From the September 2005 issue

Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Announced

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced the release of the draft Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS), which provides a blueprint for maintaining the rich diversity of wildlife species that live in New York. The public is invited to comment on the plan through September 16, 2005.

"New York's fish and wildlife resources are a treasure we hold in trust for future generations. Conserving these living resources and protecting the ecosystems where they reside is a critical component of successful environmental conservation," Commissioner Sheehan said. "The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy will assist New York in our efforts to conserve important species and the habitats they live in."

Result of Wildlife Grants Program

DEC has been developing the CWCS since the fall of 2001 when federal legislation established a new State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program to provide funds to state wildlife agencies for conservation of fish and wildlife species in greatest need of conservation. New York's more than 700-page draft strategy is being created to provide guidelines to state agencies and lawmakers that will help reduce the potential for fish and wildlife species to be listed as endangered. This information is organized in several different ways to increase its ease of use by land managers and state agency planners.

A Wealth of Information

The CWCS identifies and focuses on the species of greatest conservation need in New York using long-term research and survey efforts to identify threats and problems facing these species. More than 580 species of greatest conservation need including birds, crustacean, freshwater and marine fish, amphibians, insects, mammals and mollusks are identified. The CWCS contains a tremendous amount of information on threats to these species and trends in their populations, as well information on changes in their habitats and land use. This will allow land managers and interested parties to approach conservation of these species either by habitat preservation and restoration, or by addressing the needs of individual species. A plan for continued monitoring and guidelines for strategy revision, which should be conducted at least once every 10 years, are also included in the strategy.

Wide Ranging Recommendations

All this information is analyzed and integrated to produce the conservation recommendations detailed in the report. These recommendations address both species groups and habitats-specifically, the priority efforts needed to maintain and in many cases grow wildlife populations. The recommendations call for increasing public education, continuing population surveys, completing an Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians, protecting, managing and mapping specific habitats, documenting species' life histories, toxicity testing, restoring species, and more. The recommendations also include filling in information gaps on species of special concern that require additional study.

Box turtles make their home
on Long Island and the Hudson
River Valley, areas subject
to intense development

The CWCS was developed with extensive public outreach and input from citizens and interested organizations. DEC established review teams that include experts in wildlife and habitat conservation to provide input and work with DEC professionals. The review teams ensured that the best information available was used to create the strategy and develop the most effective conservation recommendations. A partnership group, including government agencies, non-profit conservation groups, advocacy groups and citizens, was created to discuss the CWCS and the process used to develop it.

Organized by Watershed

Many of New York State's most successful resource management programs are organized by watershed boundaries, including the state and national estuary management programs, the fisheries management program, local assistance programs through Department of State, and others. DEC made a decision to increase the usefulness of the CWCS to partner agencies and organizations across the state by making recommendations on a watershed basis. Eleven watersheds make up New York State: (1) Allegheny, (2) Atlantic Ocean - New York, (3) Delaware, (4) Lake Erie, (5) Lake Champlain, (6) Lower Hudson - Long Island Bays, (7) Northeast Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence, (8) Southeast Lake Ontario, (9) Susquehanna, (10) Southwest Lake Ontario and (11) Upper Hudson.

Watersheds have been chosen as a geographic basis for an ecosystem approach to coordinate current and anticipated conservation efforts. The watersheds for every state have been mapped by the United States Geologic Survey. Watershed maps will facilitate regional and national collaboration in implementing the CWCS over the next decade. The CWCS makes recommendations for actions to protect species and habitats throughout each watershed as well as statewide.

Available for Review

The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy may be viewed online (see "Related Links" below). The draft CWCS document is also available on CD by calling (518) 402-8920. Copies of the draft Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy are available for public review at NYSDEC Regional Offices during normal business hours at the following locations:

Region 1 - SUNY - Building 40 Stony Brook, New York 11790
Region 2 - 1 Hunter's Point Plaza 47-40 21st Street Long Island City, NY 11101-5407
Region 3 - 21 South Putt Corners New Paltz, NY 12561
Region 4 - 1150 N. Westcott Road Schenectady, NY 12306-2014
Region 5 - 1115 NYS Route 86, P.O. Box 296 Ray Brook, NY 12977-0296
Region 6 - 317 Washington St. Watertown, NY 13601
Region 7 - 615 Erie Blvd. West, Syracuse, NY 13204-2400
Region 8 - 6274 E. Avon-Lima Road, Avon, NY 14414-9519
Region 9 - 270 Michigan Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14203-2999

Public Comment Welcome

Comments in writing or by e-mail on the draft Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy are welcome and are due by September 16, 2005. Please send written comments to: NYSDEC, Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources, Attn: Lisa Holst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753. E-mail comments should be directed to the special address established for this purpose: mailto:swgidea@gw.dec.state.ny.us?subject=Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy