CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you look across North Carolina, there's development everywhere. From the Charlotte metro's rapid expansion to Raleigh-Durham and even in western North Carolina, new housing developments and businesses are popping up everywhere.
With so much growth happening so quickly, some people wonder how it's impacting the natural habitat for the state's wildlife population.
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Everywhere you look, it seems like a new building is going up.
"In the Charlotte metro area, it's just been growing so much and expanding that we are losing more and more of that habitat that we need for wildlife," Davis said.
She said the added traffic, lights and noise pollution can greatly impact certain species, and it might not be one you're thinking of.
"We are following the same trends throughout the nation where our most imperiled species are our freshwater mussels, which can filter out rivers," Davis said.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said more than half of the state's 60-some species of freshwater mussels are under federal or state protection. Nine mussel species that once existed in the U.S. are now gone. Davis says bats and birds are also on the decline.
"Federally, we have the Endangered Species Act, so developers are required to do a site survey to make sure they are following laws," Davis explained. "Statewide, we don't have anything that is specifically there to protect during development, but they do have to go through the federal process."
In a little less than a year, NC Wildlife will present its wildlife action plan to help evaluate habitats for species in our state and develop a strategy to help combat declining species.
Some in Charlotte have also asked us about the deer population. According to NC Wildlife, the population trend in our state has decreased for many areas however, there are some areas throughout the state where the population has increased.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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