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How to Partner with ACF to Make a Difference: Whether you’re part of an organization, a private landowner, or a planner, your involvement is the key to unlocking the full potential of this transformative effort. This guide offers a roadmap to joining forces with ACF and making a lasting impact for future generations.

The Southeast is Perfect for the Aquatic Connectivity Framework: The Southeastern United States is an absolute gem in terms of freshwater diversity. The rivers and streams here are bursting with life, making this region one of the country's most biodiverse places for freshwater species. The Southeast is home to around 600 freshwater fish species, 500 of which are endemic. This region is a global hotspot for freshwater biodiversity, making the Aquatic Connectivity Framework (ACF) an excellent fit for the Southeast. We aim to protect and restore these incredible aquatic habitats through a landscape-scale Working Lands for Wildlife approach.

Forests Protect Our Waterways: Healthy waterways are at the heart of thriving landscapes, and as a landowner, you play a crucial role in keeping these waterways clean and vibrant. Streams and rivers do more than carry water; they nourish crops, support livestock and wildlife, and help maintain the health of our communities. One of nature's most effective guardians of these waterways is the riparian buffer—a belt of trees, shrubs, and grasses alongside rivers and streams. These forested buffers are powerful natural solutions that filter pollution, stabilize stream banks, and provide vital habitats for many species—all while adding value to your land.

A New Partnership between the ACF and SARP: The Aquatic Connectivity Framework (ACF) and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) are excited to announce a new partnership to enhance aquatic habitat connectivity on private lands across the Southeast. This collaboration leverages the unique strengths of both organizations to address barriers that obstruct aquatic organisms from accessing critical habitats.

Fact Sheet: National LCC: America’s landscapes and the fish, wildlife, plants and cultural heritage they support are increasingly impacted by land use pressures and widespread threats amplified by a rapidly changing climate. These threats are not just impacting isolated places or a single species, but affecting entire landscapes and multiple resources. The ability to effectively plan for and address these threats across landscapes is beyond the ability of any one agency or organization.

Conasauga River Aquatic Species: The Conasauga River teems with biodiversity. The river in southern Tennessee and northern Georgia is known for its exceptional mussel, snail, crayfish and fish biodiversity.

Shorebirds of Louisiana Wetlands: Birds like the lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis), stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) and short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) use Louisiana’s wetlands as pit stops during their annual journeys south.

Gopher Tortoise: The gopher tortoise is the only land tortoise native to the Southeast, living in longleaf pine savannahs of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Louisiana Pine Snake: Considered to be one of the rarest snakes in North America, The Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni) calls the lush Longleaf pine savannas of west Louisiana and east Texas home.

Monarch Butterflies: NRCS is working with America's farmers, ranchers, and forest managers on voluntary conservation efforts to combat the decline of monarchs on private lands by establishing new habitat and managing existing habitat for monarchs and pollinators.

Northern Bobwhite Quail: The Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands and Savannas Partner Website is for information sharing by technical experts within NRCS and among its partners.

Eastern Hellbender: The Eastern Hellbender Partner Website was funded for NRCS and its partners to collaborate in support of private landowners to implement Working Lands for Wildlife partnership.

Bog Turtle: The Bog Turtle Partner Website was funded for NRCS and its partners to collaborate in support of private landowners to implement Working Lands for Wildlife partnership.

American Black Duck: The American Black Duck Partner Website was funded for NRCS and its partners to collaborate in support of private landowners to implement the Working Lands for Wildlife partnership.

Yazoo Darter: The Yazoo darter (Etheostoma raneyi) is a small fish that is found only in two watersheds – the Little Tallahatchie and Yocona River watersheds in northern Mississippi. In recent years, Yazoo darter populations have been on the decline, largely because of poor stream health and barriers in streams. To help reverse population declines, NRCS is working with private landowners in targeted areas to increase available habitat and improve water quality to support the species’ recovery.

Colorado River Mussels: With about 95 percent of Texas under private ownership, private landowners have a tremendous opportunity to help mussels and other wildlife species through conservation. NRCS is working with private landowners in the Colorado River basin in Texas to improve water quality to support the species’ recovery.