Officials with the state wildlife management agency are looking for input on a proposed plan to protect five species of endangered and threatened sea turtles that nest on North Carolina beaches.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting comments through an online survey about the proposed sea turtle conservation plan. The deadline is May 24.
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Loggerheads and green turtles are listed as threatened, and leatherbacks, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley as endangered, but all need additional assistance to persist and thrive, officials said.
The proposed plan is to help guide ways to maintain and increase populations of the species that nest in the state primarily from May to August, officials said. The plan will include biological information, causes of decline, conservation goals and potential conservation actions for each sea turtle species.
When the comment period closes, staff are to consider the public input and then present the draft plan to Wildlife Resources Commission members for their approval at the June 6 business meeting. Once the plan is approved, the commission and partners are to use the information to guide conservation.
For questions about the plan or sea turtles in general, email sea turtle biologist Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@ncwildlife.org.
