Project Bog Turtle, an initiative of the Conservation Committee of the North Carolina Herpetological Society, was founded in 1995. The project is dedicated to the protection of the bog turtle and its habitat in the southeastern United States. The project's main goals are:
- protection of habitat through leases, purchases, or easements
- restoration of altered habitat
- continue surveys to locate new populations
- continue mark-and-recapture studies in selected sites
- landowner education, cooperation, and involvement
- assist and disseminate information to federal and state agencies on bog turtles and their habitat
Tax exempt donations and grants from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have been used for a four year long bog turtle survey in the Southeast, a conservation lease agreement program, and restoration projects at three sites. Project biologists have assisted researchers and wildlife biologists in the Southeast with bog turtle surveys and provided information on management and conservation strategies. Six bog turtle sites have been given short-term protection through conservation lease agreements with private landowners in Georgia and North Carolina. The initial success of Project Bog Turtle indicates that grassroots organizations can have positive effects on endangered species conservation issues.