News
A Complex Landscape has both Vulnerabilities and Resilience to Climate Change
Central Appalachian forests have been experiencing the effects of a changing climate for decades, and effects such as more heavy rainfall events, more drought, and more hot days are likely to continue, according to a new vulnerability assessment for the region by the U.S. Forest Service and many partners.
Endangered Species Act Protections Proposed for Two Appalachian Crayfishes in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia
Just as the central Appalachian landscape was beginning to undergo changes related to early 20th century mining, logging and population growth, researchers documented a number of crayfish species in the streams of this area known for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife. Two of these crayfishes, the Big Sandy crayfish and the Guyandotte River crayfish, are now in danger of extinction.
Forest Service partnership effort improves health of America's Forest
The U.S. Forest Service announced today that 1.45 million acres of America's forests and watersheds – an area larger than Delaware – are healthier as a result of collaborative partnerships to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
Secretary Jewell, American Express Announce Major Commitment to Increase Volunteerism on America’s Public Lands
As part of the Interior Department’s bold youth initiative to engage the next generation of outdoor stewards, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced a new $5-million commitment from American Express to help the Department reach its goal of one million volunteers on public lands annually.
Watershed Decision Tool Webinar Series (UPDATE)
The USFWS Southeast Region Office is sponsoring a webinar series on Watershed Decision Tools with the aim of promoting awareness of the many various watershed prioritization tools available to assist in planning conservation actions and fostering discussion about how each tool is or could be used, applicability and limitations, and possible future improvements and needs. We currently have 4 remaining webinars scheduled and hope to add more. We have switched to a new webex platform to enable recording and archiving of webinar presentations, so login details for the series has changed.
New Study Looks at Future of Appalachian Energy Development
A new study and online mapping tool released by the Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) and The Nature Conservancy are intended to inform discussions among conservation agencies and organizations, industry, policy makers, regulators and the public on how to protect essential natural resources while realizing the benefits of increased domestic energy production.
100 Case Studies Published Today Show How Communities Are Preparing Our Roads, Airports, and Transit Systems for Climate Change
One hundred case studies released today by the Georgetown Climate Center demonstrate how leaders are responding to the growing threats from climate change to America's roads, airports, transit systems, and infrastructure.
AppLCC and FWS Host Marxan Workshop
The Appalachian LCC and Virginia Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jointly hosted a two-day Marxan learning session on February 3rd and 4th, 2015 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Midwest Fisheries Center Seeks New Director!
The Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking applicants for the Director of the Midwest Fisheries Center in Onalaska, WI.
AMJV Partnership Receives $8 Million RCPP Award to Enhance Cerulean Habitat
A project proposal from the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) Partnership was one of 115 high-impact projects to receive in total more than $370 million as part of the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today.
Online course and conference offered to Virginia forest landowners
Virginia forest landowners looking to gain an understanding of how to keep their woods healthy and productive can do so in the comfort of their own home.
Secretary Jewell Announces New Wildlife and Climate Studies at the Northeast Climate Science Center
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced recently that Interior’s Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) is awarding nearly $700,000 to universities and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
LCC Coordinator is Invited Speaker at Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting
On October 30th, Dr. Jean Brennan was the invited speaker at the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Greenville, TN, where she presented an overview on the National LCC Network and an update on the work of the Appalachian LCC.
Ensuring Climate Resilient Aquatic Communities
Partners of the Appalachian LCC presented the “Riparian Restoration Climate Change Resilience Tool” to the aquatic management and research community at the Annual Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) meeting in early September.
Reviewing Studies of Caves and Subterranean Biodiversity
A status review of studies from the cave and karst classification and mapping research project examined an array of research regarding cave environments, cave/karst biodiversity, and previous techniques for mapping and modeling such ecosystems.
Steering Committee Advances the Cooperative’s Conservation Planning Process
Appalachian LCC Steering Committee Members and natural and cultural resource experts met at the National Conservation Training Center on September 3-5 to advance the Cooperative’s landscape planning initiative.
Acquiring Information on the Climate Vulnerability of Appalachian Species and Habitats
A new report out of the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment research project addresses how the Cooperative should acquire information about the climate vulnerability of Appalachian species and habitats and share with its partners.
Data Needs Assessment Research Delivers Suite of Conservation Planning Products
The Data Needs Assessment research project was undertaken to review conservation planning tools, datasets, and methods to provide packages of products, data, and identified data gaps to improve conservation planning in the Appalachian LCC region.
Reviewing the Literature on Freshwater Classification Frameworks
A “Literature Review of Freshwater Classification Frameworks” by Principle Investigators at The Nature Conservancy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory reviewed aquatic and hydrological classifications and frameworks that have been developed at a variety of spatial scales and evaluates which could be applied for use by the Cooperative.
Reviewing Existing Tools and Data on Hydrologic and Ecologic Flow Models
The Aquatic Ecological Flows project reviewed existing tools and gathered available data within the project area on hydrologic and ecological flow models that would be suitable to use for the region.
