NWTF North Carolina, Partners Set to Invest over $3.5 Million in Conservation in Tar Heel State for 2026
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The North Carolina State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation met to review Hunting Heritage Super Fund project proposals for 2026 funding awards. After the review and ranking process, proposals were approved by the North Carolina Board of Directors. The North Carolina Board of Directors budgeted $278,808 for conservation projects and $20,000 for wild turkey research. Additional funds, as needed, will be made available for hunting heritage projects including education and outreach events, chapter scholarships and more. NWTF conservation funding will be matched with $3,221,535 in partner or grant funds for the approved projects.
“The generosity and commitment to conservation by the volunteers in North Carolina is overwhelming,” said Cully McCurdy, NWTF district biologist. “Because of the hard work and dedication of the NWTF volunteers, the approved funds will assist our conservation partners with meeting their management objectives by conserving and enhancing more habitat for wild turkeys and other wildlife.”
One of the most significant funding approvals by the North Carolina NWTF State Chapter is $200,000 to provide the required 25% match to significantly expand the R. Wayne Bailey - Caswell Game Land by 636 acres.
Additional projects will conserve vital habitat in North Carolina, including:
- $55,048 for burn crew support for prescribed fire application in the Southern Piedmont, Central Coast and Southern Coast Regions, impacting 30,000 acres in 2026 across 15 game lands.
- $2,860 for non-native invasive plant species control followed by native grass, wildflower and food plot planting on the North Bend Game Land.
- $6,000 for old fields restoration and conversion to wildlife openings on the Cold Mountain Game Land.
- $4,000 to support purchasing two UTV slip-on firefighting skid units to be utilized on game lands in the Northern Piedmont Region.
In addition to delivering on-the-ground conservation and increasing public access, the North Carolina NWTF State Chapter is helping drive critical wild turkey research by allocating $10,900 for DNA analysis of existing samples from North Carolina to better understand population structure and genetic connectivity within the state and $20,000 to the NWTF’s national wild turkey research endowed professorships.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to create healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.