Highlights
of the NC Wildlife Federation History
We’re
looking pretty good for 59, if we do say so ourselves. Not that these past
59 years haven’t aged us. There have been some hard-fought victories, some
battles unwon and some continuing fights. A look at our first half-century
reveals a federation working hard to protect the natural resources of our
state. We hope you are as proud of your Federation as we are of you, the individuals
and the clubs who work to ensure that North Carolina is a state where the
environment is clean and healthy, where our wild plants and animals have adequate
habitats and viable populations, and where citizens can enjoy quality outdoor
experiences.
Below
are a few of the highlights from the last 59 years. Sit back, read and remember.
If you have a special NC Wildlife Federation memory, we would love to hear
it.
1945
Sportsmen from around the state, dissatisfied with the management of
wildlife resources in North Carolina form the N.C. Wildlife Federation NCWF
to work for the establishment of a statewide agency to manage wildlife resources.
1947
As a result of the NCWF’s lobbying, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission (WRC) is established.
1951
The NCWF’s sponsorship of legislation to halt stream pollution results
in the creation of the Stream Sanitation Committee of 1951.
1958
The conservation Education Foundation is established by the NCWF to
provide scholarships for the furtherance of wildlife education. The NCWF promotes
a statewide Hunter Safety Program.
1960 At the urging of the NCWF, the WRC initiates
a new wild turkey restoration program.
1961
The NCWF initiates a successful lawsuit to preserve Currituck Sound
from the harmful effects of a proposed oyster shell dredging industry.
1968
A single state zoo facility and Secretary of the interior Udall’s “Clean
Water” Bill are supported by the NCWF. National Wildlife Week coverage and
activities are expanded.
1969
The NCWF receives the National Wildlife Federation’s Outstanding Affiliate
of the Year Award for its success in bringing together a wide variety of citizen
organizations through a series of monthly conservation conferences. The N.C.
Board of Agriculture grants a NCWF request and holds a public hearing on chlorinated
hydrocarbon chemicals, particularly DDT. The result is a sharp curtailment
of the permitted use of such pesticides in NC.
1974 Plans for a NC Coastal Area Management Act
are supported by the NCWF.
1975
The National Wildlife Federation’s Outstanding Affiliate of the Year
Award goes to the NCWF again, and a series of educational conservation retreats
for families is begun.
1978
After opposing the Chicod Creek snagging & clearing drainage project
in Pitt and Beaufort Counties, the NCWF works out a compromise plan with the
Soil Conservation Service.
1982
The NCWF leads support for a volunteer NC Duck Stamp Program. Funds
from the sale of NC Duck Stamp prints and stamps go toward wetland acquisition
by the WRC. The NCWF contributes funding for an Osprey Study.
1983
The first Bald Eagle Hacking Program in NC located at Lake Mattamuskeet,
receives funds from the NCWF. The annual Fur, Fish ‘N Game Rendezvous, a youth
wildlife camp, begins this year with the NCWF as a cosponsor.
1984
The NCWF sponsors the “N.C. Conference on Outdoor Ethics” a meeting
of representatives of conservation groups, landowners, and state and federal
agencies.
1986
As a leader in the support of the Alligator River National Wildlife
Refuge, the NCWF works for its establishment, the development of its management
plan, and the introduction of the red wolf to the refuge.
1987
The NCWF begins a door-to-door canvass, the NC Alliance for Conservation
Action (NCACA), to help raise funds and awareness of conservation issues.
Two issues successfully addressed by the NCWF and NCACA are the Clean Detergent
Act, which eliminates harmful phosphates from detergents, and the Mandatory
Blaze Orange Law, which requires big game hunters to wear
orange. The US Forest Service’s Timber management plan for the Pisgah and
Nantahala National Forests are appealed by the NCWF.
1989
Through an extensive letter writing campaign, the NCWF works for the
establishment of the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge. The NCWF is a
lead supporter of a law to require
first time hunting license buyers to complete a hunter safety course before
receiving their licenses. The NCWF is successful in settling a lawsuit against
a proposed peat mining operation near Lake Mattamuskeet, and they work for
the adoption of SB 111, which encourages recycling by requiring a reduction
in waste going to landfills.
1990 The NCWF provides funds for the production of Ripples: a Big
Sweep Elementary Activity Guide.
1991
The NCWF is a leader in the creation of Budget for a Green Assembly,
a guidebook for state legislators, which outlines potential funding sources
for conservation programs.
1992
The National Wildlife Federation and the NCWF set a national precedent
on wetlands protection with a successful lawsuit to close a loophole that
allows wetlands to be filled. The NCWF’s Project STRIDE Elements of Selective
Wildlife Law wins national acclaim as a guidebook to wildlife violations
for prosecutors, judges and others.
1993
The NCWF & NCACA become one organization, and is instrumental in
the passage of a state parks bond referendum. NC Hunters for the Hungry, a
program where hunters donate deer meat to be processed into ground venison
and distributed to the needy, is supported by NCWF Funds and staff.
1994
NCWF representatives meet with the US Forest Service to discuss the
timber management plan of the Pisgah & Nantahala National Forests. The
plan that evolves from those discussions provides a wood supply that is sustainable
and cost-effective over time, thus reducing the need for clear-cutting; focuses
on maintaining the forests’ natural beauty and characteristics of western
NC; and fosters old growth forests, habitat for neotropical birds and biodiversity.
The NCWF successfully lobbies for funding for a new facility for the NC Museum
of Natural History.
1995
The North Carolina Wildlife Federation celebrates its 50th
anniversary with an expanded annual convention and a renewed commitment to
protecting the natural resources of our state.