North Atlantic LCC works with states to identify Northeast conservation priorities

What areas in the Northeast offer the greatest potential for conserving Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN), such as the American oystercatcher, Little Brown Bat, and Eastern Spadefoot? This question was the subject to debate at the fall meeting of the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee, held during the first week of September in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y.

During the four-day meeting in the Adirondacks, representatives from the Northeast states discussed various factors that could be used to inform the design of Regional Conservation Opportunity Areas (RCOAs). The discussion was aided by posters created by the North Atlantic LCC depicting various units of analysis and geographic conditions that are available for regionally consistent data layers, such as the locations of existing conservation lands, habitat suitability models, ecological integrity and resiliency, climate predictions, and major roadways.

The Committee’s ultimate objective is to establish priorities that look beyond political boundaries in order to reflect priority areas, ecological processes, and connections to guide conservation actions.  

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National LCC "Implementing Strategic Habitat Conservation" funding, the North Atlantic LCC will be able to provide continued support towards developing RCOAs through workshops, analyses, and the development of spatial tools.