Topics Related to Conservation

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources, in cooperation with Eno River State Park, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, City of Durham, Durham County, Town of Hillsborough and Orange County, will be treating the Eno River for hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, May 29 through Aug. 31.

Gorges State Park in Transylvania County will host its third annual Mountain Monarch Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park’s visitor center. The festival celebrates the monarch butterfly during its migration and bring attention to the species’ declining numbers.

Staff from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation reintroduced the Roanoke logperch to Mayo River State Park in early November, kickstarting a joint effort that helps conserve the endangered darter and other aquatic species in the Dan River Basin

The North Carolina state parks system welcomed more than 20.1 million visitors in 2023 and ended the year with a total of 262,074 acres.

The access at Bean Shoals in Pilot Mountain State Park will be improved by a construction project that includes three new bridges and a stream restoration.

Jockey's Ridge State Park is celebrating Native Plants Week 2023 with a visit from First Lady Kristin Cooper, Audubon North Carolina, and Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson.

The Division awarded more than $3 million in grants for 13 projects for state trails.

The Division is hosting a series of public information meetings to seek public input on the future of North Carolina's newest state park.

The NC Division of Parks and Recreation will now offer two boat cleaning stations at Lake Waccamaw State Park in Columbus County to hinder the spread of hydrilla and other highly invasive aquatic species.

The $17.4 million will fund nine capital improvements projects and six land acquisitions.