A role of the Appalachian LCC community -- representing scientists and natural and cultural resource managers from federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and tribal government representatives -- is to help coordinate and plan conservation actions at a landscape level. Based on guidance from this conservation community, the LCC staff and partners are identifying and concentrating their efforts in working with interested partners in "focal areas."
These initial areas of collaborative planning and coordinated action represent conservation zones -- identified through our Landscape Conservation Design modeling effort -- that offer conservation opportunities for long-term protection of immense and unique biodiversity by maintaining connectivity among natural lands and functioning ecosystems. Such strategic planning and collaboration will help address environmental threats that are beyond the ability of any one organization to tackle and lead to the protection of valued natural and cultural resources and continued delivery of environmental benefits to surrounding human communities across the Appalachians and its western river basin.
