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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says a series of environmental directives and goals he initiated to protect and restore forests and wetlands in the state will help counter climate change and aid the economy. Cooper had signed an executive order on Monday that in part sets statewide acreage targets for governments and private land-protection groups by 2040.

North Carolina has millions of acres of estuarine habitat, and the NC Coastal Federation wants the public’s help to keep them safe.

Cooper says one provision in the wide-ranging agriculture bill would weaken protections for wetlands and allow more pollution.

The state House has approved legislation that critics worry could eliminate protections for wetlands and water quality.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation finished its restoration of the North River Wetlands Preserve this winter. Wetland habitats play several crucial roles, including protecting water quality, preventing floods, and serving as critical territory for unique plants and animals.

Sea level rise is predicted to cause salt marshes to migrate inland, leaving adjacent freshwater wetlands with nowhere to go.

As sea levels rise along the North Carolina coast, saltwater encroaches on coastal freshwater wetlands. A network of drainage ditches has exacerbated the problem, transporting saltwater inland to invade forested wetlands.

With sea turtles, fish and birds splashing around in the morning sunlight, marshes that line the American coast might appear peaceful and primordial. But…

With sea turtles, fish and birds splashing around in the morning sunlight, marshes that line the American coast might appear peaceful and primordial. But…

They weigh 20 pounds, have bright orange buck teeth, and look like a cross between a beaver and a rat. The nutria is an invasive rodent that has become a…