Restoring bog turtle habitat in New York

COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION CASE STUDY

Cooperative conservation effort in New York restores habitat for the tiny and threatened bog turtle

Location: Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic

Project Summary: Federal, state, and NGO partners are working together with private landowners to restore the wetland habitat of the threatened bog turtle.

Prescribed grazing project with goats in New York. Photo courtesy of Environmental Defense.

Resource Challenge

Bog turtles have declined dramatically in recent decades, partly because the open, sunny wetlands that they need have been degraded by invasive exotic and woody vegetation. Many of the best bog turtle habitat had been on grazed agricultural lands, but with the decline in agriculture in the region, much of this habitat is being lost. Since more than 90% of bog turtle habitat in the state is on private lands, collaboration with private landowners in essential for recovering the species. We are partnering with landowners to restore bog turtle habitat through management practices including prescribed grazing, mechanical and manual clearing of woody vegetation, and limited use of herbicides and biocontrol agents.

Examples of Key Partners

New York Natural Resources Conservation Service, Environmental Defense, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New York Natural Heritage Program, Friends of the Great Swamp, The Nature Conservancy

Results and Accomplishments

Four projects got underway on private lands during the 2004 field season, and another six projects are under development this year. The key conservation players in New York have developed a collaborative approach and are coordinating their efforts to restore several of the most important bog turtle metapopulations (assemblages of sites) in the Hudson River valley. Private landowner interest in the project is growing -- for example, we now have three adjacent landowners who are all working with us to restore turtle habitat. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has played a key role in funding and implementing the projects, but all partners listed above have been critical to this effort.

Innovation/Highlight

By using prescribed grazing to restore bog turtle habitat, we are supporting farmers and wildlife. Farmers are enthusiastic about the project because they are gaining new pasture, improved fencing, and in some cases reimbursement for providing livestock grazing services to the project.

Project Contact

Bruce Hammond
Project manager/Scientist
Environmental Defense
18 Tremont St. Suite 850
Boston MA, 02108
617 723 2996
bhammond@environmentaldefense.org

Website: http://www.backfromthebrink.org/specieslearnabout.cfm?animal_id=1

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