Sen. Richard Burr: Investing in nature helps NC’s economy — and military

Spring is well underway in North Carolina, and that means longer days, warmer weather, and more time outdoors. It’s an annual reminder that we are blessed with a beautiful state. Springtime also means our General Assembly will be back in session in Raleigh. As our state’s population and economy grow, North Carolina’s leaders will do well to strengthen taxpayer investments in our natural places.

During my time in Congress, I championed programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund because, like the people of North Carolina, I know how important our outdoor places are. Conserving nature continues to be one of the smartest investments our state and country can make. A new report by The Nature Conservancy calculates the national average return on investment for conservation funding is 4:1.

In North Carolina, our natural places are hard at work every day in ways that are obvious — providing food, clean air, and clean water—and in ways that are more subtle, but no less important — boosting our economy, improving military readiness, and protecting our lives and property.

Nature is the backbone of North Carolina’s economy

Agriculture is the heart of our state’s economy, valued at over $100 billion. North Carolina farmers not only put food on our tables, they also support almost one million jobs. Yet North Carolina is second only to Texas in projected farmland loss — totaling 1.2 million acres lost by 2040. Programs that help farmers prevent soil erosion, maintain wildlife habitat, and improve water quality are important, but we must do more to preserve our working farms through the NC Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.

Conservation also supports North Carolina’s robust outdoor recreation economy. Trout fishing, which like many of you, I love, hunting, and other outdoor activities funnel billions of dollars into the state’s economy and support tens of thousands of jobs year after year. In 2024, this sector generated $17.8 billion and supported over 155,000 jobs. The previous year, North Carolina’s iconic national parks such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cape Hatteras National Seashore brought in 20.9 million visitors and $4.1 billion. We must continue to support investments in the state’s Land and Water Fund, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, and Great Trails Program to support the outdoors economy.

Nature strengthens our military’s readiness

Investing in nature is also essential to the readiness and long-term prosperity of our state’s military communities. North Carolina proudly hosts some of America’s most important military bases. Installations like Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune are home to tens of thousands of dedicated service members and their families. Not only do our installations play a vital role in our national security, but the military’s presence is also North Carolina’s second leading economic driver after agriculture.

Federal programs like the Department of War’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, which I supported in Congress, and state-level grant programs like the NCLWF and ADFPTF provide critical funding to ensure lands around our bases are protected from development that would otherwise restrict military readiness and our bases’ training missions.

Nature enhances our safety

Investing in nature is proving to be a cost-effective way to help protect people and property from the destructive effects of flooding, wildfires, storms, and drought. Every $1 spent on conservation can save $7 nationally in future disaster costs. Along our coasts, wetlands are estimated to provide $23.2 billion in storm protection services nationally each year. Unfortunately, we in North Carolina, from the mountains to the Outer Banks, are all-too familiar with the devastation that flooding can bring. Smart investments in nature can help.

People and business continue to flock to our state for good reason — our beautiful state is a great place to live, work, and raise our families. Let’s keep it that way for our kids and grandkids. This spring, I encourage my fellow North Carolinians to join me in reminding our state leaders that strong investments in conservation funding are important to our economy and to our way of life.

Richard Burr served as a United States senator from North Carolina from 2005 to 2023.

This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 10:33 AM.