Northeast Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee
THE COMMITTEE'S PURPOSE
For more than two decades, partners in the Northeast have been laying the foundation for collaborative conservation at large scales by gathering information about fish, wildlife, and natural systems that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
However, partners have faced barriers to implementing projects across state lines that can achieve outcomes at scales that matter for people and wildlife. To address these barriers, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) formed a Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee in 2022.
Representing 13 state wildlife agencies, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the committee and its working group serve as a hub for bringing together knowledge and priorities from all committees within NEAFWA and advancing shared conservation goals for priority landscapes in the face of challenges and opportunities.
The committee creates conservation opportunities and efficiencies by:
Learn more about the committee and its support for landscape conservation in our Story Map.
However, partners have faced barriers to implementing projects across state lines that can achieve outcomes at scales that matter for people and wildlife. To address these barriers, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) formed a Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee in 2022.
Representing 13 state wildlife agencies, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the committee and its working group serve as a hub for bringing together knowledge and priorities from all committees within NEAFWA and advancing shared conservation goals for priority landscapes in the face of challenges and opportunities.
The committee creates conservation opportunities and efficiencies by:
- Fostering strategic partnerships: Provides a forum for partners to align priorities, develop shared objectives, and translate vison to on-the-ground conservation action
- Mobilizing resources: Leverages resources and expertise to secure funding and support for large-landscape conservation
- Reducing costs and barriers: Streamlines project costs and reduces administrative barriers to implementation
- Building capacity: Empowers partners with knowledge, tools and resources to address conservation challenges that span border
Learn more about the committee and its support for landscape conservation in our Story Map.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the of the Northeast Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee is to provide leadership and direction from the NEAFWA Directors and leadership within the Northeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) on efforts related to large-scale landscape conservation needs and opportunities, including the development and coordination of shared priorities and interjurisdictional efforts.
PRIORITY LANDSCAPES
The Northeast Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee used a robust approach to synthesize priorities from all NEAFWA committees and Service programs to identify seven landscape priorities and themes. The Steering Committee agreed that the first two landscapes listed below (Atlantic Coast: Coastal Resiliency and Coastal Habitat Restoration and Appalachian Corridor Highlands and Streams) would be the initial focus, but that the other five landscapes and themes are also priorities for ongoing collaboration in the region.
Click on a landscape or theme below to learn more.
Appalachian Corridor Highlands and Streams
The Appalachians are an ancient chain of largely forested mountains, valleys, wetlands, and rivers interspersed with communities and agricultural lands, spanning about 2,000 miles from Alabama through the heart of the Northeast Region to Canada. The diverse terrestrial and aquatic systems support globally important hotpots of biological diversity and form headwaters to major east coast river systems that many communities rely on for water. The Appalachians are one of the most important south-north corridors in North America, providing critical pathways for species migration in the face of climate change.
The northern forests of the Appalachians also connect east-west to the northern tier forests of southern Canada and the Midwest. The diverse forests support important breeding and migratory stopover habitat for priority forest birds and the streams, wetlands and riparian areas support brook trout, rare fish, at-risk turtles, and freshwater mussels and other invertebrates.
Why coordination is needed: An integrated, strategic, landscape conservation approach is needed to build on existing partnerships and communities to restore, connect, and manage these highly diverse habitats and species and maintain the Appalachians as a resilient and connected corridor.
The northern forests of the Appalachians also connect east-west to the northern tier forests of southern Canada and the Midwest. The diverse forests support important breeding and migratory stopover habitat for priority forest birds and the streams, wetlands and riparian areas support brook trout, rare fish, at-risk turtles, and freshwater mussels and other invertebrates.
Why coordination is needed: An integrated, strategic, landscape conservation approach is needed to build on existing partnerships and communities to restore, connect, and manage these highly diverse habitats and species and maintain the Appalachians as a resilient and connected corridor.
Atlantic Coast: Coastal Resiliency and Coastal Habitat Restoration
The Atlantic Coast of the Northeast Region includes a diverse complex of wetlands, beaches, bays, estuaries, and rivers that support significant concentrations of resident and migratory fish and wildlife alongside coastal cities and smaller communities. In addition to impacts from human modification and encroachment, the marshes, beaches, and other coastal habitats and species are increasingly being impacted by rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms such as Hurricane Sandy.
Why coordination is needed: A coordinated landscape approach is needed to build on existing efforts by states and partners to accelerate planning and implementation of coastal habitat restoration resulting in increased resiliency of natural coastal systems, habitats, listed and other priority species, and coastal communities in the face of these impacts.
Why coordination is needed: A coordinated landscape approach is needed to build on existing efforts by states and partners to accelerate planning and implementation of coastal habitat restoration resulting in increased resiliency of natural coastal systems, habitats, listed and other priority species, and coastal communities in the face of these impacts.
Northeast Region River, Stream and Watershed Restoration
The Northeast Region includes a network of rivers and streams connecting the mountains to the Atlantic Coast. This network and associated riparian areas, wetlands, and floodplains provide habitat and connectivity for a diversity of aquatic and semi-aquatic species including freshwater mussels, eastern brook trout, diadromous and other rare fish species, wetland dependent birds, wood turtles, and other at-risk reptiles and amphibians.
Why coordination is needed: A coordinated, regional watershed-based approach to conservation building on and tying together existing and planned watershed and taxa-based partnerships is needed for the restoration of rivers, streams, riparian areas, aquatic (and associated terrestrial) connectivity, and fish passage on rivers and streams in the Northeast. Coordinated restoration would not only increase the health and resiliency of these systems for wildlife but also reduce flooding and improve water quality for communities under both current and predicted conditions including warmer temperatures, lower flows, and increased frequency of floods and droughts.
Why coordination is needed: A coordinated, regional watershed-based approach to conservation building on and tying together existing and planned watershed and taxa-based partnerships is needed for the restoration of rivers, streams, riparian areas, aquatic (and associated terrestrial) connectivity, and fish passage on rivers and streams in the Northeast. Coordinated restoration would not only increase the health and resiliency of these systems for wildlife but also reduce flooding and improve water quality for communities under both current and predicted conditions including warmer temperatures, lower flows, and increased frequency of floods and droughts.
Appalachian and Northern Forests
The matrix habitat of the Northeast region is forest including the Appalachian Mountains and the Northern Forest of New England and New York, extending north into Canada. Conservation and management of these forests is needed to support a diversity of birds, bats, other mammals, and other species as well as to sequester carbon. Connected habitats in a range of successional stages support a variety of at-risk forest birds including golden-winged warbler, wood thrush and cerulean warbler, priority gamebirds including ruffed grouse and American woodcock, bats such as the northern long-eared bat, other mammals such as New England cottontail, wood turtle and other at-risk reptiles and amphibians, and wide-ranging mammals such as black bear, moose, and Canadian lynx.
Why coordination is needed: Conserving, restoring, and managing a diverse well-connected network of core forest areas is critical for allowing species to move and adapt and for maintaining the integrity of aquatic systems and small patch habitats within the forest matrix. A holistic approach to forest management that benefits soil, water, and wildlife is also better for sustaining trees, forest products, and jobs in the forestry sector.
Why coordination is needed: Conserving, restoring, and managing a diverse well-connected network of core forest areas is critical for allowing species to move and adapt and for maintaining the integrity of aquatic systems and small patch habitats within the forest matrix. A holistic approach to forest management that benefits soil, water, and wildlife is also better for sustaining trees, forest products, and jobs in the forestry sector.
Conservation of Pine Barrens, Grasslands and other Xeric Barrens Habitat and Dependent Species in the Northeast
An adaptive approach for actively monitoring and managing natural pine barren habitat, grasslands, and other xeric barrens habitat is important to maintain these rare disturbance-dependent habitats for a range of barren-dependent at-risk, Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need and listed species such as frosted elfin, whip-poor-will, aerial insectivores, Karner blue butterfly, grasshopper sparrow, and upland sandpiper.
Why coordination is needed: Military and other managed lands are important for maintaining habitats for these species across the region.
Why coordination is needed: Military and other managed lands are important for maintaining habitats for these species across the region.
NEAFWA Support and Coordination for Watershed and Other Delivery Partnerships
The Northeast Region includes multiple large watershed-based and other landscape partnerships including those with associated grant programs in the Delaware River watershed, Chesapeake Bay watershed, Highlands region, Great Lakes, and other areas. There are also emerging watershed partnerships actively organizing and seeking Congressional authorizations and appropriations including New York-New Jersey Rivers and the Connecticut River watershed.
Why coordination is needed: Coordination of regional scale landscape conservation planning and delivery with these funded and emerging watershed and landscape delivery partnerships is critical to ensure incorporation and funding of NEAFWA priorities through these partnerships and to address common priorities and utilize consistent information to guide planning and implementation.
Why coordination is needed: Coordination of regional scale landscape conservation planning and delivery with these funded and emerging watershed and landscape delivery partnerships is critical to ensure incorporation and funding of NEAFWA priorities through these partnerships and to address common priorities and utilize consistent information to guide planning and implementation.
Northeast One Health Initiative: Wildlife Disease Monitoring, Response, Management
Human health, wildlife and domestic animal health, and ecosystem health are interconnected and require collaborative approaches to ensure the health of all. Wildlife are facing increased risk of new and emerging diseases. As humans continue to share space closely with wildlife, the risk of zoonotic diseases also increases.
Why coordination is needed: To reduce the risk of disease, it is important for the Northeast Region to take a broader, cooperative approach to addressing One Health issues within and beyond state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. To increase fish and wildlife health capacity and engage in One Health approaches to conservation, NEAFWA has a Fish and Wildlife Health Committee and supports a Regional Wildlife Health Coordinator.
Why coordination is needed: To reduce the risk of disease, it is important for the Northeast Region to take a broader, cooperative approach to addressing One Health issues within and beyond state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. To increase fish and wildlife health capacity and engage in One Health approaches to conservation, NEAFWA has a Fish and Wildlife Health Committee and supports a Regional Wildlife Health Coordinator.
WHO WE ARE
Steering Committee
Paul Johansen, Chair (WV)
Sharon Marino, Co-Chair (USFWS)
Mark Tisa (MA)
Becky Gwynn (VA)
Dave Golden (NJ)
Pam Toschik (USFWS)
Steve Kuennen (U.S. Forest Service)
Kasey Taylor (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Working Group
Jenny Dickson (CT) – Northeast Wildlife Administrators
Todd Richards (MA) – Northeast Fisheries Administrators
Amy Martin (VA) - Northeast Fish & Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee (Terrestrial)
Mark Ferguson (VT) - Northeast Fish & Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee (Aquatic)
Justin Schlawin – Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Eve Schluter - Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Reina Tyl - Pennsylvania Game Commission
Mike Slattery – USFWS Landscape Conservation Program
Kyle Welsh – USFWS Office of Conservation Investment
Chris Dweyer - USFWS Office of Conservation Investment
Staff
Coordinator – Liz Willey (Contact: [email protected])
NEAFWA Executive Secretary – Gordon Batcheller
Paul Johansen, Chair (WV)
Sharon Marino, Co-Chair (USFWS)
Mark Tisa (MA)
Becky Gwynn (VA)
Dave Golden (NJ)
Pam Toschik (USFWS)
Steve Kuennen (U.S. Forest Service)
Kasey Taylor (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Working Group
Jenny Dickson (CT) – Northeast Wildlife Administrators
Todd Richards (MA) – Northeast Fisheries Administrators
Amy Martin (VA) - Northeast Fish & Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee (Terrestrial)
Mark Ferguson (VT) - Northeast Fish & Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee (Aquatic)
Justin Schlawin – Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Eve Schluter - Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Reina Tyl - Pennsylvania Game Commission
Mike Slattery – USFWS Landscape Conservation Program
Kyle Welsh – USFWS Office of Conservation Investment
Chris Dweyer - USFWS Office of Conservation Investment
Staff
Coordinator – Liz Willey (Contact: [email protected])
NEAFWA Executive Secretary – Gordon Batcheller