This project used NatureServe Vista and Marxan to assess the condition and priorities for biodiversity conservation in the Upper Neuse River Basin (UNRB). The project was conducted by Diane Allen, NatureServe Intern 2014-15.
To demonstrate the use of NatureServe Vista DSS for conducting watershed assessments and identifying conservation priorities.
The UNRB is a 200,000 ha watershed in the Piedmont region of NC. It includes portions of six counties and is home to 251,482 people. Through eight public reservoirs, it provides drinking water to over half a million people. Population growth has been brisk over the last decade; drinking water customers are projected to double between 2002 and 2030. Concurrent with population growth, forest land has been lost to residential, commercial, and agricultural uses threatening biodiversity and drinking water quality.