Resources

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Below we list upcoming trainings, seminars, and conferences happening in the southern US, as well as headline stories, reports, and funding sources pertinent to Southern Conservation Partners' mission and interests.

Photo by Mike Dunn

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Upcoming regional conferences of interest in the Southern U.S. We invite you to provide us with information about other conferences concerning protection and enhancement of environmental resources.

2026 National Natural Areas Association Conference
October 6-8, 2026 in Asheville, NC

2026 Regional Longleaf Alliance Conference
week of October 26 week in Williamsburg, VA

Conservation News Headlines and Featured Resources
- see also the DEFENSE section of this website -

Bird Numbers Are Falling Dramatically
The number of birds in the United States and Canada fell by 29 percent between 1970 and 2019. The journal Science REPORTED in 2019 there were 2.9 billion fewer birds taking wing now than there were 50 years earlier. The analysis was the most exhaustive and ambitious attempt yet to learn what is happening to avian populations. The results shocked researchers and conservation organizations. David Yarnold, president and chief executive of the National Audubon Society, called the findings “a full-blown crisis.” Experts have long known that some bird species have become vulnerable to extinction. But the study, based on a broad survey of more than 500 species, reveals steep losses even among such traditionally abundant birds as robins and sparrows. The Audubon Society's SURVIVAL BY DEGREES looks forward and predicts a frightening future for birds. No one has assembled a larger data set of bird observations for North America, from as many diverse sources, to assess the impacts of climate change on birds. Audubon scientists spent five years analyzing 604 bird species using 140 million bird records and the same climate models that the world’s leading climate experts rely on. "This somber report is a resounding call to action."

Safe Passages for Wildlife
There is no more deadly stretch of highway for wildlife mortality than the Interstate 40 passage through the Pigeon River Gorge in western North Carolina and east Tennessee. There every year hundreds of animals -- including bear, elk, deer, and many other species-- are struck and killed, with consequent casualties for the drivers and passengers of the colliding vehicles. I-40 bisects pristine natural forest habitat and wildlife corridors between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the National Forest and wildlife refuges on both sides of the highway, which has no functional wildlife passages over or under the road. A consortium of about twenty wildlife conservation groups and agencies are advocating for construction of wildlife over- and under-passes along the I-40 corridor in locations of prime wildlife movement and greatest numbers of vehicular collisions. READ MORE.

Rethinking Land Conservation in Climate Change
Climate change will alter the composition of our land (and water)-scapes and the natural communities and species that inhabit them. Climate change has significant consequences for land conservation. A report published in the Denver Law Review (Vol. 95:3, 2018) examined nearly 300 conservation easements in six states and conducted over 70 interviews to try to understand how private land conservation is responding to climate change and what we can improve. Government agencies and nonprofit land trusts rely heavily on perpetual conservation easements. However, climate change and other dynamic landscape changes raise questions about the effectiveness and adaptability of permanent conservation instruments like conservation easements. The paper, “Climate Change Challenges for Land Conservation,” builds on a study of 269 conservation easements and interviews with 70 conservation-easement professionals in six different states (South Carolina is the only southern state examined). The academic researchers studied the adaptability of conservation easements to climate change and outlines four potential approaches to enhance conservation outcomes under climate change: (1) Shift land-acquisition priorities to account for potential climate-change impacts. (2) Consider conservation tools other than perpetual conservation easements. (3) Ensure that the terms of conservation easements permit the holder to adapt to climate change successfully. (4) Provide for more active stewardship of conservation lands.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Longleaf Forests and Rivers Plan
NFWF’s "Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan" (update 2023) helps inform grant investments through the Longleaf Stewardship Fund and Southeast Aquatics Fund. See the plan is on NFWF’s website.

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Report Details America’s Looming Wildlife Crisis
The 2018 report Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis: Securing the Future of Our Fish and Wildlife, described the threats to America's wildlife, including:

One-third of America’s wildlife species are at increased risk of extinction.
More than 150 U.S. species already have gone extinct.
Nearly 500 additional species have not been seen in recent decades and are regarded as possibly extinct.

The report described success stories where concerted, collaborative efforts have been able to make a difference for at-risk species of wildlife. The report's authors demonstrate that increased funding and robust State Wildlife Action Plans can save important species and their habitats.

Vision for Landscape Conservation and Wildlife Corridors in Eastern North America
As conservationists, we know countless threats face our natural world today. And while these challenges can sometimes feel insurmountable, we also recognize that there are things we can do – partnerships we can forge, actions we can take, and policies we can implement – to help protect and restore wild places. E.O. Wilson called for the conservation of half the world’s land and sea in order to save 85% of biodiversity. He described this vision in his 2016 book Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life. While Wilson’s theory wasn’t a new concept for those working in conservation, it was the call to action we needed to implement theory on the ground. The Wildlands Network seeks to map out and implement this call to action. See their 2025 Impact Report.

Wildlife Corridor Protection Guidelines
IUCN's "Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity through Ecological Networks and Corridors" can be found HERE.

Why track forest conservation?
The Southern Forest Futures Report from 2013 predicted up to 23 million acres of forest could be lost in the Southern U.S. by 2060. Loss will be driven primarily by four interacting factors: population growth, climate change, timber markets, and invasive species. “Our primary purpose in developing this future protected forest data layer is to help visualize what the Southeast landscape will look like if conservation groups are successful,” explained Peter Stangel, COO of the South Carolina-based US Endowment for Forests and Communities. “We cannot only identify gaps in protection, but also must look at potential centers of sustainable forestry, priority habitat for at-risk species, important recreation areas, and many other key values.” As the goal of the Keeping Forests as Forests is to conserve 70% of historic forestland cover across the region, all data - including those underlying the LCC Conservation Blueprints - will be important. Unfortunately, as of 2025, efforts in this direction may have been halted. See the following WEBSITE.

Walk in the Woods Engages Public on Issues of Forest Stewardship
Just as any walk in the woods offers surprises around the bend in the path or over the next hill, learning how to become more flexible and interactive in how we talk about forests is a journey full of wonder. More than two years of discussions and research yielded a first-of-its-kind pathway for the people who steward or enjoy North America’s forests to actively engage with their families, neighbors, friends, and others in talking about the importance of the continent’s forests and their many values. WALK IN THE WOODS uses the power of social media for those who work in, make a living from, care about, or benefit from forests – that’s all of us – to share their own experiences and views about the bounty of forests and their myriad uses,” said Carlton Owen, President & CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. The Endowment has partnered with over 110 organizations, including state and federal natural resources agencies, forest products producers, conservation organizations, and universities, to create the North American Forest Partnership (NAFP). The Partnership seeks to have all within the greater forest sector engaged by highlighting their experiences and knowledge about forests. In addition to the Walk in the Woods website, NAFP seeks seek to have participants share via various social media platforms.

More Resources

American Forest Foundation (www.forestfoundation.org ) supplies helpful guidance to America's 22 million family forestland owners and their management advisers. AFF operates a FREE web-based resource for forestland owners who want to apply good forest, land, water and wildlife conservation practices on their properties; it is used by as many as 10,000 landowners monthly ; see www.MyLandPlan.org. AFF promotes Project Learning Tree and other youth environmental education programs. We encourage you to sign-up for AFF's FREE "Week in Trees" e/newsletter. AFF encourages and advises private forestland owners to establish forest management plans on their properties.

AppalachianTrail.com offers extensive information relating to the longest hiking-only trail in the world. Thousands of AT trail hikers have shared their advice, photos, and stories for others. Visit HERE.

Birth of Forestry in America (in western North Carolina)
We recommend the PBS documentary, "Americas First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville [NC] Experiment." The 1-hour documentary film, produced for the Forest History Society (based in Durham, NC) tells how the German forester Carl Schenck was recruited to America in 1895 to manage forests at the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Schenck not only helped restore the forests and land there, he established the country's first professional forestry school and contributed to the launch of America's conservation movement. The documentary examines the effects of harmful logging during the Industrial Revolution and establishment of Schenck's school of forestry in response.
Another excellent source from the Forest History Society is the book, "American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery," by Douglas W. MacCleery, which traces the history of American forests from before European settlement to today. This newly revised and updated edition (part of the Forest History Society's Issue Series) examines how Americans' uses of forests continue to affect woodland conditions. It can be purchased on the website, where it is available for free download (PDF) for non-commercial use only.

Chesapeake Bay Conservation Priority System
A partnership of over 90 agencies and non-profits fosters collaborative action to conserve natural and cultural landscapes and safeguard a healthy environment and economy in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. That coalition has developed a shared conservation priority system for the watershed. Go to www.LandScope.org/Chesapeake to find and map shared priorities for strategic conservation, see and share conservation success stories, and track and report progress toward land protection goals.

Climate Change Explainer
Here's a well-prepared, easy to understand explainer that you can offer to folks who still don't understand the significance (or reality) of global, human-caused climate change.

Climate Change Response and Building Community Resilience
Climate change is real and happening. The Southern U.S. is experiencing the negative effects of global climate change and is hugely vulnerable to its consequences. Equally important to recognize is that climate change is intensifying other ecological and environmental problems: natural habitat loss and fragmentation, disease and invasive species, water quality and quantity, and more. Multiple collaborative responses for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and minimizing impacts are taking place.
We recommend examining the many new resources and guidelines helpful in climate change adaptation, conservation planning, and devising community resiliency responses. For example resources are available through EcoAdapt. The Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange is an innovative community website for those working to manage natural and human environments in the face of climate change. The Land Trust Alliance furnishes another source of assistance at www.climatechange.lta.org.
We recommend that you examine an impressive set of short video interviews with "regular" people who are witnessing profound effects of climate change on their personal ways of life, businesses, and on the natural resources, wildlife, and agricultural systems around them: www.ClimateStoriesNC.org produced by the University of North Carolina's Institute for the Environment. Such stories can be expanded and told regionally across the South.
For a fascinating study on American public opinions about Climate Change see the Climate Opinion Map. Drill down on public opinions presented by state and counties.
The US Forest Service's Climate Change Center is another prime source of information. The Climate Change Resource Center has released a new interactive online education module on climate change adaptation responses. The module, “Responses to Climate Change: What You Need to Know,” provides a brief overview of adaptation options for resistance, resilience, and transition, and how to incorporate these ideas into natural resource planning and activities. Interactive features allow users to control their learning experience, with opportunities to explore outside links and see examples of how managers are adapting to climate change on the ground. Learn more and see a 1-minute trailer.
NatureServe (www.natureserve.org) and the Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network (www.ebmtools.org ) offer Tools for Coastal Climate Adaptation Planning: a new online guide to tools assisting with ecosystem-based climate planning which included detailed information and visualization modeling, instructive case studies, and a process for selecting tools appropriate for climate adaptation.
A resource described in the national River Network's River Voices, is the Community Resilience Building Workshop process developed by Nature Conservancy scientists is an inclusive community-driven process, rich with information, experience, and dialogue, where participants identify top hazards, current challenges, strengths, and priority actions to equitably improve resilience to natural and climate-related hazards. After a decade in development, the CRB Workshop has been tried and tested and is trusted by over thirty-five communities. The CRB Workshop Guide provides clear instructions on how to lead communities towards resilience as well as the “before” and “after” steps to help ensure immediate goals, outcomes, and strategic direction are realized. It provides instructions on how to lead communities towards resilience as well as the “before” and “after” steps to help ensure immediate goals, outcomes, and strategic direction are realized.
The Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA) is one of ten National Oceanic and Atmospheric agency (NOAA)-funded Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) teams working nationally to integrate climate science into decision-making processes.
We also recommend examining the resources offered by the South Central Climate Science Center, which is now in a significant planning effort to improve and increase what the U.S. Geological Survey calls “co-production of knowledge” about climate change and response to its effects.
The Nature Conservancy's expanded conservation planning resources can be found at www.ConservationGateway.org. In particular, the Conserving Nature’s Stage initiative addresses planning for conservation strategy in the face of climate change-driven shifts in species and ecosystems. View progress in identifying and mapping a representative, connected network of climate resilient sites, which if conserved, could help sustain biodiversity into the future as it moves and changes. This network promises to also protect the source water, carbon stocks, oxygen, and recreation space that people depend on. Also see The Nature Conservancy's dynamic migration map, which allows scientists and the public to see the continent-wide impact of climate change on animals and visualize corridors they will need to move.

Coastal Protection Tools offered by NOAA
Digital Coast is a set of online tools developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric agency's Office of Coastal Management to help use data on sea level rise, coastal flooding and the benefits of wetlands into information useful for coastal communities. The multi-faceted website is organized in sections: introductory summary, data, webinars, other training, tools, stories and other resources intended to help coastal communities plan and cope with sea level rise, flooding, and other impending threats to coastal environmental resources and community security.

Coastal Blue Carbon: incentives for coastal conservation, restoration and management
Coastal Blue Carbon refers to new market-based tools and initiative to help mitigate climate change and offset GHG emissions. Coastal wetlands science is developing methods and models to help land managers quantify greenhouse gas mitigation values and benefits through conservation and restoration of biogeochemical processes performed by coastal wetlands including salt marsh, mangroves, seagrasses, and other tidal wetlands. Coastal blue carbon is a newly recognized ecosystem service value of climate mitigation. Download an Introduction to Blue Carbon and a Blue Carbon Fact Sheet.

Cultural Resources Climate Change Strategy. The National Park Service CRCCS Strategy, released in January, 2017, addresses climate change across the National Park System and is aimed at helping park managers and scientists plan and implement responses. The NPS is the lead cultural resource agency for the federal government. In addition to the National Park System, it holds responsibility for programs including the National Register of Historic Places, National Scenic and Historic Trails, National Heritage Areas, and the American Battlefield Protection Program. It also administers the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. For a link to the strategy, Visit Blog.

Future of the South's Coastal Plain Forests: the Next 50 Years Outlook for Coastal Plain Forests, by the US Forest Service Southern Research Station, considers what the Coastal Plain forests of the South will be like in 50 years -- considering rising temperatures, rising oceans, rising human population, urbanization, and resulting reduced forested land, greater demands on fresh water, decreasing biodiversity, and spread of invasive species. Situation grim. The Southern Forest Futures Project and this report are part of a multi-agency effort led by the USFS Southern Research Station. MORE.

The Coastal Plain region of North America’s Atlantic and Gulf Coasts is internationally recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots.” The designation Global Biodiversity Hotspot is granted only to regions on Earth possessing at least 1500 endemic species and with greater than 70% loss of habitat. A total of 36 designated hotspots comprise only 2.3 of the Earth's land surface, but support more than half of the world's native plant species and nearly half of its native animal species. READ MORE .  As one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth, the southeastern U.S. is also one of the most vulnerable areas for sea level rise and other consequences of current climate change. One might say the South is a world “hotspot” by measures of both biodiversity and rising temperature. How should natural resource conservationists respond? How do we enhance our conservation plans and strategies for the resilience and survival of the South’s ecological resources? READ MORE.

Conservation Connectivity initiatives and Resources
A new global organization of practitioners and advocated for connectivity of conserved areas is being formed. The IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Groups' purpose is to facilitate biodiversity conservation and the enhanced conservation, management and protection of protected areas and their values through the identification, retention and effective management of Areas of Connectivity Conservation (ACC). To accomplish these goals, the CCSG hopes to foster extensive membership and active participation of the international network of connectivity conservation participants to communicate the importance of, and spread essential information on effective management of connectivity connector areas. Building the CCSG into a global network requires the membership and support of diverse organizations and individuals. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation's  Conservation Corridor collates recent research that looks at the effectiveness of urban habitat connectivity and provides new methods for planning and implementing connectivity corridors. See also this recent article explaining the importance of maintaining connectivity between habitats as a key strategy for conserving wildlife populations in face of changing climate.

Conservation Guide to America's Natural Places
LandScope America is the best available comprehensive online source of information about locations of highest priority natural areas and biological/ecological "hotspots" across our region and the continent. The program is a collaborative effort by the National Geographic Society and NatureServe. Additionally this site provides a listing by state of private and public organizations actively involved with land conservation projects. Remember that most states have their own publicly-accessible data and maps showing both protected places and locations of places with high conservation importance. Check out the LandScope America website.

Conservation Planning Resources
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in association with the Open Space Institute (OSI), offer a tremendously hopeful resource for conservation planning and strategies. Private land trusts protect land for a variety of reasons: recreation, biodiversity, viewsheds, water quality or community values. TNC and OSI recently expanded conservation planning tools and resources aimed in response to climate change consequences, and to protect more resilient and connected landscapes and waterways. New science on climate resilience has highlighted the critical role land trusts play in ensuring ecological resources and wildlife can adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Using this science, land trusts over the next few years will be protecting over 37,000 acres and have climate-inclusive plans across the eastern U.S.
New data and regional maps developed by TNC with input from state natural heritage programs and other public agencies will serve to advance conservation planning and strategies focused on assuring changing climate resilience and connectivity of conserved wildlife habitat and natural landscapes. The data can be previewed HERE.

Cumberland Mountains Protection Strategies
The Southern Cumberland Mountains Plateau of the Southern Appalachians is among the most biologically diverse landscapes of the southeastern United States are some of the most biodiverse in the country. It's pressurized layers of limestone, shale, coal and sandstone support habitat for species found nowhere else in the world — yet only 10 percent of the Plateau is protected. The Open Space Institute has partnered with other land conservation efforts In the Southern Cumberland mountains to protect over 40,000 acres since 2008. The Open Space Institute has created a multimedia ArcGIS Story Map (viewable here) that uses maps, narratives and video to illustrate conservation in the region, while showing the threats it faces. The Story Map focuses on the Fiery Gizzard area of Tennessee's South Cumberland State Park to demonstrate inspiring efforts save this natural area.

Documenting and Protecting Biodiversity on Conserved Lands
This Land Trust Alliance guide applies conservation biology to land conservation projects. The handbook, authored by Christopher Wilson, explains biodiversity and how to use and apply biological information in land protection project selection, fundraising, design of conservation easement agreements, compilation of site baseline documentation, management plans, and assuring that a land conservation project meets IRS Treasury regulations and Land Trust Standards and Practices.

E.O Wilson Foundation's Biodiversity Preservation Resources
The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation is a nonprofit organization (based in Durham, NC) using education, technology, and business strategies to further the preservation of biodiversity. The organization has anchored its planning and efforts on the guiding vision of decades of Edward O. Wilson’s research, and eloquent speaking and writing. The foundation’s digital textbook, E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth, is available for free download from iTunes.  "E.O. Wilson - Of Ants and Men" premiered on PBS Primetime chronicling the life and ideas of E.O. Wilson (Harvard professor and Alabama native son), the guiding inspiration of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. This film includes stories from his childhood and scientific career, and culminates with his work in Gorongosa National Park. The film documents his lifelong love for the natural world and the journey he took to bridge the connections between nature and humans.

Ecosystem Services Valuation on Conserved Lands
Scientists, governments, and businesses are gaining a greater understanding of the economic benefits derived from protecting and enhancing natural ecosystems. Landowners have a significant opportunity to derive additional revenue by selling credits from the natural benefits that conservation easements create into the ecosystem service markets. A recent webinar provided an introduction to this emerging area from leaders already active in the markets and address the questions land trusts should be asking, including: What tools are available to land trusts for assessing the economic benefits of conservation, and how credible is the valuation methodology? How can conservationists use ecosystem services to influence decision-making and negotiations? What are the benefits of quantifying the value of natural assets beyond ecosystem service markets? Listen to the recorded webinar.

Flora of the Southeastern U.S.
Published floras have traditionally been the main means of synthesizing information on the species of plants in an area—their habitats, phenology, classification, common names, and practical identification. The Herbarium at UNC-Chapel Hill has published three comprehensive floras: the Flora of Virginia, coauthored with Chris Ludwig and Johnny Townsend, the Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, and the recently released Flora of the Southeastern United States. Learn more HERE. There are also mobile apps available. Discover, identify, and explore the rich plant life of the southeastern United States with FloraQuest, a suite of mobile apps developed by the Southeastern Flora Team at the UNC-Chapel Hill Herbarium. Covering 19 states and counting, the FloraQuest apps put a flora in your pocket, empowering you to identify any of the thousands of native and non-native plant species in an app region.

Forests Resources: State Inventory & Analysis Story Maps available
The U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program collects and analyzes data on America’s forests. FIA produces yearly reports at the state level . . . NOTE THAT BEGINNING IN 2025, INFORMATION THAT ONCE WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE US FOREST SERVICE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE DUE TO MASSIVE FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS AND PURGING OF INFORMATION RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.

Forest Loss in the Southern U.S.
Global Forest Watch is an interactive, online resource that depicts the vast scale of transformation of the forests of the southern U.S. by logging, clearance, and development. Forest disturbance in the southern U.S. was FOUR TIMES greater than that of South America's forests in the years 2000-2012. Data gleaned from the Global Forest Watch document that the South has lost 18 percent of its overall forest cover in the 15 years since the beginning of the 21st century! Multiple efforts are underway to provide guidance and assistance to private owners of woodlands: some are national initiatives, like those directed by the American Forest Foundation; and others are locally focused, for example in the Chesapeake Bay Basin where the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay uses the Woods in Your Backyard program as a tool for reaching out to owners of small acreage forested parcels and helping them to manage their woodlot and enhance natural areas. Visit the Alliance’s Forests for the Bay website.

Land Uses across America Mapped
Eighty percent of the U.S. population lives in "urban" areas, over 250 million people. Yet urbanites live in just 3 percent of the country's 2.3 billion acres of land. Most of America's land cover are forests (30 percent), pasture and ranges (27 percent), and crops (18 percent), with water bodies, wetlands other undeveloped areas making up the rest. England-based designer Michael Pecirno produces images of America that illuminate all land use patterns, type by type. "Minimal Maps" uses 2014 USDA data to explore in rich detail how forests, grasslands, crops, and water spread across the contiguous states—each with its own map. See Minimal Maps .

Longleaf Forest of Southern U.S.: America's Most Threatened Forest Ecosystem. The loss of most of the 90 million acres of longleaf pine forests that once dominated the coastal plain and large parts of the Piedmont region of the southern U.S. is heartbreaking, but the story of collaboration to recover and restore that forest legacy is most encouraging. We recommend that you become acquainted with efforts of Longleaf Alliance and view a documentary film about longleaf pine. The future of the Southeast's longleaf pine forests, and the endangered species dependent on that ecosystem, may rest in the hands of the U.S. military. LEARN MORE.
There are a number of ongoing efforts to thoroughly inventory remaining stands of longleaf pine forests and areas that offer superior opportunities for ecosystem restoration. Among them are the North Carolina Longleaf Pine Preservation Coalition decision support tool http://www.nclongleaf.org/maps.html (contains information about longleaf ecosystems locations and management in NC, SC, and VA) and the Florida Longleaf Pine Geodatabase,  created by the Florida Forest Service and Florida Natural Areas Inventory, which house data for almost 2 million acres of existing longleaf pine in Florida. Click to view Florida’s Longleaf Web Map: www.fnai.org/longleafGDB.cfm . The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) is building the longleaf ecosystems occurrence database in close conjunction with the America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative including the Longleaf Partnership Council mapping committee, The Longleaf Alliance, and other partners. These approaches are being expanded to develop an inventory database for longleaf pine ecosystems regionwide.

National Academy of Science report on Large Landscape Conservation
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in late 2015 released a report "An Evaluation of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives", which concluded that a landscape approach is needed to meet the nation's conservation challenges and that the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) provide a framework for addressing that need. The NAS undertook the study pursuant to a Congressional directive to evaluate the LCC program. Read More.

National Conservation Easement Database
This collaborative, inter-agency attempt to maintain a single nationwide system for identifying, accessing and managing data on the locations of conservation easements across America has so far identified and mapped an estimated 2/3s of all the conservation easements. Nationally, the NCED identifies 114,216 conservation easements protecting 23,349,840 acres. The NCED was recently updated with more information from individual states. This resource is intended to provide reliable data for conservation inventory and planning. See this seriously large-scale application of conservation easements on private and public lands on the NCED Website.

NatureServe Public Database of Rare and Special Concern Species:
Discover Plants and Animals in the Places You Care About
With just one click, Nature Serve enables you to discover which plants and animals are at-risk in your county or watershed. Knowing where at-risk species reside is an important starting point for understanding both national and regional conservation needs and priorities. It’s also fun to understand what lives in your own backyard. START DISCOVERING.

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) report The State of North America’s Birds 2016 was the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of all bird species that occur in Canada, the continental U.S., and Mexico. More than one-third of North American birds are in trouble! NABCI was created by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico as a tri-national commitment to protect birds and their habitats.
The report evaluates the conservation status of all native North American bird species across all major habitats —nine key ecosystems. It is based on the first-ever conservation vulnerability assessment for all 1,154 native bird species that occur in the continental U.S., Canada and Mexico, and reflects a collaboration between experts from all three countries. The overall conservation status of each species takes into account its population trend, population size, extent of breeding and nonbreeding ranges, and severity of threats to populations.
The State of North America’s Birds Report was released during the Centennial year of the Migratory Bird Treaty, an agreement between the U.S. and Canada that promised collaborative conservation to protect the migratory birds of North America. This report reflects a groundbreaking collaboration to evaluate bird populations across the continent. It calls for a renewed commitment to continental bird conservation agreements to keep our shared birds safe and healthy for the next 100 years.
For more information and to read the full report, visit www.stateofthebirds.org.
Learn more about the Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial celebration at www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100.
More ideas about how to support bird conservation: www.stateofthebirds.org/change

North Carolina Green Growth & Conservation Planning Tools:
models for use in other states
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission and NC Natural Heritage Program have established impressive guidance and informational tools helpful to local communities, land use planners, developers, and conservation/environmental advocates wanting to implement conservation-design principles and nature-friendly, responsible land use planning and growth management. Check out these interconnected websites: Green Growth Toolbox, NC Conservation Planning Tool, NC Natural Heritage Program, and the NC Natural Heritage Data Explorer. We believe that all southern states replicate this approach for providing better frameworks and guidance for decisions about future growth and conservation of important natural resources.

Old-Growth Forest Network (www.oldgrowthforest.net ) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and recognizing premiere examples of surviving old-growth forests and advocating for their protection and for recovering intact mature forests across the U.S. Go to its website to nominate old-growth forest sites for inclusion and certification.

OSI Promotes Conservation Planning & Protection in Three Southeast Resilient Landscapes
The Open Space Institute (OSI), with new scientific research undertaken by The Nature Conservancy, has identified climate-change resilient landscapes and sites within three selected areas in the southeastern states: the Southern Cumberland mountains in Tennessee; the Southern Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee; and the Greater Pee Dee River basin in parts of North Carolina/South Carolina. At a time when climate change has created uncertainty about the role of land conservation, OSI is dedicated to working with partners to use the best science available to protect the places that will endure over the long term. To learn more about climate resilience science and OSI/TNC Resilient Landscape Initiative’s goals see the Program Overview.
In addition to supporting land transactions that protect climate resilient lands, OSI assists land trusts in playing a pivotal role in protecting biodiversity as the climate changes. Over the past three years, OSI’s Resilient Landscapes Initiative Catalyst Program makes grants to assist land conservation organizations to protect lands that will remain resilient as the climate changes. OSI broadened assistance to land trusts through two partnerships with the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). The partnership provides more intensive coaching and mentoring to a select group of land trusts, assisting them in mastering the knowledge and tools for developing climate-responsive conservation plans, implementing land protection on the ground, and building the network needed to sustain this work.

Property Ownership national database. The website propertysearch.net connects you with government offices in every state and local government to obtain information for property titles and deeds, tax records, unclaimed property, and appraisals, and these records are available for free! It makes searching for titles and deeds super easy by simply typing in a specific county or state. It’s all very convenient and directs you to the right local government contacts to get these records for free.

Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (www.SECASsoutheast.org ) [also described above] was established in response to the dramatic changes affecting the environmental conditions of the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean -- including urbanization, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, climate change, competition for water resources -- which combine to pose unprecedented challenges for sustaining the natural and cultural resources of the region.  Six Landscape Conservation Cooperatives across the Southeast joined forces with state agencies, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a website for the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS). The SECAS purpose is to bring together the conservation community (people and organizations) to design and achieve a connected network of landscapes and seascapes that supports thriving fish and wildlife populations and improved quality of life for people across the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean. The SECAS Blueprint stitches together the work of multiple Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) into a map of shared conservation and restoration priorities across the Southeast and Caribbean. This Blueprint serves as a plan for making the SECAS vision a reality.

Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water
is a collaborative effort to enhance forested watershed protection that benefits public water and local economies in the southeastern U.S. This project is jointly funded by the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and by the US Forest Service. Goals include developing cooperative relationships among state and local agencies, forestry and conservation organizations, and other river and watershed protection associations to design pilot projects and funding to implement creative protection strategies in high priority watersheds. MORE.

Southern Exposure Films - inspiring model for the rest of the South
Check out beautiful and inspiring short films focused on Alabama's premiere natural environment and conservation efforts offered by Southern Exposure film fellowship (www.SouthernExposureFilms.org ) and financially sponsored by the Southern Environmental Law Center. We recommend the films "Sharing the Secrets of Caves" and an exclusive interview with Alabama native and Pulitzer-prize winning biologist, E.O. Wilson.

States' Natural Area Protection Programs
The Natural Areas Association report describes natural areas programs currently active in 35 states, which for over 50 years have been identifying, inventorying, and conserving key elements of the nation's natural heritage, and have been in the forefront of conserving America's critical habitats for native plants and animals, and the best and last remaining examples of rare ecosystems. Download the report.

States' Wildlife Action Plans
All states since 2001 have been required by Congressional legislation (as prerequisite for federal state and tribal wildlife program grants) to prepare comprehensive plans to guide conservation of nongame (non-hunted) species. These State Wildlife Action Plans (or SWAPs) must be updated every 10 years at minimum, and so most states have recently or are currently updating their comprehensive wildlife conservation plans and strategies. To meet federal funding requirements state wildlife management agencies must include in their SWAPs: a description of their planning process and database, how their existing SWAP has guided conservation in their state over the previous decade, distribution and identified priority habitats of species of greatest concern, problems adversely affecting species and their habitats, conservation strategies and actions focused on species of concern, and the procedures for coordination with allied partners in developing and implementing conservation projects. The Tennessee SWAP has been identified as a model for incorporating climate change response and resilience strategies in its wildlife conservation plans.

Watershed Wisdom: an interactive, free unit on PBS Learning Media
The "Watershed Wisdom" online educational program (with hands-on classroom activity options) was developed in partnership with UNC-Public Television and is aligned with North Carolina's Essential Standards for fourth and fifth-grade science students. Its activities incorporate science topics with language arts, social studies and math. Use one component, a few portions or the entire lesson unit – whatever works best for your classroom’s needs. This new, free lesson is available online for both formal and informal educators to use. To start, visit and subscribe to PBS Learning Media at pbslearningmedia.org and search for "Watershed Wisdom." Or, click on this link to start exploring a robust toolbox of engaging activities and projects to teach your students about watersheds, including the watersheds where they live and go to school!  Find the Watershed Wisdom Lesson here

Watershed Approach for Wetlands and Stream Restoration
The Environmental Law Institute has published a guidebook demonstrating how a watershed approach in wetlands and stream restoration will better contribute to goals of improved water quality, reduction of flooding, improved quality and quantity of natural habitat, and increased ecological services and benefits. A watershed approach offers a science-information mechanism for improving site selection for wetland and stream restoration and protection projects. Contact ELI to obtain a copy of the "Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration Projects."

Wetland Plants Guide for NC
The 2021 edition of the Guide to Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina contains valuable information for identifying wetland plants from the mountains to the coast. A full color PDF of the book is available. MORE HERE.

Wildlife Habitat Council (www.wildlifehc.org ) promotes and certifies habitat conservation and management on corporate lands through partnerships and education. The Council is supported by some of America's major landholding corporations.

Wildlands Network - Eastern US
Once as wild as anywhere on Earth, eastern North America is now a patchwork of protected lands within a human-dominated landscape. Conservationists have long aspired to restore a vast network of connecting wildlands in this region, from the Acadian forests of Maritime Canada to the subtropical Everglades of Florida and further along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Wildlands Network is the national organization leading the quest to achieve this dream. The Easterm Wildway, as envisioned, would contain some of North America’s most beloved national parks, preserves, scenic rivers, and other wild places, from the wilderness of Quebec, the Adirondacks, and the Shenandoah Valley, to the Great Smoky Mountains and Everglades National Park. Protecting and expanding these and other key core areas is crucial to rewilding the East. The Eastern Wildway traverses a wide array of ecoregions and climates, with the latter ranging from arctic to tropical. An equally broad diversity of wildlife inhabits these ecoregions. Many resident plants, birds, fish, salamanders, and butterflies are found nowhere else on Earth—particularly those in the southeastern U.S., which was recently identified as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Establishing an Eastern Wildway and "rewilding" the eastern U.S. will require ambitious, bold and collaborative action at many levels. From creating new conservation lands, reforming policies, and providing incentives for private land stewardship to working with transportation agencies to construct wildlife underpasses and overpasses, incorporating smart growth into local planning, and passing new legislation to confront growing challenges.

Photo by Johnny Randall

Photo by Mac Stone

The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and . . . most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.
--Wendell Berry