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State Wildlife Grants Program
and the Comprehensive
Wildlife Conservation Strategy
Jenny A. Landry
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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”
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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%
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Comprehensive Wildlife
Conservation Strategy
 Mandated by congress to remain eligible
for funding
 Submitted to USFWS for acceptance
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
NE Lake OntarioSt. Lawrence
Lake
Champlain
N
SW
Lake
Ontario
SE
Lake Ontario
Lake Erie
Susquehanna
Upper Hudson
Allegheny
Delaware
Lower HudsonLong Island
Bays
Atlantic Ocean/NY Bight
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Fish Highlights
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Sturgeon
American eel
Longear sunfish
Brook trout
Anadromous
species
 Winter flounder
 Gilt darter
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Bird Highlights
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Raptors
Shorebirds
Marsh birds
Common nighthawk
Waterfowl
Colonial nesters
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Mammal highlights:
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Bats
Lynx
Cougar
Wolf
American marten
River otter
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Amphibian and Reptile
Highlights:
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Snakes
Salamanders
Frogs and toads
Turtles
Hellbender
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Invertebrate Highlights:
 Moths
 Dragonflies and
damselflies
 Mussels
 Chittenango ovate
amber snail
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Outcomes – Conservation
Recommendations
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Data Collection
Planning
Management and Restoration
Land Protection
Regulatory and Legislative
Information Dissemination
Incentives and Disincentives
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
NY’s SWG funding so far…
Federal Fiscal
Year
FFY 2001
National
Total
$50 M
NY
Allocation
$2.33 M
FFY 2002
FFY 2003
$85 M
$65 M
$3.73 M
$2.78 M
FFY 2004
$70 M
$2.95 M
FFY 2005
$69.12 M
$2.94 M
FFY 2006
$68.5 M
$2.90 M
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
New Staff
Jason Smith
Lower Hudson – LI Bays
& Atlantic Ocean
Region 2 Office, Long
Island City
Gregg Kenney
Delaware & Upper
Hudson
Region 3 – New Paltz
Paul Novak
Upper Hudson
Region 4 – Schenectady
Joe Racette
Lake Champlain
Region 5 – Raybrook
Angelena Ross
NE Lake Ontario
Region 6 – Watertown
Tom Bell
Susquehanna
Region 7 – Cortland
Amy Mahar
SE Lake Ontario
Region 8 – Avon
Jenny Landry
SW Lake Ontario
Region 8 – Avon
VACANT
Lake Erie & Allegheny
Region 9 – Allegany
Carl Herzog
Data Management
Central Office - Albany
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
72%
of forest land in New York is
privately owned.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
NYFOA Contract
 Develop Materials and Website
 Publicize CWCS implementation needs to
Forest Owners
 Landowner visits
 Database
 Map of landowners and critical habitats
 Strategic Plan
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Boreal Forest Birds
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Deciduous/Mixed
Forest Breeding Birds
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Early Successional
Forest/Shrubland Birds
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Forest Breeding Raptors
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
High Altitude Conifer Forest Birds
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Tree Bats
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Vernal Pool Salamanders
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Woodland/Grassland Snakes
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Thank you!
Jenny Ann Landry
NYSDEC
[email protected]
585-226-5491
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation