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In addition to revising State Wildlife Action Plans, the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee has created a collection of conservation fact sheets for the Northeast. These cover important topics like the Northeast Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their most critical habitats, as well as the biggest threats they face, what information we still need to gather, where conservation funding is allocated, how we decide which species to focus on first, and what the region has accomplished through landscape collaboration. These fact sheets are designed to help communicate our shared conservation goals and support the development and implementation of Wildlife Action Plans. You can check out these resources here to learn more about how we’re working together to protect fish and wildlife across the Northeast.

The Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' fish and wildlife diversity programs strongly commit to collaboration across the 13 Northeast states and the District of Columbia. Currently, each jurisdiction is revising its State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs). The 2025 SWAPs identify Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), habitats, threats, and conservation actions for wildlife, providing a plan and mechanism for conserving these invaluable resources. SWAPs are developed in collaboration with species experts, including input from Tribal Nations, conservation partners, and the public every 10 years to help guide fish and wildlife conservation in each state across NEAFWA. You can help guide conservation efforts throughout the region by reviewing draft SWAPs as they go out for public review by checking the Northeast SWAP page and following the state links there.

Jonathan Mays

The Northeast Fish And Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee led regional conservation planning and implementation for five priority turtle species (Blanding’s, Eastern Box, Wood, Spotted Turtles, and Northern Diamondback Terrapins) through four separate but complementary initiatives from 2018 through 2023.

• Spotted Turtle Conservation Genetics and Conservation Planning
• Eastern Box Turtle Status Assessment, Conservation Plan, and Best Management Practices
• Targeted Road Mortality Mitigation Assessment and Best Management Practices
• Implementation of Regional Conservation Plans in Priority Focal Areas

More information and resulting products are available at NortheastTurtles.org.

NortheastTurtles.org

This project built consensus across all 13 states and the District of Columbia and culminated with an updated 2022 Lexicon ready for application in 2025 SWAP revisions.