Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 23, 2020
Contact: Julie Buchanan, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, julie.buchanan@dcr.virginia.gov
Virginia, North Carolina officials reaffirm partnership to protect the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring have reaffirmed commitments with North Carolina for the protection and restoration of shared waters and ecosystems that feed the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system.
Both secretaries have signed a memorandum of understanding with their North Carolina counterparts that outlines the states’ continued collaboration through the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, or APNEP.
“Congress designated the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary ‘an estuary of national significance’ in 1987, and the watershed supports a great deal of habitat and biodiversity, all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains at the headwaters of the Roanoke River,” Secretary Strickler said. “Virginia is committed to being a good steward of this region by advancing the identification and protection of critical lands with a deep-rooted Native American tribal history. We look forward to continuing the partnership with North Carolina to conserve and restore precious shared resources in the upper watershed.”
Read the full text of the memorandum.
The Albemarle-Pamlico estuary is the second largest estuarine complex in the contiguous United States. Its 31,500-square-mile watershed encompasses 38 counties in Virginia and 43 in North Carolina. The Chowan, Roanoke, Pasquotank, Tar, Pamlico, Neuse and White Oak rivers are the major tributaries to Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, which make up the estuary.
Much of the drainage area in Virginia is rural and covered by forest, and includes low-gradient black water swamps and bottomland hardwood forests.
“Through this partnership with North Carolina, Virginia provides leadership in protecting the headwaters of a nationally important estuary and demonstrates the significant contribution working farms and forests make in supporting the local economy and the environment,” Secretary Ring said.
North Carolina officials who signed the memorandum:
- Susi H. Hamilton, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
- Cameron N. Ingram, Executive Director, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
- Michael S. Regan, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
- Steve Troxler, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner
“We are proud to continue our partnership with our neighbors in Virginia and our fellow state agencies to protect this beautiful natural resource,” Secretary Regan said. “The Albemarle-Pamlico estuary is a reminder of how our actions impact our environment and why we must work together to restore and preserve these waters, especially as we face the potential impacts of climate change in our region.”
“We are pleased to continue to be a partner in efforts to protect the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, which begins in our Piedmont region of the state and extends through to coastal areas,” Commissioner Troxler said. “This partnership is an extension of ongoing efforts by our N.C. Forest Service, Soil and Water Conservation Division and the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation program to protect and preserve our natural resources for future generations.”
APNEP Director Dr. William Crowell stated, “This memorandum of understanding is another step in bringing people together to conserve our shared resources and improve water quality in the estuary.”
The memorandum re-affirms both state’s commitment to foster interstate collaboration within the shared waterways of the Albemarle-Pamlico region. The memorandum will assist agencies in coordinating with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership to tackle regional issues such as nonpoint source pollution, restoring fish passage and spawning habitat, preserving riparian buffers and controlling invasive species. Agencies will also continue to explore opportunities to assist state, regional and local governments in incorporating climate change and sea-level rise considerations into their planning processes.
The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership was among the first of 28 NEPs established in the late 1980s under the Clean Water Act. The federal-state program is hosted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and works closely with the Commonwealth of Virginia to identify, protect and restore the region’s natural resources from its upstream rivers to the barrier islands where the estuary meets the ocean.
For more information, go to www.apnep.org.
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