New England Cottontail Conservation Efforts

New England Cottontail

Conservation Efforts

Anthony Tur

US Fish and Wildlife Service

New England Field Office

Concord, New Hampshire

Obligate usersR

ELAT

IVE

USE

0

1.0

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

AGE OF STAND

New England cottontails

0.5

Habitat loss is the primary threat.

Hawthorne Drive 1998

Hawthorne Drive 2008

I- 293

Everett Turnpike

Route 3

Summary of Findings

– 86% Contraction in Range Since 1960.– NEC in 150 of 2,300 patches searched.– ~ 60% patches are considered habitat sinks.– EC is 5x more abundant.– Primary threat is habitat loss and fragmentation

Candidate Designation2006

Magnitude

Immediacy

Taxonomy

Priority

High

Imminent Non-imminent

Monotypic genus Species Subspecies/population Monotypic genus Species Subspecies/population

1 2* 3 4 5 6

Moderate to Low

Imminent Non-imminent

Monotypic genus Species Subspecies/population Monotypic genus Species Subspecies/population

7 8 9 10 11 12

State Wildlife Agencies have expressed a desire to preclude the need to list the NEC.

Candidate Conservation in the USFWS

Assess species status and assist in the development and facilitation of voluntary conservation tools, so that those species do not need the protection of the

Endangered Species Act.

Section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act states that the Service will take

’’* * * into account those efforts, if any, being made by any State or foreign nation, or any political subdivision of a State or foreign nation, to protect such species *”

when making listing decisions.

Listing Consideration

Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions

(PECE)

• policy is intended to facilitate voluntary development of conservation efforts with Partners.

• identifies criteria used to guide the Service when evaluating conservation efforts.

• policy does not establish standards for conservation efforts.

Basic Elements of PECE

In evaluating these efforts, the Service will need;–Certainty that the Conservation Effort

will be Implemented (9 elements)–Certainty that the Conservation Effort

will be Effective (6 elements)

Certainty of Implementation• Level of effort needed to address threats is

identified.• Authority for the actions is described.• Level of commitment to the effort by the

Parties is described, including funding.• Implementation schedule is provided.

Certainty of Effectiveness

• Threats are identified and addressed.• Adaptive management principles are

incorporated.

Adaptive Management Model

Conservation Design

• Identify Conservation Focus Areas.• Identify Goals and Objectives for each.• Compile Focal Area Plans into Rangewide Conservation

Strategy.

Conservation Goal

•Implement conservation actions, throughout the range, to establish:1 NEC focal area capable of supporting 2,500 or more individuals;5 focal areas each capable of supporting 1,000 or more individuals; and12 focal areas each capable of supporting 500 or more individuals;

Objectives• Avoid further loss and fragmentation of existing

populations;• Implement conservation actions that increase patch quality,

quantity, and connectivity;• Establish management agreements to ensure that large,

source populations remain viable and their habitats remain suitable;

• Evaluate the role of eastern cottontails as a non-native competitor and implement conservation actions that address this threat, as appropriate.

Green Infrastructure Model for

NEC Conservation

Focal AreaPatch

Dispers

al Corri

dor

Step 1. Identify focal areas.Step 2. Improve patch quality, quantity and connectivity.Step 3. Link focal areas through dispersal.

Identify Focal Areas and Rank Focal Areas

75257

2100

735

225

1575

Legend = Task

= Personnel

PLANNING

Focus Area Coordinator

Site Planner

Project Screening

Habitat Management

Delivery

Track Progress

Focus Area Conservation Team

Acquisition Partner

Easement &

Acquisition Standards

State Coordinator

Rangewide NEC Management Team

NEC Executive Board

Prioritize Actions

& Compliance

Screen

FOCUS AREA ORGANIZATION

AllocateResources

Biological

Planning

Identify AssumptionsNEC Research Team

DevelopConservation

Design

Outreach &Recruitment

EvaluateDesign

ADMINISTRATION

Assess Habitat

and Population Response

Develop Conservation

Agreement

Provide Technical Assistance

Prioritize Actions

ADAPTIVEMANAGEMENT

NEC Survey

Conduct Study

DesignStudy

Organizational Structure for Conservation

of the

New England Cottontail

CONSERVATION DELIVERY

Land Protection

MONITORING & REPORTING

ModifyDesign

Translocation

Business Model Framework

1 Research and Development• Investigate local opportunities and vulnerabilities

2 Marketing• Use analytical technology to identify and characterize landowners

(the “market”) that may be recruited to benefit a target resource

3 Advertising• Conduct outreach

4 Technical Sales• Employ technical sales expertise that is versed in land and natural

resource transactions and restoration concepts

5 Delivery• Develop efficient mechanisms to deliver conservation projects

6 Business Information System• Track real-time spatial information on the status of sales and

delivery to measure model approach

1. Assess focal area

2. Develop rangewide

plan.

3. Quantify needs.

4. Establish timeline.

Ranked Parcels to

Target Landowner Recruitment

• On-going research at UNH– Determine detection rates.– Develop population estimation tools.

• Spatial Patch Occupancy Model (SPOM)?

MONITORING

Hot Topics

• Formation of Executive Committee• NRCS Initiative

– ($6.8 million request for 5 years to deliver 2,500 acres of habitat on private land)

• Captive Breeding Efforts• Development of Inbound Marketing Tools• April Tech. Committee mtg. at the NEFWC.

Certainty of ImplementationLevel of effort needed to address threats is

identified.Authority for the actions is described.Level of commitment to the effort by the

Parties is described, including funding.Implementation schedule is provided.

Certainty of Effectiveness

Threats are identified and addressed.Adaptive management principles are

incorporated.

NEC as a barometer

• dispersal limited• year round resident• area sensitive• extreme habitat specialist

NEC Conservation is not sin

gle species management