Partners for Green Growth Cost-Share

The Partners for Green Growth program supports conservation-based land use planning projects by local and tribal government entities through a cooperative agreement. Eligible projects will focus on plans, incentives or ordinance methods that would better conserve Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and Priority Habitats as defined by the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan (2025).

Planning projects should support the principles of wildlife conservation planning detailed in the Green Growth Toolbox including, but not limited to, projects that support the removal of regulatory barriers to wildlife habitat conservation in local ordinance procedures and requirements. For example, by enabling:

• Conservation subdivisions that conserve large contiguous areas of wildlife habitat in secondary development growth or rural districts and wetland, floodplain and stream protection in all districts.
• Higher density, mixed-use development in or near town or city centers and Low Impact Development (LID).
• Creation or improvement of incentives for conservation-based land use and or development through local ordinances.
• An evaluation of opportunities for natural resource conservation overlay districts or voluntary conservation districts based on effective density bonus incentives.
• A wildlife habitat conservation plan to be considered for adoption by the governing board.
• A land use, transportation or other plan draft that considers effective wildlife conservation.
• Implementation of an existing plan for wildlife habitat conservation such as establishing a conservation or natural resources committee or completing a process to measure plan, incentive or ordinance effectiveness.
• Establishment of a local fund to defray the cost of conservation easements or acquisitions.
• Creation of voluntary conservation-based development and land use guidelines to be considered for adoption by the governing board.
• Conducting conservation-based development charrettes for specific areas that have a high conservation value and a high likelihood of development. The results of these charrettes can be provided to developers free of cost.
• Planning projects that reduce development encroachment near permanently conserved areas, like those that support military training.
• Planning that supports conservation of wildlife travel corridors.

Projects that demonstrate a high likelihood for improved conservation of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Priority Habitats are required. Twenty-five percent in-kind match from non-federal sources is required (see below for further information). Preference will be given to projects from communities in areas of high biodiversity where dispersed development is occurring. Landscape level projects, large site projects, or projects that protect military training are preferred. Please refer to the Green Growth Toolbox and to the NC Wildlife Action Plan (2025) in preparing your project ideas and invited applications.  

A Note on GIS Maps

GIS maps of priority wildlife habitat are already available statewide and extensive additional mapping may not be needed for your community. We prefer that GIS mapping costs represent only a minor portion of the funds requested and that GIS mapping time or costs be provided as non-federal in-kind match (details below) to the maximum extent possible. NCWRC biologists can assist you with GIS mapping and provide conservation data layers to your county. Please see the following for existing wildlife habitat GIS maps:  

Conservation Data for Green Growth

NC Natural Heritage Program Data Explorer

For the 2026 cycle: Project solicitations for ideas will begin in mid-March. Project idea submissions are required and are due April 24. Invited final application are due May 15. All projects should begin by July 1st or October 15th and be completed within 18 months or less. 

Eligible applicants are local and tribal governments in North Carolina, transportation planning organizations, and Councils of Government or other planning organizations. Partnerships between local and tribal governments and non-governmental, non-profit (NGO) conservation-related organizations are also eligible. Local and tribal government project applications are encouraged.  

• Important: These funds cannot be used to write or draft an ordinance or regulation (due to legal constraints on funds that are the source for Partners for Green Growth). However, time spent on writing or drafting actual conservation-related ordinances can count as non-federal in-kind match (details below).
• Funds can be used to: gather background or supporting information for an ordinance, create a model ordinance, or to craft conservation development or land use guidelines to be considered by the governing board for adoption. Funds can be used to write plans. Adoption of any plan, incentive, ordinance, or guidance document is NOT a condition for reimbursement of funds and is not required under any circumstances. 

1. Projects must be completed within 18 months.
2. A secondary staff member must be available to take on management of the project should the original applicant / project manager change jobs. This will help to minimize delays in projects if staff members change jobs.
3. Interim reports must demonstrate the project is proceeding on schedule and deliverables are met.
4. Regular meetings must be held with NCWRC to discuss progress and the contract timeline.
5. The project principal and any consultants must have either taken the Green Growth Toolbox workshop or demonstrate a background in natural resources conservation planning.
6. (Invited final applications only) It is highly encouraged to provide proof of review and approval of the final application by an appropriate governing board, such as Board of Commissioners, Town/City Council, or a Tribal Council. Draft resolution of support language is below.
7. Non-federal in-kind match is required. For more information, see below. 

At least twenty-five percent non-federal in-kind match is required. Non-federal in-kind match is additional staff time or funding from a non-federal source that is spent on the proposed project. The non-federal in-kind match does not need to be a cash amount. Non-federal in-kind match can be in the form of hours of staff or consultant time expended working on the project that equates to a dollar value based on salary (from non-federal funds). In-kind match in the form of time spent on the project can be attributed to non-staff board members, public input meeting attendees, or volunteers at a rate of $16.08 per hour. In-kind match is calculated as a proportion of the entire project cost. For example, if $10,000 is requested from Partners for Green Growth then $10,000 is 75 percent of the entire project cost and the entire project cost is $13,333 ($10,000 / 0.75). Twenty-five percent in-kind match is $3,333 (25% of $13,333). 

Resolution of Support Template

RESOLUTION OF REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND SUPPORT PROPOSAL FOR A PARTNERS FOR GREEN GROWTH COST-SHARE PROJECT

WHEREAS, the ___(board, plan, other guidance)__ __ identified [conservation need] as a key issue to address; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has solicited cost-share applications to utilize its Partners for Green Growth Program to consider wildlife and natural resource conservation in land use and development planning; and

WHEREAS, staff have proposed a project scope that would ___[address conservation need]_ as well as protect and conserve natural resources and open spaces, consistent with the _[guidance] ; and

WHEREAS, this project would be overseen ______ and managed by the Planning Department; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the _____[BOARD]___ as

follows:

1.    The _[BOARD]_ supports the goal of the Partners for Green Growth Program to support __[local governments']__ wildlife and natural resource conservation efforts, including the implementation of planning projects that consider these goals in land use planning.

2.    The _[BOARD]__ has reviewed the attached proposed Partners for Green Growth grant application and approves of and supports such application.

3.    _[local government]__ staff is directed to submit the Partners for Green Growth application to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

4.    That this resolution is effective upon adoption.

Adopted this _DATE_

Signatures, seal 

• Leland Green Network Plan
• Pittsboro Future Land Use Plan
• Chatham County Big Woods Conservation Design Guide
• Triangle Connectivity Collaborative Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan
• Cabarrus County Natural Resources Conservation Design Guide