North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative

North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Name	North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Formation	2010
Type	Partnership network
Headquarters	Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Region served	Northeastern United States, Atlantic Canada
Parent organization	Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Network

North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative

The North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative was a regional component of the federal Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Network focused on cooperative natural resource planning across the Northeastern United States and adjacent Atlantic Ocean waters. It convened federal agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United States Geological Survey with state agencies from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey as well as Canadian partners in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The cooperative emphasized landscape-scale science, conservation planning, and information delivery to support decision-makers confronting challenges like sea-level rise, habitat fragmentation, and shifting species distributions linked to Climate change.

Overview

The cooperative operated as a science-management partnership within the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Network, aligning resources from federal entities such as the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency with regional institutions including the New England Aquarium, University of New Hampshire, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Its geographic remit included coastal, terrestrial, estuarine, and marine systems spanning the Gulf of Maine, Long Island Sound, and the coastal plain of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Zone. The cooperative produced geospatial data products, vulnerability assessments, and adaptation frameworks to inform programs run by stakeholders like the National Park Service, USFWS, and state conservation nongovernmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society.

History and Formation

Established around 2010 as part of a national initiative launched under the United States Department of the Interior administration pursuing landscape-scale conservation, the cooperative built on earlier regional collaborations among institutions including the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the Northeast Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems, and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. Early activities focused on synthesizing data from long-term monitoring programs like the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and the Long Term Ecological Research Network to inform strategic priorities for species such as the Atlantic salmon and habitats such as salt marshes and seagrass beds. Over time, partnerships expanded to include tribal nations, municipal planning departments, and cross-border initiatives with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Mission and Objectives

The cooperative's mission emphasized coordinated science to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services across jurisdictions. Core objectives included developing regional conservation designs for focal species and habitats, producing climate vulnerability assessments for coastal systems, supporting migratory corridor protection for species like the Monarch butterfly and Piping plover, and supplying spatial decision-support tools to agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state coastal management programs. Deliverables sought to inform policy instruments including the Endangered Species Act, state wildlife action plans, and regional fisheries management guidance from the New England Fishery Management Council.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance relied on a steering committee composed of representatives from federal agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey, state natural resource departments from Maine DFIFW to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, academic partners like Cornell University and Syracuse University, and nongovernmental groups including World Wildlife Fund and Conservation Law Foundation. Memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements structured collaborations with municipal partners such as the City of Boston and cross-border arrangements with provincial agencies in Prince Edward Island. Technical working groups convened experts from institutions including the National Wildlife Federation and the Smithsonian Institution.

Programs and Projects

Flagship efforts produced regional climate vulnerability assessments, sea-level rise projection maps for the Gulf of Maine coastline, and species distribution models for marine mammals like the North Atlantic right whale and avian migrants using the Atlantic Flyway. Projects included restoration planning for degraded habitats in estuaries such as the Charles River, coordinated monitoring of invasive species like European green crab, and development of decision-support platforms incorporating data from the National Climate Assessment and the National Hydrography Dataset. The cooperative also sponsored landscape-scale conservation design efforts linking inland forests of the Appalachian Mountains to coastal reserves and protected areas administered by the National Park Service.

Funding and Resources

Funding combined federal appropriations allocated through agencies of the Department of the Interior and interagency contributions, supplemented by grants from foundations including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and project-specific support from philanthropic entities such as the Packard Foundation. In-kind resources were provided by participating universities and state agencies through personnel time, data sharing, and laboratory access at institutions like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Budgetary constraints and shifting federal priorities periodically affected the scope and longevity of specific initiatives.

Impact and Criticism

The cooperative contributed interoperable datasets, collaborative conservation plans, and decision-support tools used by agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and regional management bodies including the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Its influence aided habitat restoration projects and informed climate adaptation strategies for coastal cities like Portland, Maine and New Haven, Connecticut. Critics from policy institutes and some state actors cited concerns about federal program continuity, the balance between science and regulatory decision-making, and the efficacy of top-down coordinating mechanisms compared with localized community-led conservation efforts advocated by groups such as Community Forests International and regional land trusts. Debates also addressed data access, prioritization of funding among taxa such as Atlantic cod versus habitat restoration, and the integration of indigenous knowledge from groups including the Penobscot Nation into project planning.

Category:Conservation organizations