Environment DEC
From the December 2007 issue
DEC Announces $2.75 Million to Help Vulnerable Wildlife
Turtles in the Hudson Valley, caddisflies in the Adirondacks, paddlefish in Western New York and whales in New York Harbor are among the species that will benefit under $2.75 million in wildlife and biodiversity grants awarded to 20 research and planning projects throughout the state, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced recently. The funding is available through the New York State Wildlife Grants Program, which is the core state program to conserve biodiversity and protect potentially threatened and endangered species. Funding was awarded to projects sponsored by universities, non-profit groups, and research centers.
Seeking Innovative Solutions
New York is home to a number of damselfly species
"The projects that we have chosen will significantly advance our goals of understanding and improving populations of New York's most vulnerable species of fish and wildlife," Grannis said. "Working with these partners, the goal is to find and implement new and innovative ways to reduce the risks facing our state's diverse ecosystems and enhance sensitive wildlife communities for the benefit of all New Yorkers."
New York has a vibrant collection of plants and animals, with more dragonfly and damselfly species than any state except Texas, and more mammal species than any state in the Northeast. According to the New York Natural Heritage Program, however, only 55 percent of the state's plants and vertebrates are considered secure, and the status of most invertebrates remains hard to pin down.
Part of NY's Wildlife Conservation Strategy
These concerns were highlighted during the development of the New York Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) adopted in 2006. The undertaking, which took more than two years to develop and included the input of more than 100 government agency and organizational partners, found that the biological diversity of the state is challenged by development sprawl, habitat degradation and loss, invasive species, pollution and climate change. The strategy's recommendations, including funding the State Wildlife Grants program, will serve as a blueprint to conserve wildlife and prevent additional species from being added to the federal Endangered Species List.
The State Wildlife Grants program receives federal funding to support projects that will protect and enhance the "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN) in New York. More than 500 species in New York are deemed at risk for decline and possible extirpation-herons and egrets, tree bats, freshwater mussels, sturgeon species, several types of butterflies and moths, and the hellbender salamander, among others. The 20 projects receiving funding will protect SGCN and advance the strategy's recommendations through research, planning, management and restoration work, and evaluation of prior restoration efforts to facilitate good management practices for the future. New York State agencies, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations were eligible to apply for grants.
More Information
More information on the CWCS and the full list of the state's Species of Greatest Conservation Need may be viewed at State Wildlife Grants on DEC's website. The full press release, upon which this story is based, contains a table listing the 20 grant recipients with amounts received and brief project descriptions.
