SEAFWA 2017

AUTHORS: Mike Harris, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Mallory Martin, South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative; Bill Bartush, Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative; Brian Branciforte, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Jon Ambrose, Georgia Department of Natural Resources; Cindy Simpson, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Allan Brown, US Fish and Wildlife Service

ABSTRACT: This section will emphasize a sample of specific applications of the SECAS Conservation Blueprint to advance conservation efforts. This will focus on several ‘use cases’ and the implementation of actions with a focus on advancing the activities needed to meet the objectives of State Agency partners and their respective State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs). Prospective topics to be covered include the alignment between the Florida SWAP and the Peninsular Florida LCC monitoring of conservation targets; examples of where the Blueprint has been used to attract and leverage resources to achieve conservation outcomes, and Gulf-wide efforts. This section will include demonstrations of how data have been used to meet the needs of those working to conserve habitat across multiple states for the Gopher Tortoise, a species of concern in the Southeast. The session will also highlight how the tools have been used to augment decision making, such as identifying areas suitable for alligator gar spawning and prioritizing dams for removal as a means to improve aquatic habitats. The last part of this section will be an interactive demonstration of the use of the data that is housed on the Southeast Conservation Planning Atlas to answer specific needs from the audience. This section is designed to clearly demonstrate the value of the collaborative approach to meeting the needs of the partners across a diverse landscape.