Fish and wildlife agencies in the Northeast United States (the Virginias north to Maine) have worked together as the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies for more than fifty years to protect and conserve the region’s vulnerable fish, wildlife and habitats. This document summarizes the innovative and strategic approaches to conservation that have been developed collaboratively with Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee and its key partners. Together, the Northeast states have created a regional conservation planning framework enabling the systematic development of common terrestrial and aquatic habitat classifications, identification of Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need, integrated monitoring framework for species and their habitats and regional assessments of species and habitat condition. Recent conservation efforts for Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (such as New England cottontail and Blanding’s turtle) highlight how the states are applying this regional conservation planning framework across state lines to preempt federal listing by implementing on-the-ground conservation.
Introduction 8
Fish and Wildlife Diversity Conservation in the Northeast States 8
Purpose and Need for This Document 11
Background 13
First Steps: Identifying Priority Species for Regional Conservation 15
Regional Planning and Prioritization Advanced by Cross-border Collaboration 15
2006 Regional Conservation Planning Workshop (Albany I) 16
Northeast RCN grant program 17
2011 Regional Conservation Planning Workshop (Albany II) 20
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives 21
Organization of This Document 23
Intended Audience/Use 27
Further Information 27
Chapter 1—Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need 29
Background 29
Selection Criteria and Methods 32
RSGCN Lists 34
Mammals 53
Birds 59
Reptiles and Amphibians 68
Fishes 75
Invertebrates 83
Additional Information about the RSGCN Development Process 94
Data Describing the Distribution of RSGCN 94
Ongoing Development of Future RSGCN Screening Methods 97
Applications 98
Data Access and Delivery to States 101
Regional Coordination for Species Conservation 103
Northeast Priority Species Conservation Efforts Funded by the RCN Grant Program 104
New England Cottontail 104
Blanding’s Turtle 106
Wood Turtle 107
Eastern Black Rail 110
Eastern Brook Trout 111
Eastern Hellbender 112
Invertebrates 112
Odonates 113
Piping Plover 117
Marine Birds 118
Identifying Important Migratory Landbird Stopover Sites in the Northeast 118
Assessing Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas (PARCAs) and Vulnerability to Climate Change in the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative 119
Representative Species Habitat Capability Models 120
Chapter 2—Regional Habitat Description and Condition 122
Northeast Habitat Condition and Connectivity 123
Conservation Status Assessment 123
Eastern Forests 124
Wetlands 125
Unique Habitats of the Northeast 125
Lakes and Ponds 126
Rivers and Streams 127
Geospatial Condition Analysis 127
Metrics Used by the Geospatial Condition Analysis to Describe Habitat Condition 129
Permeable Landscapes for Species of Greatest Conservation Need 139
Integrity of Ecological Systems 140
Resilient Sites for Species Conservation in the Northeast
and Mid-Atlantic 141
Northeast Habitat Classification Systems 141
Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat Maps 143
Map Updates and Extensions in the Northeast 145
Coastal and Marine Maps 146
Guide to Habitat mAps and Classifications 146
Habitat Conservation Opportunities Supported by RCN Funding and Collaboration 153
Shrublands and Young Forests 153
Tidal Marsh 154
Freshwater Aquatic Systems 155
Coastal and Marine Systems 156
Aquatic Habitats and Threats in North Atlantic Watersheds and Estuaries 157
Chapter 3—Threats to Northeast Fish, Wildlife, and Their Habitats 158
Threats in the Northeast: Common Conservation Concerns 160
Threats Facing Regionally Significant Habitats and Selected Species Groups 161
Habitat Loss and Degradation in the Northeast 162
Threats to Northeast Forests 164
Threats to Northeast Wetlands 165
Threats to Northeast Lakes and Ponds 165
Threats to Northeast Rivers and Streams 166
Threats to Unique Habitats of the Northeast 166
Threats to Selected Species of Greatest Conservation Need 167
Threats to Terrestrial Habitats: Results of the Geospatial Condition Analysis 168
Threats Identified in RCN Collaborative Projects 170
Climate Change 170
Threats to Aquatic Systems 178
Invasive Species Threats in the Northeast 180
Wildlife Disease 180
New Energy Developments 182
Additional Threats Identified by the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee 183
Chapter 4—Conservation Actions in the Northeast 186
RCN Grant Project Case Studies 190
The Staying Connected Initative 191
New England Cottontail Conservation Planning to Address Priority Needs 192
Integrated Monitoring to Inform Conservation and Management 193
RCN Projects Identify Actions to Address Priority Threats 194
Addressing Climate Change in the Northeast 194
Efforts to Address Water Quality, Quantity and Connectivity in the Northeast 199
Addressing Invasive Species 201
Addressing Wildlife Diseases 201
Analyzing New Energy Developments 202
Decision Support Tools to Address Key Threats in the Northeast 203
Tools to Design Sustainable and Permeable Landscapes 204
Tools to Address Aquatic Habitats and Threats in North Atlantic Watersheds and Estuaries 205
Conservation Actions Guidance in the Northeast Lexicon and IUCN-coded RCN Grants Project Summary 206
Additional Regional Actions Identified 206
Chapter 5—Monitoring of RSGCN Species and Key Habitats in the Northeast and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Conservation Actions 208
The Monitoring and Performance Reporting Framework 209
State Wildlife Grants Effectiveness Measures Project 213
Wildlife TRACS 213
Northeast Lexicon for Common Planning and State Wildlife Action Plan Database 214
Region-wide Taxa-specific Surveys and Monitoring 215
Regional Monitoring Protocols and Databases 215
Conservation Status of Northeast Fish, Wildlife, and Natural Habitats 217
Chapter 6—Regional Coordination, Review, and Priorities 218
Importance of Incorporating a Regional Perspective into State Wildlife Action Plans 218
How to Use This Synthesis And Regional Perspective in Wildlife Action Plan Revisions and Other Planning Efforts 219
Regional Coordination and Partnerships for the Future 219
Regional Conservation Needs Grant Program 220
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives 221
Keystone and Focal Species for NFWF, NRCS, USFWS 221
Competitive State Wildlife Grants Program 222
Collaborative Region-wide Projects 222
The Future 223
fReferences 226
Appendices 233
Appendix 1 – Regional Project Summary Table (Includes RCN, SWG and NALCC Projects) 234
Appendix 2 – Northeast Region RSGCN, by Major Taxonomic Group 246