Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative

Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Name	Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Type	Partnership network
Location	Appalachian Mountains, United States
Established	2009
Area served	Appalachian region

Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative convened federal agencies, state agencies, tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to coordinate landscape-scale conservation across the Appalachian Mountains, including portions of the Northeastern United States, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Southeastern United States. It operated within a network of regional partnerships influenced by initiatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey to address cross-jurisdictional challenges such as habitat fragmentation, climate change, and invasive species. The Cooperative served as a forum for collaboration among entities such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, and multiple state departments of natural resources.

Overview

The Cooperative functioned as a landscape-scale consortium linking federal actors like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with state agencies including the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, tribal governments such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and NGOs such as the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation. Its mission aligned with regional conservation frameworks developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission and informed by science from academic partners like Penn State University, University of Kentucky, and University of Tennessee. The Cooperative emphasized coordination with land trusts such as the Appalachian Land Trust and watershed groups including the Chesapeake Bay Program partners.

History and Development

Formed in 2009 amid federal conservation reorganization under leaders from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and policy guidance influenced by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, the Cooperative emerged alongside other regional entities like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Early milestones included mapping exercises with the U.S. Geological Survey and pilot projects with the National Park Service on corridors intersecting the Appalachian Trail. The Cooperative expanded through memoranda of understanding with state agencies and partnership agreements with NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance involved a coordinating body composed of representatives from federal agencies (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service), state natural resource departments (e.g., West Virginia Division of Natural Resources), tribal authorities (e.g., Cherokee Nation), and academic institutions (e.g., University of Virginia). Partnerships included conservation organizations such as Audubon Society, land trusts like Highlands Conservancy (Maryland), and international collaborators where relevant through programs like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act implementation partners. Decision-making occurred through steering committees, technical working groups, and annual meetings co-hosted with regional organizations such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs addressed corridor conservation, species recovery, and climate adaptation with initiatives coordinated alongside the Endangered Species Act recovery plans and the Clean Water Act implementation partners. Key initiatives included landscape-scale mapping with the U.S. Geological Survey and habitat connectivity projects linking protected areas such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park. Collaborative monitoring projects involved academic partners like Clemson University and citizen science programs with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and Smithsonian Institution outreach. Invasive species management aligned with regional efforts led by the National Invasive Species Council and state invasive species councils.

Research and Conservation Priorities

Research priorities emphasized climate vulnerability assessments, corridor modelling, and species distribution studies using data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Climate Assessment, and university research programs at Duke University and North Carolina State University. Conservation targets included priority species under the Endangered Species Act and migratory taxa covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, while habitat priorities included Appalachian hardwood forests, high-elevation spruce-fir ecosystems, and freshwater systems draining to the Chesapeake Bay. Collaborative science integrated methodologies from the National Ecological Observatory Network and regional ecological networks associated with the Conservation Biology Institute.

Funding and Administration

Funding sources combined federal appropriations managed by agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and philanthropic grants from foundations like the Sloan Foundation and the Packard Foundation, supplemented by in-kind contributions from state agencies including the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy. Administration relied on fiscal sponsors and cooperative agreements with federal partners including the U.S. Geological Survey and administrative support from regional entities like the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Impact and Evaluation

The Cooperative reported outcomes through collaborative products such as regional conservation design plans, connectivity maps, and coordinated monitoring datasets used by park managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Congaree National Park and by state wildlife agencies. Evaluations used metrics aligned with national frameworks like the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy and informed adaptive management by partners including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the NatureServe network. The legacy influenced successor regional planning efforts, multistate conservation collaborations, and ongoing scientific partnerships among universities, federal agencies, and NGOs.

Category:Conservation in the United States