Landscape Conservation Design in the North Atlantic LCC: A Pilot Project in the Connecticut River Watershed

The North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working with UMass Amherst and others, are leading a collaborative effort to develop a landscape conservation design for the Connecticut River Watershed. The pilot effort, launched in January 2014, is designed to serve as a demonstration for applying large-scale conservation design tools and processes. Steps in the design process have included 1) selecting and prioritizing focal plant, fish, and wildlife species and developing population objectives for selected species; 2) translating the population objectives into habitat objectives using species habitat models developed for the full Northeast region; 3) prioritizing ecosystems while evaluating long-term potential for their integrity and resilience; and 4) developing a spatial design to reflect identified priorities, including high priority core areas and connections among them to result in a resilient ecological network. Scenarios of future climate change and development are being considered in the design. Initial drafts of the conservation design have been completed and provide a visual framework through several map products. The design is intended to reflect the common priorities of governmental and nongovernmental partners working within the 7.2 million acre watershed and, ultimately, to guide shared conservation actions to protect, restore, and manage lands and waters to sustain the species and ecosystems of the watershed.