EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA SENTINEL LANDSCAPE
Established in 2016 to foster collaboration and coordination between farmers, foresters, conservationists, and military installations, the Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape spans nearly 11 million acres across a 33-county region in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and Sandhills. The partnership aims to maintain and enhance working and natural lands, water resources, conservation, and military readiness in eastern North Carolina.
Acres Protected: 148,959
Acres Enrolled: 936,369
The Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape partnership collaborates on a proactive program to sustain the landscape needed for a healthy economy, environment, military, and communities in eastern North Carolina and beyond. These partners act as sentinels to watch over a valued landscape that supports three important sets of interests: working lands, conservation, & national defense.
North Carolina was once predominantly rural, and unplanned development and the encroachment of incompatible land uses had little impact on our working lands and natural resources. However, as the state grew, this changed. Now, private landowners and their working lands, the conservation of natural resources, and the military network in North Carolina are threatened by unplanned development and incompatible land uses. This threatens the health of working lands and natural systems, as well as the military network in eastern North Carolina, including bases, ranges, and airspace.
INTEGRATING PRIVATE LANDOWNERS
As about 90% of the land in North Carolina is privately owned, the Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape Partnership understands that it cannot succeed unless it offers options and incentives that link the interests of rural, private landowners with the national defense mission and conservation goals.
WHAT IS A SENTINEL LANDSCAPE?
Founded in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of the Interior, the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership empowers landowners through sustainable land management by connecting them to assistance programs. Additionally, it bolsters military preparedness by advocating for compatible land use around military installations, while prioritizing conservation, agriculture, recreation, and climate resilience through collaborative initiatives.
EXPLORE OUR NATIONAL SENTINEL LANDSCAPE EFFORTS
Partnerships among federal, state, and local government agencies, tribal governments, nonprofits, and academic institutions define the goals and objectives of sentinel landscapes. These collaborations represent diverse interests in working lands, conservation, recreation, and landowners.