2006 SWG Projects
Grant T-12: Research and Inventory for Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Project 1: Inventory of Freshwater Mussels in Western New York
Freshwater mussels, a vital component of stream ecosystems, are among the most imperiled groups of animals in North America. New York State is home to about 40 species of mussels, but our understanding of their current status is poor, especially in the Lake Ontario watersheds. The objectives of this study are to improve our knowledge of mussel species distribution within the Southeast and Southwest Lake Ontario Basins and provide information that will support habitat management aimed at arresting their decline and ensuring their continued presence in the State.
Project 2: Determine Upland Habitat Requirements of the Northern Cricket Frog
The Northern Cricket Frog is listed as Endangered in New York, and is limited to less than a dozen sites in a few southeastern counties. Much of what we know about the species is centered on the time they spend in lakes and ponds, but this small frog is known to move some distance away from water to spend the winter. We need a better understanding of the benefits that these upland habitats provide in order to adequately protect the species. The goal of this study is to determine how far cricket frogs move from water to hibernate and to describe their winter habitat.
Project 3: Development of a Plan to Improve the Population Status of Hudson River Atlantic Sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon spend the majority of their lives living in the ocean, but return to fresh water streams and rivers to spawn. The late 1800's saw a large commercial fishery for Hudson River Atlantic sturgeon but since that time sturgeon fisheries have collapsed all along the east coast. Although the Hudson River population is the largest remaining stock in US waters, it continues to decline at alarming rates. It is thought that many may die when the juveniles migrate out of the river to live in the Atlantic where some are unintentionally caught during commercial harvest of other fish species. This study will enhance our knowledge of the marine migrant stage of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon and evaluate management alternatives to protect them.
Project 4: Migratory Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs: A Look at Species Interactions
Horseshoe crabs are commercially harvested and are also believed to be a key food source for migratory shorebirds. Some of these bird species are in severe decline. Our current scientific understanding of these species and how they interact is lacking. The objectives of this study are to bolster that understanding by monitoring horseshoe crab spawning activity on Long Island, examining the abundance of migratory shorebirds there and assessing importance of horseshoe crab eggs to shorebird diets. This information will help to determine whether current horseshoe crab management is adequate to ensure both a sustainable commercial harvest and provide for the requirements of shorebirds.
Project 5: Determining the Status of New York's Tree Bats and the Significance of Wind-related Mortalities
The three northeastern species of migratory bats, (red, hoary, and silver-haired bats, known collectively as tree bats) are among the rarest bats in NY State. They are also being killed in troubling numbers at wind turbine sites throughout the East. Tree bats are very difficult to study, but we know that they are long-lived species that reproduce only once per year, suggesting the potential for serious population declines when faced with a threat of this magnitude. The objective of this study is to develop a long-term plan to track their population levels across the State using equipment that can detect and record their echolocation calls.
Project 6: Population Monitoring and Critical Habitat Identification for Wintering Raptors
Short-eared owls and northern harriers are two raptor species that regularly winter in NY. Both have undergone population declines as a result of loss, degradation and fragmentation of the low elevation, open habitat that they prefer. That trend is expected to continue. This study will produce standardized protocols for monitoring wintering raptors in New York State and develop a model of key environmental features and habitat characteristics useful for their management and protection.
Project 1: Re-evaluation of the Status of Inland Fishes of Greatest Conservation Need
Environmental Conservation Law charges DEC with protection and management of fish and wildlife and the preservation of endangered species. Determining which species warrant special protection can be complicated. This project will gather together all known records describing the distribution of rare freshwater fish species in the State and look at how that distribution has changed over time. Experts will then evaluate the data and decide what changes to make to the State's list of endangered, threatened and special concern species.
Project 2: Development of Conservation guidelines and Recovery Plans for Selected Species of Greatest Conservation Need
This project will develop comprehensive recovery plans that will describe the natural history, current status and proposed recovery strategy for 12 species that might disappear from New York unless preventive measures are taken. Factors that were applied in selection of the species included the immediacy of the threat and the DEC's ability to implement a recovery strategy. A wide variety of species will be addressed including butterflies, fish, reptiles and amphibians.
Project 3: Conservation Focus Maps: Coastline, Salt Marsh, and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
New York's marine environment has dramatically changed since humans settled here. Unfortunately the result has been a degraded and fragmented landscape that threatens the survival and diversity of many of the fish and wildlife species that inhabit the area. In order to protect the remaining habitats that support these species we first need to know where they are. New, computer-based mapping tools can help us identify these places. The goals of this project include producing maps that will identify conservation focus areas for the near-shore marine environment. These will be used to guide future preservation and restoration efforts.
Project 4: Conservation Guides for Landowners, Local Land-Use Decision Makers, and Conservation Practitioners
In recent years DEC has produced a series of conservation guides to assist local land-use planners and decision makers. The existing guides cover a wide variety of animals, plants and natural communities, explaining basic ecological information as well as conservation issues, threats, management implications, and research needs. Although the current guides are limited in geographic coverage to the Hudson River basin and Long Island, they have proven to be a useful resource for local planning authorities and state agencies. The objectives of this project are to improve the existing conservation guides to provide even more detailed management recommendations and to increase the number of species and communities they address.
Project 5: Enhancing NY's Natural Heritage Database
The first line of defense in conserving Species of Greatest Conservation Need depends on our ability to know where these species occur. Currently, the only comprehensive database available to track the occurrence of rare species in the State is maintained by the New York Natural Heritage Program. This database tracks more than 430 animal species and provides a ready resource for land-use planners and decision makers throughout the State. This project will extend the capabilities of the Natural Heritage Program ensuring that they can continue to provide the information needed to make informed decisions about development that will provide the maximum benefit to the people of NY.
Project 6: A Multi-species Wildlife Inventory Approach in the Upper and Lower Hudson River Basins
Data on population trends and habitat status are lacking for many Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Monitoring hundreds of species throughout the State of New York is a daunting challenge. This project will employ multi-species inventory techniques and the latest analytical techniques in an attempt to maximize data collection efficiency. Species groups to be targeted include freshwater frogs and toads, vernal pool salamanders, and marshland birds.
Project 7: Monitoring Mountain Bird Communities in New York
The spruce-fir forest of the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains represents a habitat type that is rare throughout the Northeast and its distinctive bird communities reflect this rarity. Stressors such as acid rain, mercury contamination, and climate change have placed mountain birds at risk. This study will provide data to help establish a reliable baseline from which to estimate long-term trends in abundance and occupancy of high-altitude birds, aiding the development of sound conservation decisions.
Grant T-14: Management and Restoration of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Their Critical Habitats
Project 1: Peconic River Fish Passage Installation
Certain fish species live portions of their lives in fresh- and saltwater. Prior to the construction of dams that powered the early industrial development, fish species like alewives, American eel and blueback herring had free access to hundreds of miles of inland streams and rivers. Dams and other barriers to fish movement have been implicated in the severe decline of many of these fish species. This project to replace an impassable culvert located at the Upper Mills Dam on the Peconic River will re-open significant prime historic habitat for river herring and American eel.
Project 2: Hellbender Headstarting
The eastern hellbender, NY's largest salamander, has undergone severe decline within its small historic range in the State. Recent survey information from the Allegheny River basin shows that hellbender populations there are largely comprised of older adult animals, suggesting that eggs are either not hatching successfully or that juvenile hellbenders don't live long enough to become adults. By hatching and rearing hellbenders in captivity for later release, this project will attempt to ensure the continued existence of the species in New York long enough to allow researchers to understand and solve the underlying the causes of the problem.
Project 3: Restoration of Gilt Darter in the Allegheny River
The gilt darter is a small fish last found in NY was in 1937. Its disappearance has been blamed on pollution and silt build up in the Allegheny River basin where it was originally found. Although habitat improvements that have occurred since its disappearance suggest that the fish could once again survive here, the 1965 construction of the Kinzua Dam prevented downstream populations in Pennsylvania from being able to re-colonize NY. The goal of this project is to raise gilt darters in a hatchery using stock from a source population in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, allowing us to replace this extirpated species and help restore the native fish community.
Project 4: Assessment and Implementation of Lake Sturgeon Recovery Efforts in New York State
Lake sturgeon were an historically abundant and widely distributed species in New York State, but severely depleted stocks due to over-harvest and habitat degradation resulted in closing of the fishery in 1976 and the species continued existence in the State is now considered threatened. A stocking program was begun using St. Lawrence River fish as the brood source but had to be discontinued when the fish disease Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia was discovered in the River in 2006. This multi-faceted project will attempt to assess the progress of previous stocking efforts and re-establish a viable stocking program, considered necessary for continuation of the sturgeon restoration program.
Project 5: Barrier Mitigation in the Hudson River Watershed
Hundreds of dams and other barriers to fish movement exist in the Hudson River watershed. Many have outlived their usefulness and are falling into disrepair, yet still prevent the free movement of aquatic species. The impact of these barriers has been implicated in the serious decline of many aquatic species. The objectives of this project include removal of two dams, one each on Quassaick and Moodna Creeks, as well as creating a procedural framework whereby other similar barriers may be removed in the future. The result will be a significant increase in habitat for a number of rare fish species.
Project 6: Barrier Mitigation in the Delaware Basin
Although the extent of the problem is not well documented, there are hundreds of dams and other aquatic barriers in the Delaware River watershed. The impacts barriers have on migratory fish species like American shad have been well publicized but dams, impassible culverts, and some bridge structures are also highly detrimental to other aquatic species as well. Many dams have outlived their usefulness but still cause problems for wildlife. Culverts and bridges often can be modified to allow for fish movement without impairing their primary function. The objectives of this project include identifying barriers in the Delaware River basin that heavily impact wildlife and mitigating the adverse effects of at least 10 of them.
