Policy and Advocacy

Strong conservation policies start with community action.

At a time when demand for conservation and recreation is at an all-time high, and citizens are experiencing more frequent and detrimental changes to our landscapes and communities, smart conservation policies, coupled with adequate funding, provide solutions.

Advocating for strong conservation policies will help build resilient communities across North Carolina.

CTNC is working with partners in highly vulnerable communities to find solutions to flooding, soil erosion, drought, water contamination, rising sea levels, and wildfires. All these challenges are made worse by our changing climate. We are bringing everyone to the table to address these issues. Learn more.

CTNC works with lawmakers at the state and federal level to advocate for increased funding for conservation programs, expanded tax incentives for landowners who donate land or conservation easements, and better policies that will protect landowners from forcibly losing ownership of their land. Learn more.

Acquiring land to benefit communities requires significant financial resources from state and federal lawmakers. North Carolina's trust funds: Land and Water Fund, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, and Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, must have adequate funding to support the work of conservation organizations to conserve high-priority natural areas, farmland, river fronts and open spaces in North Carolina. Learn more.

To achieve statewide conservation success, we must work collaboratively.

We work with members of the N.C. General Assembly through Land for Tomorrow, a statewide coalition of leaders and organizations across sectors that have one common goal: increase land and water conservation funding for all of North Carolina's communities. It will take all of us to ensure every part of our state is represented, from the mountains to the coast.

CTNC is an engaged member of multiple stakeholder committees convened by the state, academic and nonprofit partners to advance flood resilience. We share our expertise in community collaboration, natural solutions, and strategic planning approaches learned from other states and countries. 

Together, we can raise our voices and tell lawmakers that our land is important and must be protected.