2024 ARCHIVES | Special Symposia
The following organized symposia were included in the program at the 2024 NEAFWA Conference.
An Organized Symposium is a series of integrated presentations that address aspects of a single topic or theme. Symposia are the scientific centerpiece of the meeting and will run concurrently with other technical sessions.
An Organized Symposium is a series of integrated presentations that address aspects of a single topic or theme. Symposia are the scientific centerpiece of the meeting and will run concurrently with other technical sessions.
S-01. Conservation and Management of Coregonid Fishes in the Northeast
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Merry Gallagher, Native Fish Conservation Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Lisa Holst, Rare Fish Unit Leader, Bureau of Fisheries, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, [email protected]
Overview:
Coregonid fishes are experiencing dramatic declines in many areas of the Northeast and the mechanisms driving these declines are poorly understood. The stressors often attributed to on-going declines include interactions associated with new species invasions, past fishery management practices, changes in zooplankton dynamics affecting larval fish survival, and habitat loss due to lake eutrophication, shoreline development or climate change. Subsequently, some creative strategies are being considered and even underway in some cases. However, because these stressors are broad and often beyond the ability of a single state to address, recovery is going to take an equally large effort across the region. This symposium invites managers and researchers to share their knowledge, successes, and failures in coregonid conservation strategies, management actions or hatchery production as a starting point to build a Northeast region coregonid conservation and recovery framework. The goal of the session is to lay the groundwork for an on-going collaborative effort to recover and restore where feasible the Northeast’s native coregonid fishes.
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Merry Gallagher, Native Fish Conservation Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Lisa Holst, Rare Fish Unit Leader, Bureau of Fisheries, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, [email protected]
Overview:
Coregonid fishes are experiencing dramatic declines in many areas of the Northeast and the mechanisms driving these declines are poorly understood. The stressors often attributed to on-going declines include interactions associated with new species invasions, past fishery management practices, changes in zooplankton dynamics affecting larval fish survival, and habitat loss due to lake eutrophication, shoreline development or climate change. Subsequently, some creative strategies are being considered and even underway in some cases. However, because these stressors are broad and often beyond the ability of a single state to address, recovery is going to take an equally large effort across the region. This symposium invites managers and researchers to share their knowledge, successes, and failures in coregonid conservation strategies, management actions or hatchery production as a starting point to build a Northeast region coregonid conservation and recovery framework. The goal of the session is to lay the groundwork for an on-going collaborative effort to recover and restore where feasible the Northeast’s native coregonid fishes.
S-02. Conservation Planning and Design: Supporting Landscape-Scale Conservation in the Face of Climate Change in the Northeast Region
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: William Ardren, Assistant Regional Director, Science Applications, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Christina Ryder, (Pronouns: she/her), Delaware River Watershed Program Manager, Science Applications, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]; Lis Willey, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) committees, partners and teams are working collaboratively across states at landscape scales to identify and address shared conservation and management priorities. Conservation planning and design is important to identify the best opportunities for conserving, restoring, and connecting intact habitats and ecosystems and supporting imperiled species to help ensure the future of fish and wildlife across the Northeast region. Spatial conservation planning is increasingly important to ensure resilient and connected lands and waters and allowing species to adapt and migrate in the face of accelerating climate change. This symposium will provide an opportunity to share information on existing and planned spatial conservation planning tools and blueprints at state, regional, watershed and landscape scales in the northeast region, identify gaps and needs and potential next steps to address those needs. In addition to learning about northeast tools, there will be an opportunity to learn about conservation designs from other regions and landscapes. The session will conclude with a question and answer and discussion section.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: William Ardren, Assistant Regional Director, Science Applications, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Christina Ryder, (Pronouns: she/her), Delaware River Watershed Program Manager, Science Applications, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]; Lis Willey, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) committees, partners and teams are working collaboratively across states at landscape scales to identify and address shared conservation and management priorities. Conservation planning and design is important to identify the best opportunities for conserving, restoring, and connecting intact habitats and ecosystems and supporting imperiled species to help ensure the future of fish and wildlife across the Northeast region. Spatial conservation planning is increasingly important to ensure resilient and connected lands and waters and allowing species to adapt and migrate in the face of accelerating climate change. This symposium will provide an opportunity to share information on existing and planned spatial conservation planning tools and blueprints at state, regional, watershed and landscape scales in the northeast region, identify gaps and needs and potential next steps to address those needs. In addition to learning about northeast tools, there will be an opportunity to learn about conservation designs from other regions and landscapes. The session will conclude with a question and answer and discussion section.
S-03. Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Interactions with Offshore Wind Development in the US Northeast
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Jason Bopp, Offshore Wind Specialist, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, [email protected]
Overview:
Commercial offshore wind development has increased substantially within the US Northeast over the past decade and is expected to grow in the region to help achieve federal goals of generating 30GW of offshore electricity by 2030. The development of offshore wind region is anticipated to have local, regional, and cumulative impacts on protected marine species, fishing grounds, sensitive and important habitats, and fishery-independent and wildlife surveys that support natural resource management practices, such as fisheries stock and ecosystem assessments. This symposium will broadly address interactions of offshore wind with fish, commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals and seabirds, and scientific monitoring surveys within U.S. Northeast waters. Topics may address but are not limited to: fisheries mitigation and gear innovation, populations and distributions, physical and biological interactions, wildlife and fisheries monitoring recommendations, cooperative research, behavioral responses, sensitive fisheries habitats, fisheries socioeconomics, and management practices. The goal of this session to provide information exchange concerning marine wildlife/fisheries impacts and lessons learned from offshore wind and facilitate research partnerships among government agencies, non-profit and academic sectors.
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Jason Bopp, Offshore Wind Specialist, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, [email protected]
Overview:
Commercial offshore wind development has increased substantially within the US Northeast over the past decade and is expected to grow in the region to help achieve federal goals of generating 30GW of offshore electricity by 2030. The development of offshore wind region is anticipated to have local, regional, and cumulative impacts on protected marine species, fishing grounds, sensitive and important habitats, and fishery-independent and wildlife surveys that support natural resource management practices, such as fisheries stock and ecosystem assessments. This symposium will broadly address interactions of offshore wind with fish, commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals and seabirds, and scientific monitoring surveys within U.S. Northeast waters. Topics may address but are not limited to: fisheries mitigation and gear innovation, populations and distributions, physical and biological interactions, wildlife and fisheries monitoring recommendations, cooperative research, behavioral responses, sensitive fisheries habitats, fisheries socioeconomics, and management practices. The goal of this session to provide information exchange concerning marine wildlife/fisheries impacts and lessons learned from offshore wind and facilitate research partnerships among government agencies, non-profit and academic sectors.
S-04. Say Cheese! Integration of Camera Monitoring in Wildlife Management Decision Making
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Dave Kramer, Research Scientist, NYS DEC, [email protected]
Overview:
Camera monitoring has become an essential tool for population assessment in wildlife ecology. Monitoring programs can improve our understanding of population demographics, occupancy, abundance and more. Many state agencies currently utilize hunter sighting logs to develop similar population indices, but the quality and quantity of the data is often limited. Despite the utility of camera monitoring, large-scale camera deployments are not a common practice of within state agencies. Agencies are often limited by the cost and time commitment required to deploy and maintain a camera trapping network. This results in agencies deploying small-scale, periodic surveys that only provide a snapshot of current occupancy or abundance for a target species, rather than long-term trends that are preferred for population management decision making. As the technology behind trail cameras and computing improves, agencies need to evaluate ways in which camera monitoring programs can be integrated into current wildlife management decision making.
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Dave Kramer, Research Scientist, NYS DEC, [email protected]
Overview:
Camera monitoring has become an essential tool for population assessment in wildlife ecology. Monitoring programs can improve our understanding of population demographics, occupancy, abundance and more. Many state agencies currently utilize hunter sighting logs to develop similar population indices, but the quality and quantity of the data is often limited. Despite the utility of camera monitoring, large-scale camera deployments are not a common practice of within state agencies. Agencies are often limited by the cost and time commitment required to deploy and maintain a camera trapping network. This results in agencies deploying small-scale, periodic surveys that only provide a snapshot of current occupancy or abundance for a target species, rather than long-term trends that are preferred for population management decision making. As the technology behind trail cameras and computing improves, agencies need to evaluate ways in which camera monitoring programs can be integrated into current wildlife management decision making.
S-05. Existing and Emerging Health Threats to Fish and Wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Northeastern United States
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Melanie Kunkel, NEAFWA Regional Fish and Wildlife Health Coordinator, NEAFWA, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Julie Ellis; Co-Director; Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; [email protected]
Overview:
Infectious and non-infectious threats to free-ranging fish and wildlife health can contribute to and exacerbate population-level declines of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), particularly when many populations of these species are already experiencing other stressors, such as habitat loss and fragmentation and climate change. Health threats can directly cause population-level declines, as in the case of white-nose syndrome (caused by Pseudogymnascus destructans) in some bat species and chytridiomycosis (caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibians. Other health threats may indirectly contribute to or exacerbate population-level declines, such as with West Nile virus in various avian species. For some SGCN (e.g., fish and freshwater species), relatively little is known about the influence of health threats on population trends. Further, research is ongoing to evaluate the impacts of contaminants and other toxicants (e.g., PFAS, colloquially referred to as ‘forever chemicals’) on free-ranging fish and wildlife health. Increasing threats to the health of fish and wildlife populations, in addition to other stressors, present major challenges to biodiversity conservation. State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) serve as the blueprints for conserving and protecting SGCN. SWAPs are revised every 10 years with the next major revision to be completed in 2025. This symposium brings together personnel from academia and state and federal fish and wildlife agencies to provide research updates on existing and emerging health threats to SGCN and, where available, recommendations for managing these threats in the northeast. The aim of this symposium is to provide state agencies with information that can inform their SWAP revisions and minimize the negative impacts of these health threats on fish and wildlife species and protect biodiversity.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Melanie Kunkel, NEAFWA Regional Fish and Wildlife Health Coordinator, NEAFWA, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Julie Ellis; Co-Director; Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; [email protected]
Overview:
Infectious and non-infectious threats to free-ranging fish and wildlife health can contribute to and exacerbate population-level declines of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), particularly when many populations of these species are already experiencing other stressors, such as habitat loss and fragmentation and climate change. Health threats can directly cause population-level declines, as in the case of white-nose syndrome (caused by Pseudogymnascus destructans) in some bat species and chytridiomycosis (caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibians. Other health threats may indirectly contribute to or exacerbate population-level declines, such as with West Nile virus in various avian species. For some SGCN (e.g., fish and freshwater species), relatively little is known about the influence of health threats on population trends. Further, research is ongoing to evaluate the impacts of contaminants and other toxicants (e.g., PFAS, colloquially referred to as ‘forever chemicals’) on free-ranging fish and wildlife health. Increasing threats to the health of fish and wildlife populations, in addition to other stressors, present major challenges to biodiversity conservation. State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) serve as the blueprints for conserving and protecting SGCN. SWAPs are revised every 10 years with the next major revision to be completed in 2025. This symposium brings together personnel from academia and state and federal fish and wildlife agencies to provide research updates on existing and emerging health threats to SGCN and, where available, recommendations for managing these threats in the northeast. The aim of this symposium is to provide state agencies with information that can inform their SWAP revisions and minimize the negative impacts of these health threats on fish and wildlife species and protect biodiversity.
S-06. Right Strategy, Right Place: Supporting Watershed Conservation and Restoration Decisions
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Allison Roy, Assistant Unit Leader, U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Christine Dumoulin, U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Research Center; [email protected]
Overview:
Aquatic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities that alter landscapes, fragment streams, and degrade habitat and water quality. In addition, climate change threatens to alter temperatures and flow regimes, exacerbating effects of other landscape stressors. The success of efforts to protect and restore the ecological benefits of watersheds to humans and aquatic species depends upon prioritizing the right management strategies in the right locations. Such decisions are constrained by limited funding and organizational capacity, and are made more complicated by a lack of information regarding species biology and ecology, present and future physical conditions, and the effectiveness of conservation actions. This session offers an opportunity to discuss approaches for determining where to focus conservation and restoration efforts throughout watersheds. Conservation and restoration actions discussed may include forested riparian buffers, land protection, dam removal, culvert replacement, bank stabilization, natural stream design, population restoration, and stormwater management. Insights gained will be helpful to managers deciding how to focus conservation efforts with limited resources.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Allison Roy, Assistant Unit Leader, U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Christine Dumoulin, U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Research Center; [email protected]
Overview:
Aquatic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities that alter landscapes, fragment streams, and degrade habitat and water quality. In addition, climate change threatens to alter temperatures and flow regimes, exacerbating effects of other landscape stressors. The success of efforts to protect and restore the ecological benefits of watersheds to humans and aquatic species depends upon prioritizing the right management strategies in the right locations. Such decisions are constrained by limited funding and organizational capacity, and are made more complicated by a lack of information regarding species biology and ecology, present and future physical conditions, and the effectiveness of conservation actions. This session offers an opportunity to discuss approaches for determining where to focus conservation and restoration efforts throughout watersheds. Conservation and restoration actions discussed may include forested riparian buffers, land protection, dam removal, culvert replacement, bank stabilization, natural stream design, population restoration, and stormwater management. Insights gained will be helpful to managers deciding how to focus conservation efforts with limited resources.
S-07. Getting it Done: Building Partnerships to Protect and Restore Habitat
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Caren Caljouw, Prescribed Fire Program Manager, MassWildlife, [email protected]
Overview:
Land acquisition and habitat management are both critical tools required to conserve wildlife, but no one entity can do it alone. By breaking out of organizational silos, innovative partnerships are emerging between states, federal and local governments, landowners, tribes, forest-product companies, and NGOs to scale up land protection and habitat improvement projects across the Northeast region. These partnerships have allowed projects to move forward, in cost-effective, mutually beneficial ways. This symposium welcomes presentations highlighting innovative partnerships, funding models, and successes in accomplishing land protection and habitat management goals in the Northeast.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Caren Caljouw, Prescribed Fire Program Manager, MassWildlife, [email protected]
Overview:
Land acquisition and habitat management are both critical tools required to conserve wildlife, but no one entity can do it alone. By breaking out of organizational silos, innovative partnerships are emerging between states, federal and local governments, landowners, tribes, forest-product companies, and NGOs to scale up land protection and habitat improvement projects across the Northeast region. These partnerships have allowed projects to move forward, in cost-effective, mutually beneficial ways. This symposium welcomes presentations highlighting innovative partnerships, funding models, and successes in accomplishing land protection and habitat management goals in the Northeast.
S-08. Climate Change Adaptation for Northeastern Coastal Ecosystems
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Toni Lyn Morelli, Research Ecologist, USGS - NE CASC, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Caroline Gleason, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Overview:
Climate change is one of the primary threats to northeastern coastal ecosystems. This symposium will bring together together climate adaptation scientists and resource managers from the federal, state, university and tribal sectors to share the latest research addressing different kinds of management challenges in the coastal Northeast, highlighting work supported by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC). Featured topics include diadromous fish restoration on Tribal coastal lands, cranberry bog restoration on Cape Cod, and use of tools for prioritizing salt marshes for management.
The NE CASC is an organization delivering science to help fish, wildlife, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. We are organized around actionable, relationship-driven science to support climate adaptation and natural resource management. A significant facet of our work involves coastal adaptation in its many forms, ranging from sea level rise and salt marsh management to habitat restoration and conservation for critical species.
MONDAY, APRIL 22; 1:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Toni Lyn Morelli, Research Ecologist, USGS - NE CASC, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Caroline Gleason, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Overview:
Climate change is one of the primary threats to northeastern coastal ecosystems. This symposium will bring together together climate adaptation scientists and resource managers from the federal, state, university and tribal sectors to share the latest research addressing different kinds of management challenges in the coastal Northeast, highlighting work supported by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC). Featured topics include diadromous fish restoration on Tribal coastal lands, cranberry bog restoration on Cape Cod, and use of tools for prioritizing salt marshes for management.
The NE CASC is an organization delivering science to help fish, wildlife, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. We are organized around actionable, relationship-driven science to support climate adaptation and natural resource management. A significant facet of our work involves coastal adaptation in its many forms, ranging from sea level rise and salt marsh management to habitat restoration and conservation for critical species.
S-09. Pollinators At Risk: Collaborative Conservation and Research to Address Declining Pollinator Populations
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Pollinators are a vital component of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem in the Northeast. This diverse group of organisms has been subject to a wide variety of threats ranging from pesticide use to habitat loss to invasive species and the severity of current issues are only expected to be amplified by climate change impacts. The importance of maintaining healthy pollinator populations has become clear and is becoming an increasingly higher priority for Federal agencies, state agencies, and other environmental organizations. With increases in attention, funding, and resources dedicated to pollinator conservation and research comes greater opportunity for collaboration among partners. Addressing the full suite of threats to pollinators requires working at both local and landscape scales with an engaged network of practitioners. This symposium will highlight pollinator-focused projects and the partnerships that drive them. Talks will focus on topics such as research into poorly understood species, mitigating existing and emerging threats, landscape scale habitat management, and collaborative conservation planning.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Pollinators are a vital component of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem in the Northeast. This diverse group of organisms has been subject to a wide variety of threats ranging from pesticide use to habitat loss to invasive species and the severity of current issues are only expected to be amplified by climate change impacts. The importance of maintaining healthy pollinator populations has become clear and is becoming an increasingly higher priority for Federal agencies, state agencies, and other environmental organizations. With increases in attention, funding, and resources dedicated to pollinator conservation and research comes greater opportunity for collaboration among partners. Addressing the full suite of threats to pollinators requires working at both local and landscape scales with an engaged network of practitioners. This symposium will highlight pollinator-focused projects and the partnerships that drive them. Talks will focus on topics such as research into poorly understood species, mitigating existing and emerging threats, landscape scale habitat management, and collaborative conservation planning.
S-10. Today’s Bread and Butter of Freshwater Fisheries Management: What’s going on around the Northeast?
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 1:20 PM - 4:00 PM
Contact: Joe Overlock, Fisheries Management Section Supervisor, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, [email protected]
Overview:
Regardless of what state you’re from, we are all facing similar hurdles. From threading the needle between species conservation and recreational management, from aquatic invasive threats to climate change, from funding challenges to trouble filling vacancies, from changing public perceptions to collaborative stakeholder engagement – we’re all in this together. The purpose of this general Fisheries Management symposium is to bring managers together from across the Northeast to share relevant topics related to freshwater fisheries management in today’s world. This symposium welcomes presentations highlighting successes, disappointments, novel approaches, solutions to old problems, and lessons learned in the management and restoration of sportfish in the Northeast.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 1:20 PM - 4:00 PM
Contact: Joe Overlock, Fisheries Management Section Supervisor, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, [email protected]
Overview:
Regardless of what state you’re from, we are all facing similar hurdles. From threading the needle between species conservation and recreational management, from aquatic invasive threats to climate change, from funding challenges to trouble filling vacancies, from changing public perceptions to collaborative stakeholder engagement – we’re all in this together. The purpose of this general Fisheries Management symposium is to bring managers together from across the Northeast to share relevant topics related to freshwater fisheries management in today’s world. This symposium welcomes presentations highlighting successes, disappointments, novel approaches, solutions to old problems, and lessons learned in the management and restoration of sportfish in the Northeast.
S-11. At-Risk Shorebird Conservation and Collaboration
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 1:20 PM - 5:20 PM
Contact: Rebecca Longenecker, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Shorebirds have experienced steep population declines in the past 40 years, necessitating an increase in conservation and management actions, development of innovative solutions, and strengthening of collaborative partnerships. This group of species experiences many threats and pressures in the Northeast, including habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, predation, and climate change. This symposium will highlight shorebird conservation and research projects, and opportunities for building collaboration to advance local and landscape-level conservation across agencies, organizations, and researchers. Topics may include research on novel threat-reduction methods (including biological or human dimensions work), updates on agency or organizational-level shorebird conservation initiatives, collaborative conservation planning, or research on the relative importance of threats at different sites or for different species.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 1:20 PM - 5:20 PM
Contact: Rebecca Longenecker, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
Shorebirds have experienced steep population declines in the past 40 years, necessitating an increase in conservation and management actions, development of innovative solutions, and strengthening of collaborative partnerships. This group of species experiences many threats and pressures in the Northeast, including habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, predation, and climate change. This symposium will highlight shorebird conservation and research projects, and opportunities for building collaboration to advance local and landscape-level conservation across agencies, organizations, and researchers. Topics may include research on novel threat-reduction methods (including biological or human dimensions work), updates on agency or organizational-level shorebird conservation initiatives, collaborative conservation planning, or research on the relative importance of threats at different sites or for different species.
S-12. Implementing Collaborative, Multi-scale Landscape Connectivity Conservation in the Northeast U.S. and Southeast Canada
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Mikael Cejtin, Coordinator, Staying Connected Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Mikael Cejtin, Coordinator of the Staying Connected Initiative, The Nature Conservancy; David Paulson, Wildlife and Endangered Species Unit Supervisor , Environmental Services, MassDOT Highway Division; Jens Hawkins-Hilke, Conservation Planner, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department; Marie Andree-Vaillancourt, Biologist and Strategic Advisor, Biodiversity and Wetland Conservation Service, Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks; Phil Huffman, Senior Vice President, Regional and Global Programs, Quebec-Labrador Foundation
Overview:
The Staying Connected Initiative (“SCI”) is a public-private coalition of over 70 conservation organizations, state, provincial, and federal agencies, and academic institutions working together to conserve and restore ecological connectivity in the northeast United States and southeast Canada.
Ecological connectivity is crucial to our future. It is a key strategy for climate change adaption and for conserving the biodiversity so vital to the health of individuals, communities, and economies. Since 2009, SCI Partners have collaborated to advance landscape connectivity conservation and restoration in six states (MA, ME, NH, NY, CT, and VT) and three provinces (NB, NS, QC), focusing on 11 priority linkage areas critical for regional and continental scale connectivity in the cross-boundary Northern Appalachians-Acadian ecoregion, the northern end of the Appalachian Mountain corridor.
Collectively, we have conserved over a half-million acres, guided land use plans to steer development away from intact forest and wildlife corridors, mitigated the fragmenting effects of roads across the region, and catalyzed connectivity policies, including the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) 2016 Resolution on Ecological Connectivity, Adaptation to Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation. The Staying Connected Initiative is a compelling, inspirational example of how organizations can amplify their resources and achieve greater outcomes toward ecological connectivity at the landscape scale.
The SCI coalition includes over 70 core partners, representing the six U.S. states and three Canadian provinces of the Northern Appalachians-Acadian region, as well as neighboring jurisdictions and initiatives in some cases. In addition, a much larger network of local partners implements conservation and restoration activities to achieve SCI’s vision of a connected landscape where people and wildlife can thrive. SCI Partners coordinate at multiple scales, applying a collaborative and integrated approach to that relies on six primary strategies- conservation science, land protection and management, land use planning, transportation and energy infrastructure mitigation, community engagement, and policy guidance. Across the ecoregion, SCI Partners also share best practices, knowledge, and lessons learned as part of a diverse, international, multi-disciplinary peer learning network and community of practice on ecological connectivity. By coordinating and collaborating across silos and boundaries, the partners of the Staying Connected Initiative are achieving meaningful conservation results and impact in a time of historic policy and funding alignment to support this vital work.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Contact: Mikael Cejtin, Coordinator, Staying Connected Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Mikael Cejtin, Coordinator of the Staying Connected Initiative, The Nature Conservancy; David Paulson, Wildlife and Endangered Species Unit Supervisor , Environmental Services, MassDOT Highway Division; Jens Hawkins-Hilke, Conservation Planner, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department; Marie Andree-Vaillancourt, Biologist and Strategic Advisor, Biodiversity and Wetland Conservation Service, Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks; Phil Huffman, Senior Vice President, Regional and Global Programs, Quebec-Labrador Foundation
Overview:
The Staying Connected Initiative (“SCI”) is a public-private coalition of over 70 conservation organizations, state, provincial, and federal agencies, and academic institutions working together to conserve and restore ecological connectivity in the northeast United States and southeast Canada.
Ecological connectivity is crucial to our future. It is a key strategy for climate change adaption and for conserving the biodiversity so vital to the health of individuals, communities, and economies. Since 2009, SCI Partners have collaborated to advance landscape connectivity conservation and restoration in six states (MA, ME, NH, NY, CT, and VT) and three provinces (NB, NS, QC), focusing on 11 priority linkage areas critical for regional and continental scale connectivity in the cross-boundary Northern Appalachians-Acadian ecoregion, the northern end of the Appalachian Mountain corridor.
Collectively, we have conserved over a half-million acres, guided land use plans to steer development away from intact forest and wildlife corridors, mitigated the fragmenting effects of roads across the region, and catalyzed connectivity policies, including the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) 2016 Resolution on Ecological Connectivity, Adaptation to Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation. The Staying Connected Initiative is a compelling, inspirational example of how organizations can amplify their resources and achieve greater outcomes toward ecological connectivity at the landscape scale.
The SCI coalition includes over 70 core partners, representing the six U.S. states and three Canadian provinces of the Northern Appalachians-Acadian region, as well as neighboring jurisdictions and initiatives in some cases. In addition, a much larger network of local partners implements conservation and restoration activities to achieve SCI’s vision of a connected landscape where people and wildlife can thrive. SCI Partners coordinate at multiple scales, applying a collaborative and integrated approach to that relies on six primary strategies- conservation science, land protection and management, land use planning, transportation and energy infrastructure mitigation, community engagement, and policy guidance. Across the ecoregion, SCI Partners also share best practices, knowledge, and lessons learned as part of a diverse, international, multi-disciplinary peer learning network and community of practice on ecological connectivity. By coordinating and collaborating across silos and boundaries, the partners of the Staying Connected Initiative are achieving meaningful conservation results and impact in a time of historic policy and funding alignment to support this vital work.
S-13. Adapting to a Changing Data Landscape in Fisheries Science
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Co-Organizers: Jason M. Boucher ([email protected]); Alex Hansell ([email protected]); Amanda Hart ([email protected]); Cameron Hodgdon ([email protected])
Overview:
Consistent, reliable data sources are essential for effective fisheries management. Despite modern advances, long-term data sets are still commonly impacted by equipment malfunction, natural disasters, and funding lapses that can lead to data gaps. Recent improvements in data collection and modeling frameworks allow for the incorporation of environmental and spatial considerations into stock assessments. These types of modeling approaches can be more biologically and ecologically realistic, but often suffer from high data dependency which can cause numerous issues even with the most data-rich assessments. As the push to incorporate spatiotemporal and environmentally-driven datasets in assessment frameworks rises, so too must the need to address the inherent data gaps. This symposium invites all works on the usage of fisheries assessment approaches and methodologies to address the associated problems with new and existing data streams. This includes, but is not limited to, the development of methods to combine different data sets across spatial or temporal scales, exploring methods of data imputation and their impacts on management decisions, and evaluation of the relationship between sampling limitations and data quality in the context of increasing costs.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23; 3:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Co-Organizers: Jason M. Boucher ([email protected]); Alex Hansell ([email protected]); Amanda Hart ([email protected]); Cameron Hodgdon ([email protected])
Overview:
Consistent, reliable data sources are essential for effective fisheries management. Despite modern advances, long-term data sets are still commonly impacted by equipment malfunction, natural disasters, and funding lapses that can lead to data gaps. Recent improvements in data collection and modeling frameworks allow for the incorporation of environmental and spatial considerations into stock assessments. These types of modeling approaches can be more biologically and ecologically realistic, but often suffer from high data dependency which can cause numerous issues even with the most data-rich assessments. As the push to incorporate spatiotemporal and environmentally-driven datasets in assessment frameworks rises, so too must the need to address the inherent data gaps. This symposium invites all works on the usage of fisheries assessment approaches and methodologies to address the associated problems with new and existing data streams. This includes, but is not limited to, the development of methods to combine different data sets across spatial or temporal scales, exploring methods of data imputation and their impacts on management decisions, and evaluation of the relationship between sampling limitations and data quality in the context of increasing costs.
S-14. National Fish Habitat Partnerships in the Northeast
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Jason Olive, National Fish Habitat Partnership Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]; Simen Kalstaad, Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Director, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, [email protected]; Lori Maloney, Coordinator, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, [email protected]; Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, Director, River Restoration, American Rivers, [email protected]; Ben Page, Lake Habitat Section Chief, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, [email protected]
Overview:
The mission of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation's fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people. This work is carried out across the country through collaborative Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHP). This session will begin with an overview of NFHP and include presentations from four of the FHPs that do work in NEAFWA member states: Atlantic Coastal FHP, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Ohio River Basin FHP, Reservoir FHP.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Jason Olive, National Fish Habitat Partnership Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]; Simen Kalstaad, Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Director, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, [email protected]; Lori Maloney, Coordinator, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, [email protected]; Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, Director, River Restoration, American Rivers, [email protected]; Ben Page, Lake Habitat Section Chief, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, [email protected]
Overview:
The mission of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation's fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people. This work is carried out across the country through collaborative Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHP). This session will begin with an overview of NFHP and include presentations from four of the FHPs that do work in NEAFWA member states: Atlantic Coastal FHP, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Ohio River Basin FHP, Reservoir FHP.
S-15. Conservation Opportunities with Non-Lead Ammunition
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Stacey Lowe, Assistant Refuge Supervisor, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
We are interested in continuing the conversation on raising awareness of the conservation opportunities with use of non-lead ammunition for hunting in the Northeast Region. This symposia will highlight ways we can work together to focus on how to improve education and outreach opportunities to amplify voluntary efforts, and addressing barriers to access and availability issues across the Northeast Region.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Stacey Lowe, Assistant Refuge Supervisor, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview:
We are interested in continuing the conversation on raising awareness of the conservation opportunities with use of non-lead ammunition for hunting in the Northeast Region. This symposia will highlight ways we can work together to focus on how to improve education and outreach opportunities to amplify voluntary efforts, and addressing barriers to access and availability issues across the Northeast Region.
S-16. Incorporating Climate Change into Northeastern State Wildlife Action Plans
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Kevin Burgio, Postdoctoral Fellow, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center - USGS & UMass, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Karen Terwilliger, Terwilliger Consulting, Inc
Overview:
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) are proactive planning documents, known as “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies,” that assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify current management and conservation challenges, and outline needed actions to conserve natural resources over the long term. Across the United States, SWAPs are revised every ten years, with the last revision in 2015 and the next revision anticipated in 2025. While managers have a long history of managing threats such as land-use change, pollution, and harvest, they have expressed a lack of expertise and capacity to keep pace with the rapid advances in climate science, thus making the prospect of integrating climate information into SWAPs, and conservation more generally, a daunting task. This is especially relevant in the northeastern U.S. since it is one of the fastest-warming areas in the world, leading to unprecedented storms, rising sea levels, and extreme precipitation events throughout the region. This session provides information, context, and guidance that managers need to better address climate change in their 2025 SWAPs. Talks will focus on how climate is expected to change in the northeast and how Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN) have been and will likely respond to a changing climate. The session will also showcase a range of existing decision support tools that can aid in identifying and implementing effective climate-smart conservation actions at multiple scales and provide case studies of successful collaborative climate adaptation projects. This session brings together multiple stakeholders, including federal agencies, state agencies, NGOs, and academia, to help address this rapidly intensifying issue at a critical time in the State’s writing and preparation process.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Kevin Burgio, Postdoctoral Fellow, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center - USGS & UMass, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Karen Terwilliger, Terwilliger Consulting, Inc
Overview:
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) are proactive planning documents, known as “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies,” that assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify current management and conservation challenges, and outline needed actions to conserve natural resources over the long term. Across the United States, SWAPs are revised every ten years, with the last revision in 2015 and the next revision anticipated in 2025. While managers have a long history of managing threats such as land-use change, pollution, and harvest, they have expressed a lack of expertise and capacity to keep pace with the rapid advances in climate science, thus making the prospect of integrating climate information into SWAPs, and conservation more generally, a daunting task. This is especially relevant in the northeastern U.S. since it is one of the fastest-warming areas in the world, leading to unprecedented storms, rising sea levels, and extreme precipitation events throughout the region. This session provides information, context, and guidance that managers need to better address climate change in their 2025 SWAPs. Talks will focus on how climate is expected to change in the northeast and how Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN) have been and will likely respond to a changing climate. The session will also showcase a range of existing decision support tools that can aid in identifying and implementing effective climate-smart conservation actions at multiple scales and provide case studies of successful collaborative climate adaptation projects. This session brings together multiple stakeholders, including federal agencies, state agencies, NGOs, and academia, to help address this rapidly intensifying issue at a critical time in the State’s writing and preparation process.
S-17. Ticks & Tickborne Pathogens
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Nicole Chinnici, Laboratory Director, Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, [email protected]
Overview:
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in the United States (U.S.) are a burden to public health. Approximately 75% to 95% of vector-borne diseases reported in the U.S. are transmitted by ticks. Wildlife play a major ecological role in supporting tick populations and maintaining tickborne pathogens (TBPs). Changes of certain environmental conditions, such as host availability for vectors, forest fragmentation, invasive flora, global temperature, and humidity, are accountable for the expansion of tick populations and TBDs. The interactions between the vector and humans pose a significant public health crisis. This symposium will offer a platform for current researchers to share their findings surrounding ticks and TBPs with a mission to advance the field of understanding and bring awareness to the expansion of both the vector and emerging pathogens.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Nicole Chinnici, Laboratory Director, Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, [email protected]
Overview:
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in the United States (U.S.) are a burden to public health. Approximately 75% to 95% of vector-borne diseases reported in the U.S. are transmitted by ticks. Wildlife play a major ecological role in supporting tick populations and maintaining tickborne pathogens (TBPs). Changes of certain environmental conditions, such as host availability for vectors, forest fragmentation, invasive flora, global temperature, and humidity, are accountable for the expansion of tick populations and TBDs. The interactions between the vector and humans pose a significant public health crisis. This symposium will offer a platform for current researchers to share their findings surrounding ticks and TBPs with a mission to advance the field of understanding and bring awareness to the expansion of both the vector and emerging pathogens.