State offers opportunity to support wildlife
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission invites 2025 North Carolina taxpayers to donate all or part of their state tax refund to the N.C. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund. Donations support research and conservation projects for the state’s most vulnerable wildlife.
Planned rule changes threaten hellbender’s protection as endangered species
The ideal habitat of the Eastern hellbender that Tracy Davids described was pretty much what she saw on Tuesday morning as she stood ankle-deep in the Davidson River.
“Relatively shallow, fast-moving, highly oxygenated water because (hellbenders) breathe through their skin,” said Davids, senior southeast representative for the Defenders of Wildlife environmental organization.
Public comment sought on proposal to list hellbender as endangered
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as an endangered species throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Eastern hellbenders are found in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Endangered Species Act decisions reached for hellbender, green salamander
The eastern hellbender does not deserve listing under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided, but the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, which was first described as a unique species in 2019, warrants a status review to consider listing.
