be eligible for federal funding under the State Wildlife Grants program. Congress identified Eight Required Elements to be addressed in these wildlife conservation plans. Each state plan must identify and be focused on the species in greatest need of conservation, yet address the full array of wildlife and wildlife-related issues. The first 10-year comprehensive review and revision was published in 2015 and two addendums were published in 2020 and 2022.
Since the first SWAP was published, North Carolina has received an average $1.3 million dollars annually to support implementation of the conservation actions laid out in the Plan. In large part these funds have been used to support the Commission’s Wildlife Diversity Program (WDP), which implements the SWAP throughout North Carolina. If you visit the WDP web page, you will find a link to download WDP Quarterly Reports (PDFS); these reports provide information about the various projects conducted by WRC’s biologists to implement SWAP priorities.
Documents for the current and previous versions of the State Wildlife Action Plan and supporting data tables can be downloaded as either PDFs or Excel files. Click on the button “SWAP Documents and GIS Data Downloads” to select files to download.
2025 Revision News and Activities
If you would like to be added to the email distribution list to receive future news about the State Wildlife Action Plan, including information about the 2025 SWAP revision efforts, please send an email to the SWAP coordinator Cindy Simpson.
2025 Revision News August 2024
The comprehensive review and revision of the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is well under way. Taxa Teams have completed evaluating species in the state for conservation, research, and management needs over the next decade and recommended a list of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN).
If you would like to participate in peer review of the taxa teams’ evaluation results please send an email to the SWAP coordinator Cindy Simpson.
Public Review and Comments of Final Draft 2025 SWAP
Coming Soon! The Final Draft revised document will be available on this page for public review and comments. Please sign up for the email distribution list to receive notification of the opportunity to comment
Survey
Let us know what you think about North Carolina’s State Wildlife Action Plan.
Outreach
Outreach Flyer 1 (PDF)
Outreach Flyer 2 (PDF)
Outreach Flyer 3 (PDF)
Outreach Flyer 4 (PDF)
Outreach Flyer 5 – coming soon
Crayfish
Crayfishes, commonly referred to as crawfish or crawdads, are large, highly mobile, crustaceans that utilize a wide variety of aquatic habitats and assume important roles in freshwater food webs. They are native to every continent except Africa and Antarctica and inhabit a wide diversity of habitats that range from rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands, to caves, hillside seeps and springs, roadside ditches, and underground burrows in backyards. They are considered keystone species because of their ability to manipulate their physical surroundings, process detritus, change macrophyte biomass, and influence the abundance and structure of invertebrate communities.
Within North Carolina, 47 described crayfishes are currently recognized, including 12 endemic species and 4 nonindigenous species. Our described native crayfish fauna is dominated by the genus Cambarus (37 species), but also includes species from the genera Faxonius (9 species), Procambarus (8 species), Lacumicambarus (2 species), and Fallicambarus (1 species). In addition, North Carolina is home to several recently described species that await publication of a scientific description. Peer review journal publication of findings, genetic research has identified some new to NC species that will be added to the state checklists.
Conservation recommendations for crayfish can be found in SWAP Section 3.4.8.
Freshwater Fish
According to the Annotated Atlas of the Freshwater Fishes of North Carolina published in 2020, there are 257 described and undescribed species of freshwater fish in NC. The Atlas notes that two families of freshwater fish represent the largest number of species found in the state, the Leuciscidae (minnows) and Percidae (perches) families.
The freshwater fish fauna of the southeastern United States is among the most diverse fauna in North America and one of the most imperiled because of pollution, flow alteration, habitat loss, and fragmentation of freshwater systems. An assessment by the American Fisheries Society states that approximately 39% of described fish species in North America are imperiled: 280 extant taxa are considered endangered, 190 are threatened, and 230 are vulnerable. Additionally, though they may survive in captive populations, 61 taxa are presumed extinct or extirpated from the wild. Habitat degradation and restricted range appear to be the primary factors associated with imperilment of North American fishes.
Conservation recommendations for freshwater fish can be found in SWAP Section 3.5.8.
Freshwater Mussels
North America has the richest mussel fauna with more than 300 species distributed among approximately 50 genera that are members of the family Unionidae. Freshwater bivalve mollusks, or mussels, are filter feeders with a diet that varies across habitats and among species but primarily consists of microscopic particulate matter such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, and organic detritus. Mussels live most of their lives burrowed in the bottom of a stream or lake, and depending on species and season, they may be closer to the substrate surface (warm seasons) or burrow more deeply during colder seasons.
Most mussel species have a complex life history that includes a reproductive process dependent on an obligate larva parasite on fish called a glochidium, which has important ramifications for many aspects of mussel ecology and conservation. Recolonization is dependent on the successful parasitizing of a host fish and subsequent movement of the infected host fish into water that provides suitable habitat for the mussel. Many freshwater mussels have undergone drastic declines and many are predicted to go extinct in the next few decades.
Conservation recommendations for freshwater mussels can be found in SWAP Section 3.6.8.
Snails
Snails are members of the phylum Mollusca and are in the taxonomic class Gastropoda (commonly gastropods). This class also includes slugs. With about 40,000 snail species identified, they are the largest group of living mollusks. Gastropods are protected under state law in North Carolina and the NCNHP program collects data on rare gastropod species. They occupy both wetland and dry landscapes as well as fresh and marine waters; however, only freshwater and terrestrial gastropods are addressed in the Wildlife Action Plan.
Gastropods have a muscular foot used for movement, and in some species, it is modified for swimming or burrowing. Snails respire using a lung (group Pulmonata) or gills (several taxonomic groups). taxonomic groups. All land snails and slugs are hermaphrodites, producing both spermatozoa and ova so all individuals have the potential to lay eggs. Some freshwater snails and marine species have separate sexes.
Conservation recommendations for snails can be found in SWAP Section 3.9.8.
Amphibians
Amphibians and reptiles are collectively known as herpetofauna and are commonly referred to as “herps” for short. They are often discussed as a group because they occupy many of the same habitats. In this document they are discussed as separate groups in order to present information about conservation and management concerns that are unique to each class of animals. Class Amphibia represents salamanders (including sirens and newts) and anurans (frogs and toads). The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) includes 92 species of amphibians on their checklists of North Carolina amphibians.
Important conservation measures that benefit amphibian species include protection and restoration of ephemeral ponds and wetlands. Information on habitat management for herp species can be found in the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) technical publication on habitat management for amphibians and reptiles in the Southeast, available as a PDF document.
Conservation recommendations for amphibians can be found in SWAP Section 3.2.8.
Birds
North Carolina hosts more than 460 species of birds, of which roughly 360 species are seen at some point during the year. Managers and researchers have better knowledge and understanding of many of our bird species compared to other taxonomic groups, largely because of the popularity of bird-watching and subsequent ability to collect data from researchers and the public alike. Much of the population trend data driving conservation priorities are derived from nationwide citizen science programs like the USGS Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
The conservation needs of birds in North Carolina center mainly on habitat management, restoration, and protection, especially of spruce–fir forest, bottomland hardwood forest, quality early successional habitats, Longleaf Pine communities, riparian and bottomland habitats, and coastal beach and estuarine habitats.
Conservation recommendations for birds can be found in SWAP Section 3.3.8.
- Download Bird SGCN Taxa Team Evaluation Results
- Learn about Birds in North Carolina
- Learn about cooperative conservation efforts for birds you can become involved in by exploring NC Partners in Flight
- Visit the NC Bird Atlas to share your bird sightings and explore birding hotspots near you
Mammals
A 2013 guide to the mammals of North Carolina mammals of North Carolina, prepared by the NC Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) and the NC Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR), noted that there are 121 mammal species in the state; however, several of those accounts represent rare, introduced, or extirpated species such as the Eastern Cougar and Gray Wolf.
North Carolina has an impressive diversity of mammalian fauna, and they are an important component of the natural landscape. Mammals have the ability to influence vegetative communities, play a significant role in nutrient cycling, and contribute to ecosystem integrity. The conservation needs of mammals in North Carolina are addressed mainly through habitat management, restoration, and protection.
Conservation recommendations for mammals can be found in SWAP Section 3.7.8.
Reptiles
The southeastern United States, especially the Coastal Plain, has a high diversity of reptiles, and the state of North Carolina is no exception. North Carolina harbors more than 70 native species of reptiles, including snakes, lizards, turtles, and the American Alligator. Eleven species of native lizards occur in North Carolina, with the highest diversity in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain regions. There are 37 species of snakes native to North Carolina. Snakes can be found from the mountains to the coast, but the highest diversity and the most imperiled species occur in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. North Carolina is home to 21 species of turtles, ranging from the terrestrial Eastern Box Turtle to numerous aquatic species, five sea turtles, and the estuarine Diamondback Terrapin. The American Alligator is the only crocodilian species found in North Carolina, occurring throughout much of the Coastal Plain.
North Carolina is also home to numerous imperiled species of reptiles, ranging from the Bog Turtle in the western part of the state to the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Southern Hognose Snake, Northern Pine Snake, and many others in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. Some of these species, like the Bog Turtle, rely on small, interspersed, very specific habitats, such as mountain bogs, for survival. Other species, like the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake and Northern Pine Snake, require very large tracts of intact, high-quality Longleaf Pine forests—those managed with fire to maintain an open and diverse understory.
Conservation recommendations for reptiles can be found in SWAP Section 3.8.8.
Plants
Many, if not most, of the terrestrial natural communities in North Carolina are composed primarily of plants and, depending on the natural community type, composition will include a range of woody trees, shrubs, herbs and forbs, grasses, non-vascular plants, and composite organisms. Further, plants are fundamental elements of wildlife habitat, providing food, shelter, sites for reproduction, structures for resting and hunting, and often much more, depending on the species or taxonomic group. For example, many wildlife species, such as insect pollinators, butterflies, and moths, are adapted to rely on specific host plants to complete their life cycle.
Since plants are rooted within their landscape position, they are at greater risk to direct impacts from threats when compared to wildlife that are better able to move across the landscape to other areas. Considering this, it is important to support conservation of North Carolina’s native plants considered to be Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) to preserve genetic diversity and seed sources, especially those limited to small, isolated, or fragmented populations.
- Download a list of Plant SGCN
- Learn more about native plants in North Carolina by visiting the NC Native Plant Society website
- Learn more about plant conservation by visiting the Plant Conservation Alliance website
Insects
Insects and other arthropods are the most diverse group of any organisms, plant or animal. North Carolina General Statute 106-65 defines insects, for the most part belonging to the taxonomic class Insecta, as any of the numerous small invertebrate animals generally having the body more or less obviously segmented, comprising six-legged, usually winged forms as adults (e.g.,beetles, bugs, bees, flies), and other allied classes of arthropods whose members are wingless and usually have more than six legs (e.g., spiders, mites, ticks, centipedes, and sowbugs).
The ecological significance of insects is great. They play a key role in ecological processes such as primary consumption, decomposition, and pollination. Insects are a primary food source for many vertebrate species groups. The majority of our plant species included on the state or federal endangered and threatened lists are dependent on insects for pollination. In some cases, specific species of insect pollinators may do most of the work and their loss may contribute to the endangerment of the plant.
Federally listed insect species are protected under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and in North Carolina, the USFWS is the lead agency for conservation of these species. Only two state agencies are actively involved in conducting insect surveys and using this information for conservation: The NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR, formerly Division of Water Quality) Biological Assessment Branch and the NC Natural Heritage Program.