State Wildlife Grants Program and the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy

1. State Wildlife Grants Program and the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Jenny A. Landry

2. Conserving Biodiversity • US laws and policies place primary responsibility for wildlife management in the hands of the states • State Wildlife Grants provides Federal dollars to support cost effective conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered.

3. Background of the State Wildlife Grants Program • The program was first authorized by congress in 2002 • Program grew out of Conservation and Reinvestment Act compromise language • Program is subject to annual congressional legislation

4. What does the program do? • SWG program is intended to assist states in biodiversity preservation • Tied to “species in greatest need of conservation” • These are species which have not traditionally received funding for management • Intended to avoid new listings of endangered species

5. How does the program work? • Congress makes an annual appropriation • The funds are apportioned to each state based on a formula • States had to commit to write a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy by Oct. 2005 • Targeted toward “species of greatest conservation need”

6. How does the program work? (cont’d) • The individual states apply for their apportionment annually from USFWS • The program pays for both species investigations and implementation projects • Match required - 50%

7. Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy • Mandated by congress to remain eligible for funding • Submitted to USFWS for acceptance

8. Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Structure • Organized by major watersheds of the state • Species information analyzed by each watershed • List species occurring in the basin • List critical habitats of the basin • Priority conservation actions in the basin • Information from other planning documents reviewed and included.

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10. Fish Highlights • Sturgeon • American eel • Longear sunfish • Brook trout • Anadromous species • Winter flounder • Gilt darter

11. Bird Highlights • Raptors • Shorebirds • Marsh birds • Common nighthawk • Waterfowl • Colonial nesters

12. Mammal highlights: • Bats • Lynx • Cougar • Wolf • American marten • River otter

13. Amphibian and Reptile Highlights: • Snakes • Salamanders • Frogs and toads • Turtles • Hellbender

14. Invertebrate Highlights: • Moths • Dragonflies and damselflies • Mussels • Chittenango ovate amber snail

15. Top Threats to Species of Greatest Conservation Need Statewide • Habitat loss and fragmentation • Only 15% of state land area in public ownership • Contaminant deposition • Acids • Mercury • Nitrogen products • Degraded water quality & altered hydrology

16. Top Threats to Species of Greatest Conservation Need Statewide (cont’d) • Invasive species • Changing farm and forestry practices • Direct human-wildlife interactions • Collisions • Poaching • Unregulated harvest • Climate change

17. Outcomes – Conservation Recommendations • Data Collection • Planning • Management and Restoration • Land Protection • Regulatory and Legislative • Information Dissemination • Incentives and Disincentives

18. Outcomes – Policy and Practice • Moving away from single species management. • Integrating fish and wildlife management with environmental quality. • Dealing with species metapopulations • Integrating fish and wildlife disciplines through habitat management.

19. New Ways of Working Under SWG • Addressing both natural resources and environmental quality issues • Creating stronger interdivisional relationships • Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources • Division of Lands and Forests • Division of Water

20. NY’s SWG funding so far…

21. New Staff • Federal Fiscal Year 2004 funds were used to hire 9 ecologists within 11 major watersheds and 1 data coordinator • This single year of funds will cover staff salaries for at least three years • New staff will implement the SWG program and the recommendations in the CWCS

22. New Biologists’ Duties • Develop and write 5-year action plans in consultation with Watershed Team and Agency Staff • Recruit Watershed Team members • Annual watershed priority development for RFA • Watershed project oversight/management • Watershed project implementation • Annual grant reporting • Communicate CWCS issues with Watershed Team, other DEC Divisions and programs in the regions

23. New Staff

24. NY Forests • Forest cover has returned to 60% of the land area of New York concurrent with the decline of agriculture. • Need active management of vegetative succession • Sustainable forest practices, in accordance with BMPs, improve forest health and resilience

25. 72% of forest land in New York is privately owned.

26. NYFOA Contract • Develop Materials and Website • Publicize CWCS implementation needs to Forest Owners • Landowner visits • Database • Map of landowners and critical habitats • Strategic Plan

27. Boreal Forest Birds

28. Deciduous/Mixed Forest Breeding Birds

29. Early Successional Forest/Shrubland Birds

30. Forest Breeding Raptors

31. High Altitude Conifer Forest Birds

32. Tree Bats

33. Vernal Pool Salamanders

34. Woodland/Grassland Snakes

35. Thank you! Jenny Ann Landry NYSDEC jalandry@gw.dec.state.ny.us 585-226-5491