As summer winds down, North Carolina lawmakers have (mostly) finished business at the General Assembly, marking the end of the two-year legislative cycle. A lot has happened in that time span, including big wins and challenges for conservation and birds.  

Through the up and downs, Audubon members continued to show up and speak up, including a record in-person turn out at our Advocacy Day in May. Let’s take a look back at the biggest issues this cycle and our work together on behalf of birds... 

Budget Stalemate  

North Carolina’s conservation trust funds are the state’s most important tools for protecting clean air, water, and habitat. That’s why Audubon and our members advocate for them every year, showing lawmakers that conservation has a broad, vocal constituency. This summer, we received good news when the House passed a budget adjustment proposal that included incremental increase to the funds.  

The proposal would have increased the Land and Water Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund by $2 million each, and came on the heels of a similar increase passed by the legislature last year. The bad news is that, for reasons unrelated to conservation, the House and Senate haven’t been able to agree on a budget since then.  

With no compromise in sight, this year’s increases won’t take effect. But including last year’s increases, the two major conservation trust funds are up $4-6 million each. Both were allocated $30 million for 2024 and $28 million for 2025. The bigger takeaway is that there is continued appetite for more conservation funding at the legislature and our advocacy continues to pay off, something we’ll keep in mind as we plan for 2025. 

Conservation Tax Credit 

The biggest conservation win of the summer was the revival of the Conservation Tax Credit, which gives landowners incentives to protect land and habitat. The tax credit passed as part of this year’s Farm Bill, due in large part to advocacy from Land for Tomorrow, a coalition of land trusts and conservation groups, including Audubon.  

The General Assembly got rid of the tax credit a decade ago, as part of a larger purge of many tax credits. The new tax credit has an earmark for agriculture and a sunset, meaning it will expire in two years. Still, its revival is a big and timely win for conservation, as the credit could be a useful tool for protecting wetlands after lawmakers slashed protections last year. On that note... 

Building Momentum for Wetlands 

We had a strong turnout by Audubon members at our annual Advocacy Day in May, where one of our top priorities was wetlands protections. Our members met with lawmakers from across the state and across the political spectrum to talk about the importance of wetlands for birds, and the damage done by last year’s provision. 

Our goal this year was to help build broader awareness and support of this issue, with the hope of restoring wetlands protections in the future. One positive development was a conservation executive order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper early this year, committing the state to protecting and restoring 2 million of acres of wetlands, among other things. It also included strong native plants requirements. Look for more opportunities to engage on these issues soon. 

Protecting Family Land 

Audubon and our partners have worked for years to pass a bill that would help family landowners keep their land and wildlife habitat intact. Called the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, the bill has now passed the House twice, but has stalled in the Senate, which happened again this year. 

More than 20 states, including most Southern states, have passed the legislation. In addition to providing more due process protections, the bill also helps family landowners access federal conservation funding and disaster relief support. More on the bill and the extent of the problem of heirs property here. 

We have strong supporters for the bill in both chambers, and are continuing to work with partners on a way forward. 

Native Plants Win 

The big news from the longer two-year legislative cycle was the landmark Native Plants Act that passed by the legislature last fall. Sponsored by Senator Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), the bill requires native plants for landscaping on all state parks, highways, and historic sites. 

In addition to the direct benefit for birds on state property, the bill will also help increase demand for native plants and help make them more available, which has been a key hurdle to widespread adoption of native plants. 

The fight for native plants is not over and we will continue to work to expand the use of native plants at the state level and to work with chapters on implementing native plant policies at the local level. Since the bill passed, we’ve seen important local native plants wins in Greensboro and Winston-Salem.