In the News
News articles and events on WLFW and Target Species sites.
Native grasses win performance tests
More than one study shows good gains and low costs from native forages.
IN Workshop - Native grasses in Prescribed Grazing Systems
Using Native Warm-Season Grasses in a Grazing System Participants will learn the latest research-supported methods for reliable native forage establishment and grazing management to maintain grass vigor and animal performance through the summer. This training is being presented by The Center for Native Grasslands Management and NBCI through a grant provided by Quail Forever and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in support of the Working Lands For Wildlife: Bobwhite in Grasslands project. Topics to be covered: Bobwhite basics, bobwhite habitat considerations in grazing lands Overview of native warm-season grass (NWSG) establishment Why use NWSG in your grazing system – animal performance and economics How to manage NWSG forages – maintaining vigor and productivity, impact on bobwhite and other grassland birds NWSG in complementary cool-season grass systems. Registration: No registration fee, but registration is required. Please RSVP to jhodge34@utk.edu. Lunch will be provided to participants.
Ag a perfect place to 'do science' (Editorial)
Using agriculture as a venue for science aligns perfectly with the “do science” mentality. The hands-on action-oriented learning in real-life conditions tricks young students into learning by stimulating their senses and curiosity. It exposes them to so many scientific realms that they often learn they like something they never knew about.
How the South Fights Fire with Fire, and What the West Can Learn
Most years Georgia intentionally burns around a million acres of forest. That’s about 30 times the size of California’s prescribed burns. Florida performs prescribed burns over twice that much land. That’s according to data from the national interagency fire center and compiled by the non-profit Climate Central.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife denies Endangered Species Act protection for eastern hellbenders
Just as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has called on the public to help locate and document sightings of the declining population of eastern hellbender salamanders to help in recovery efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list the salamander as an endangered species.
Researchers study eastern hellbender salamanders parental habits
Unlike most wildlife species, male hellbenders provide exclusive care for their young for an extended period of seven months.
Virginia Tech Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Parental Care in Eastern Hellbender Salamanders
William Hopkins, professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is the principal investigator on a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $738,817 to study parental care in the eastern hellbender salamander.
Conservation and Inspiration in the Tennessee River Basin
An article from the Tennessee River Basin Network's third annual meeting, highlighting the work being done in one of America's most biologically diverse watersheds.
New Handouts Summarize Tree Species Responses to Climate Change
NIACS created a series of 2-page handouts that summarize how individual tree species are expected to respond to climate change across the Northeast based on regional climate change vulnerability assessments. Each handout includes model projections based on future climate scenarios and models like the Climate Change Tree Atlas. We think they're a handy way to show a lot of information and get people thinking about managing climate change risk and opportunity. Handouts are available for subregions within each of the three project areas: New England and Northern New York Mid-Atlantic Central Appalachians
Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change Project Now Underway
A new study is underway in New Hampshire's northwoods that will further our understanding of management options for climate change adaptation. The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project is a collaborative effort among scientists and land managers to develop a network of experimental silvicultural trials in different forest ecosystem types throughout the United States, and the Second College Grant, located in the Northern Forest region of New Hampshire and owned and managed by Dartmouth College, is one of five ASCC study sites. The project was initiated last fall and launched into full-force this spring with pre-treatment data collection. Timber harvests began this summer to implement forest management treatments demonstrating the three adaptation options of resistance, resilience, and transition. Scientists and managers will be planting tree species that have been identified as future-adapted for the transition treatment next spring, which includes northern red oak, bitternut hickory, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, basswood, black birch, bigtooth aspen, and chestnut. To learn more about the Second College Grant ASCC project, contact the Site Leads Tony D'Amato or Chris Woodall.
Webinar: Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries: Global, North American, and Management Perspectives
Join AFWA's Effects of Climate Change webinar coming up next Wednesday.
Recovery: Farm Bill Provides Hope for the Cerulean Warbler
With funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) available from the Farm Bill’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (a partnership of state and federal agencies and NGOs including The Nature Conservancy) is helping private land owners restore cerulean habitat. Check out the original article at the Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science blog: https://blog.nature.org/science/2017/08/15/recovery-farm-bill-provides-hope-for-the-cerulean-warbler/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Updates Federal Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region has recently published their quarterly update to the Federal Endangered Species Act. ESA Update #22 includes recovery planning and implementation methods, new Habitat Conservation Plans, information on reclassification, and other changes to the ESA.
“Report Card” to Assess Current Conditions, Ecological Health of Natural Resources in Tennessee River Basin
The Appalachian LCC is supporting researchers from the University of Maryland in developing an assessment of ecological health, or a “Report Card”, for the Tennessee River Basin.
Workshops Introduce New Way to Evaluate Changes to Benefits of Nature
The Appalachian LCC and the U.S. Forest Service held its initial workshops introducing a new way of evaluating ecosystem change and resilience via the Landscape Dynamics Assessment Tool (LanDAT).
Integrating Cultural Resources into Regional Conservation Planning
A collaborative research project sponsored by the Appalachian LCC, the National Park Service, and Penn State University (PSU) is integrating cultural resources, such as historic bridges and Civil War Battlefields, into landscape conservation planning and design.
Land Trusts are Vital Links for Regional Conservation Planning and Management
On April 24, Executive Director Rick Huffines of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust spearheaded a workshop among his network of partners focused on Appalachian LCC science and tools to enhance planning and management in the Gorge.
Appalachian Conservation Heroes Retiring
This year we say goodbye to a number of individuals who were instrumental in the development and growth of landscape conservation in the Appalachians.
New Conservation Fellow Joins LCC Team
Our second Conservation Fellow, Dr. Madeline (Maddie) Brown, will be coming on board in the summer of 2017 and stationed at Penn State University under the direction of Dr. Tim Murtha and jointly supported by the Appalachian LCC and National Park Service.
Saying Goodbye to a Central Component of the LCC Team: Communications Coordinator Moves onto New Opportunity at University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
Appalachian LCC Communications Coordinator Matthew Cimitile will be departing the LCC team after five years for a job opportunity with the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg as their communications and marketing manager/officer.
