HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The North Carolina Sentinel Landscapes Partnership spearheaded a diverse range of initiatives with the goal of advocating for the preservation and enrichment of working lands, conservation endeavors, and national defense. The subsequent list highlights the partnership’s past achievements.
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT & FARMLAND PRESERVATION
The NC ADFP extensively promoted county-wide farmland preservation plans, Voluntary Ag Districts (VADs), Enhanced VADs, and Present Use Value system enrollment, and educated local conservation districts about these opportunities. Additionally, the Fund provided matching funds for easements of value to the military, prioritizing agricultural working lands in “away” and special-use air space. The NC ADFP also awarded bonus points to grant applicants with land in these areas.
FOOD & FUEL 4 THE FORCES
Food & Fuel 4 the Forces (FF4F) was a regional partnership between the military, local government, agricultural industry, economic developers, and environmental interests that added value to eastern North Carolina’s agricultural products. This program provided new jobs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by integrating the military market for food and fuel with regional growers.
The program had two sub-programs, Food 4 the Forces and Fuel 4 the Forces, which helped align supply and demand and develop renewable energy from crops. The program identified distribution systems, procurement processes, and legislative improvements to overcome barriers and improve agriculture supply and military demand integration within the region.
INNOVATIVE CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
A conservation partnership in North Carolina tested a novel approach to making private land more compatible with military aviation training by placing term-limited restrictions on the property, such as limits on tall structures and clustered development, and requiring land to be kept in forestry and agriculture. The partnership used a market-based reverse bid process to determine acceptable compensation for landowners who participated through term-limited contracts of 10, 20, or 30 years. The model showed a clear willingness among private landowners to participate and identified a trending price point acceptable to both landowners and the military, indicating potential for future efforts to protect airspace. This approach offered an alternative to perpetual easements and solutions and was delivered by a diverse partnership, including the North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation and 18 local soil and water conservation districts.
WORKING LANDS CONSERVATION
Private working lands, including farms and forests, not only drove the economy but also provided crucial ecological services such as clean air and water, wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge, and recreational areas. However, these lands were increasingly threatened by the pressures of extensive and often unplanned development. With North Carolina experiencing rapid population growth and corresponding changes to its rural landscape, landowners and citizens alike witnessed the effects of these pressures.
The preservation of working lands was essential to maintaining the quality of life that North Carolinians and visitors enjoyed. Fields and forests were not just beautiful, but also the source of 18% of the State’s jobs, contributing a whopping $78 billion to the NC economy! As the state continued to grow, the rural landscape faced the same challenges as the urban core: unplanned development, encroachment, and incompatible land uses threatened the health of working lands and natural systems, as well as military training and readiness.
This was especially true for the bases, “away areas,” and “corridors” that linked military bases and airfields with remote training ranges. To proactively address these challenges, the North Carolina Sentinel Landscapes Partnership sought to create innovative strategies that sustained and promoted a healthy and valued landscape, balancing the needs of private working lands, conservation, and national defense.
WOOD FIBER SUPPLY ASSESSMENT
North Carolina State University’s Extension Forestry conducted three wood fiber supply assessments for the US Marines Corps Installations East (MCIEAST) to identify potential sources of renewable fuels. The assessments were conducted for Region 1 (New Bern, NC), Region 2 (Jacksonville, NC), and Region 3 (Kenansville, NC).
The key findings from all regions were:
– Opportunities on the Hofmann for Fuel Chip Production:
– 2,000 acres of final harvests annually yielded 10,000 to 20,000 green tons of fuel
– 3,500 acres of pine plantation thinnings yielded 15,000 to 20,000 green tons of fuel from recovered residues
– Chipped thinnings on 3,500 ac/yr depended on pulpwood markets
– 20,000 acres needed fuel reduction. The opportunity would be captured when self-propelled chip recovery technology improved
– Opportunities in the Croatan National Forest (CNF) for Fuel Chip Production:
– 20 acres of final harvests annually yielded 100 to 200 green tons of fuel
– 600 acres of pine plantation thinnings yielded 2,500 to 3,500 green tons of fuel from residues recovered
– Chipped thinnings on 600 ac/yr depended on pulpwood markets
– Fuel reduction opportunities would be captured when self-propelled chip recovery technology improved and as Federal policies funded cost-sharing operations on national forests for fuel reductions
– Prices for clean chips in North Carolina had been consistently lower than the U.S. Southeastern clean chips prices.
– Eastern North Carolina pine and hardwood pulpwood prices were consistently lower than the south-wide average pulpwood prices.
– Over the period from 2006 to 2010 in the southeastern United States, cut and load rates for the Coastal Plain region were consistently lower than the Piedmont region.