The New York Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) Northeast conservation team a $110,000 Conservation Innovation Grant to implement critical forest habitat work on public and private land surrounding the Helderberg Bird Conservation Area in Albany and Schoharie Counties in New York.
The Helderberg Forest Resiliency Initiative will coordinate and promote habitat management work across public, private and conservation easement ownerships as well as produce new monitoring and mapping capacity to analyze forest age and diversity at a landscape scale. The project will include:
- 300 acres of forest habitat work – enhancing forest structure and enabling landscape- and stand-level forest climate adaptation across a range of ownerships.
- 3-4 regional landowner outreach sessions/tours, including best practices for wildlife habitat management that simultaneously offer tools and strategies to accelerate climate smart forestry practices.
- A forest mapping and planning tool that can be used for longer-term landscape initiatives in the area, and similar projects throughout the state.
“Forest industry partnerships are a core element of our conservation efforts here in the Northeast, and we’re thrilled to be launching this partnership with Finch Forestry, New York Natural Resources Conservation Service and New York Department of Environmental Conservation. The Helderberg Forest Resiliency Initiative provides an innovative opportunity to advance the impact and scale of our habitat programs across New York, while also leveraging support from the Mid-Hudson Valley and Mohawk Valley RGS & AWS Chapters,” said Todd Waldron, RGS & AWS Forest Conservation Director – Northeast Region.
If you’re a landowner in northern Albany or Schoharie Counties and interested in learning more about private land habitat initiatives, contact Jesse Rock (NY) at JesseR@RuffedGrouseSociety.org or RGS & AWS Northeast Forest Conservation Director Todd Waldron at ToddW@RuffedGrouseSociety.org.
About the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society
Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society unites conservationists to improve wildlife habitat and forest health and promote a conservation ethic, all grounded in the tenets of science-based management practices.
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