RALEIGH — Motorists can help support the conservation and management of brook trout by purchasing a new conservation license plate that depicts the only native coldwater trout in the state.
The Commission must receive a minimum of 500 paid applications before July 1, 2015 for the plate to be produced.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will use all proceeds from sales of this plate to fund habitat protection for brook trout and to create public access to brook trout waters in North Carolina.
In 2013, the General Assembly authorized the creation of a special plate that would promote the native brook trout. Mountain trout fishing is an important component of North Carolina’s economy, with more than 92,000 mountain trout anglers having an annual economic output of $174 million, based on a 2008 report.
“Increasing public access and protecting brook trout habitat are two primary goals outlined in the Commission’s 2013 North Carolina Trout Resources Management Plan,” said Kyle Briggs, a program manager for the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “Specifically, funds generated from the sale of this special license plate will support projects that pursue permanent easements or property acquisition to conserve brook trout and provide angling access. We can also use funds to remove or replace stream barriers for brook trout passage, stabilize stream banks to limit sedimentation, and reduce the effects of acid deposition in high-elevation streams.”
The commission must receive a minimum of 500 paid applications before July 1, 2015 for the plate to be produced. To view a prototype of the license plate, apply for a plate or to learn more, visit the commission’s fishing page.
For more information about brook trout in North Carolina, visit the commission’s brook trout information page.
Discussion