Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) Plan
New York's Wildlife Action Plan
The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) completed in 2005 is New York's state wildlife action plan. The plan serves as the state's guiding document for managing wildlife species in greatest need of conservation and actions needed to conserve them in the future. New York's CWCS was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant Programs in 2006 to secure federal funding support for the species and habitat restoration actions outlined in the plan.
New York's wildlife action plan is currently being revised by DEC biologists and conservation partners. The plan was updated in 2015. For more information, visit the State Wildlife Action Plan web page.
View the Complete Report
A Strategy for Conserving New York's Fish and Wildlife Resources (PDF, 13.1 MB)
Warning: this is a large document. Individual sections of the document may be viewed below.
View Sections of the Report
Background Information
- Acknowledgements, Foreword and Introduction (PDF, 24 pp)
- Natural History of New York (PDF, 16 pp)
- New York State Map (PDF, 2 pp)
- Species Selection Information (PDF, 28 pp)
- Statewide Threats (PDF, 15 pp)
- Statewide Conservation Priorities (PDF, 16 pp)
Conservation Recommendations by Watershed Basin
- Allegheny Basin (PDF, 34 pp)
- Allegheny Tables (PDF, 13 pp)
- Allegheny Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Atlantic Ocean Basin (PDF, 28 pp)
- Atlantic Ocean Tables (PDF, 11 pp)
- Atlantic Ocean Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Delaware Basin (PDF, 24 pp)
- Delaware Tables (PDF, 11 pp)
- Delaware Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Lake Champlain Basin (PDF, 62 pp)
- Lake Champlain Tables (PDF, 16 pp)
- Lake Champlain Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Lake Erie Basin (PDF, 46 pp)
- Lake Erie Tables (PDF, 16 pp)
- Lake Erie Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Lower Hudson-Long Island Bays Basin (PDF, 42 pp)
- Lower Hudson-Long Island Bays Tables (PDF, 18 pp)
- Lower Hudson-Long Island Bays Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Northeast Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Basin (PDF, 72 pp)
- Northeast Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Tables (PDF, 23 pp)
- Northeast Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Southeast Lake Ontario Basin (PDF, 32 pp)
- Southeast Lake Ontario Tables (PDF, 20 pp)
- Southeast Lake Ontario Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Southwest Lake Ontario Basin (PDF, 40 pp)
- Southwest Lake Ontario Tables (PDF, 20 pp)
- Southwest Lake Ontario Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Susquehanna Basin (PDF, 36 pp)
- Susquehanna Tables (PDF, 15 pp)
- Susquehanna Basin Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Upper Hudson Basin (PDF, 48 pp)
- Upper Hudson Tables (PDF, 33 pp)
- Upper Hudson Figure 1 (PDF, 1 p)
- Monitoring (PDF, 18 pp)
- Public Participation and Updates of CWCS (PDF, 6 pp)
Appendix A: Taxonomic group reports from the CWCS Planning Database
- A1: Birds (PDF, 165 pp)
- A2: Crustacea/Meristomata (PDF, 28 pp)
- A3: Freshwater Fish (PDF, 110 pp)
- A4: Herpetofauna (PDF, 80 pp)
- A5: Insects (PDF, 140 pp)
- A6: Mammals (PDF, 43 pp)
- A7: Marine Fish (PDF, 78 pp)
- A8: Mollusks (PDF, 53 pp)
Appendices B and C
- Habitat classifications and a complete list of threats to species of greatest conservation need. (PDF, 8 pp)
Appendix D: Species of Greatest Conservation Need
- D1: Alphabetical list of species of greatest conservation need and their conservation status. (PDF, 21 pp)
- D2: Alphabetical list of species of greatest conservation need indicating the species group assignment of each. (PDF, 36 pp)
Appendices E and F
- List of DEC Unit Management Plans and Rosters of participants on the Watershed review teams. (PDF, 22 pp)
More about Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) Plan:
- Habitats of New York State - Habitat information regarding the New York's State Wildlife Grants Program.
