The Southeast Conservation Blueprint Values Different Types of Land Use

The Southeast Conservation Blueprint shows areas where conservation would make a positive impact in and around Raleigh, North Carolina. Areas with the highest level of conservation priority (darkest purple on the map) are those where conservation action would make the biggest impact based on different natural and cultural indicators. Large, unfragmented areas like Umstead State Park are often ranked highly for criteria like having intact habitat cores and high biodiversity resilience. Smaller urban ecosystems may also have high conservation value; for example, areas around the Neuse River Greenway are Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas (PARCAs), while the greenway itself is recognized by the greenways and trails indicator for its role in connecting people with nature.