Audubon North Carolina has identified 96 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in North Carolina comprising 4.9 million acres. These are places that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds at some time during their annual cycle of breeding, migrating or wintering. Nearly all of North Carolina's IBAs include public lands,  land trust conservation lands, and land owned or managed by private citizens. The IBA program is not a regulatory initiative and places no restriction on land use or activities. Audubon staff work with managers of IBAs to support bird and habitat monitoring, habitat management, and education and advocacy efforts focused on birds. Virtually every conservation planning entity in the state recognizes that IBAs are priority sites for long-term protection. The IBA program has become a dynamic "blueprint for conservation" in North Carolina.