Growing Returns

3 urgent steps for North Carolina to build back stronger and smarter

By Will McDow / Bio / Published: October 2, 2018

Hurricane Florence’s arrival so soon after Hurricane Matthew serves as an urgent reminder that new, effective and rapidly implementable solutions are required to meet the challenges of a new normal of extreme weather.

“It’s clear that we’re going to have to build back not only stronger, but smarter. When you have two so-called 500-year floods within a 23-months period, you know we’re not talking about 500-year floods. We’ve got to work to make sure we make smart decisions.”
– North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper after surveying extreme flooding from Hurricane Florence

It’s time to invest in three proven approaches to flood preparedness and economic development so that our communities can bounce forward to a more prosperous, safe and resilient future. Read More »

Posted in Coasts, ecosystems / Tagged buyout, climate change, extreme weather, flood storage, flooding, governor, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Matthew, legislature, North Carolina, policy, resilience, roy cooper | Read 1 Response

What do western ranchers and a southern environmentalist have in common?

By Will McDow / Bio / Published: May 12, 2016

Sagebrush in Carson Valley, Nevada. Photo credit: Flickr user loren chipman.

I trace my love of the outdoors to two memories: the first, sitting with my grandmother watching the goldfinches, chickadees and wrens that visited her feeder, and the second, camping in Pisgah National Forest with my parents and sister.

Days spent with my grandmother in our small South Carolina town left an indelible mark on my life. She taught me a conservation ethic that led me to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Camping taught me a love of the land and a respect for those that manage it.

As director of habitat markets, I’m focused on building conservation solutions for wildlife like the greater sage-grouse, a bird that lives more than 2,000 miles from my home in a landscape unlike any of the forests or farms I grew up exploring.

The sage-grouse is an indicator species of a vast declining ecosystem spanning more than 150 million acres across 11 states. The grouse relies on the cover of sagebrush – one of the most iconic symbols of the western landscape.

Because EDF puts a premium on policy, science and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, we’ve been working with landowners, industry, and state and federal agencies to create a habitat exchange program to better ensure the bird’s survival. Common values make this collaboration possible. Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged colorado, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, Colorado Habitat Exchange, conservation, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, greater sage-grouse, habitat exchange, habitat exchanges, habitat markets, landowners, natural resources, Nevada, North Carolina, Partnerships, ranchers, South Carolina, wildlife, Wyoming | Comments are closed

Nevada landowners eager to generate conservation credits, help sage-grouse

By Will McDow / Bio / Published: February 18, 2016

The state of Nevada recently made $1 million available to landowners for enhancing and restoring habitat for the greater sage-grouse, with another $1 million becoming available in the fall of 2016.

Nearly two dozen landowners submitted letters of interest to generate conservation credits for the bird – a clear signal that the market for conservation is viable and competitive.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may have determined that listing the greater sage-grouse on the Endangered Species List was “not warranted,” but that isn’t stopping landowners in key states from stepping up to help the bird, ensuring that it stays off the list. That’s because new conservation programs are coming online that are attractive to landowners, conservationists, and state and federal agencies. Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged conservation, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, greater sage-grouse, habitat exchanges, Nevada, nevada conservation credit system, RCPP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA, wildlife, will mcdow | Comments are closed