ST. LAWRENCE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
SLELO PRISM is developing a new approach to our work that applies research conducted through our host organization, The Nature Conservancy, to identify Resilient and Connected Landscapes in the US. This approach will focus efforts within resilient Connected Lands and Waters (CLAW) consisting of wildlife corridors and large-scale connected landscapes and waterbodies that run through our region.
Wildlife corridors are narrow tracts of land that serve as a pathway for wildlife and a connection between fragmented habitat areas. These corridors offer safe passage for wildlife to access different vital resources such as food, water, potential mates, and the ability to adapt to climate change. Corridors, therefore, stabilize populations and promote biodiversity. Wildlife corridors also serve as carbon sinks due to their dense vegetation and minimally disturbed forests. The trees, shrubs, and grasses pull carbon dioxide out of the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming.
The Algonquin to Adirondack corridor (A2A) spans from Algonquin Park in Canada, through the Frontenac Arch which crosses the SLELO region through the St. Lawrence River and surrounding lands to the Adirondack Park in New York. The A2A is considered to be one of the last remaining wildlife corridors in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region, and is one of the last of its kind in the Eastern United States. Through the preservation and restoration of natural habitat, this corridor can maintain its connectivity.
Large-scale connected lands like the Blue Ridge to Boreal region spans across the Appalachian Mountains, 14 states, and three Canadian provinces, and covers almost 2,000 miles including areas within the SLELO PRISM region. This area holds more than half of the eastern United States’s carbon stocks and has great potential for carbon sequestration and offsetting climate change if more sustainable management practices are used and this area gains more protection (Scarlett & Hurst, 2020).
Past efforts through our Watercraft Inspection Steward Program also served to protect connected waterbodies throughout our region. Moving forward, to protect these wildlife corridors and large-scale connected lands and waters, we will enhance early detection, management, and restoration efforts within CLAW regions throughout our next five-year contract.
To kick off the CLAW initiative, 2024 will focus on early detection and strategic planning. In the fall of 2023, our early detection team conducted five field surveys in the A2A corridor region at the sites listed below. This information will be used to strategize management and restoration efforts moving forward. In addition, limited special project funding may be available to partners who are interested in aiding management and restoration work focused in CLAW areas.
Cold Spring Brook State Forest
Common buckthorn: Tier 3
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A2A State Forests affected: Beaver Creek, Wolf Lake
Pale swallowwort: Tier 3
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A2A State Forest affected: Wolf Lake
Phragmites: Tier 3
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A2A State Forest affected: Wolf Lake
Honeysuckle: Tier 4
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A2A State Forests affected: Greenwood Creek, Beaver Creek, Wolf Lake
Spotted knapweed: Tier 4
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A2A State Forest affected: Cold Spring Brook
Purple loosestrife: Tier 4
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A2A State Forest affected: Trout Lake
Wild parsnip: Tier 4
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A2A State Forest affected: Wolf Lake
Broadleaved helleborine: Tier 4
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A2A State Forest affected: Cold Spring Brook
Coltsfoot: Tier 4
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A2A State Forests affected: Greenwood Creek, Cold Spring Brook, Trout Lake
Common mullein: Not currently on SLELO’s priority Tier list
A2A State Forest affected: Wolf Lake
Perennial sow thistle: Not currently on SLELO’s priority Tier list
Ensuring that lands and waters are interconnected allows wildlife to migrate and adapt more
freely reducing the effects of human development such as habitat fragmentation and the
imposing threats of climate change and invasive species. By conserving this network of land and
water, wildlife communities are able to relocate away from environmental changes due to climate
change. The A2A corridor is a prime example of how animals use connected landscapes to
naturally migrate and travel across vast distances. “Alice The Moose” was the first documented
animal to display this movement and her journey sparked the discussion that led to the discovery
of the corridor. In fact, Alice traveled directly through the Thousand Islands region within
SLELO PRISM, where much of our work to protect the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
occurs.
Program Director Rob Williams rwilliams@tnc.org
Education, Outreach, & Communications Coordinator Megan Pistolese-Shaw megan.pistolese@tnc.org
Aquatic Restoration & Resiliency Coordinator Brittney Rogers brittney.rogers@tnc.org
Terrestrial Restoration and Resiliency Coordinator Robert Smith robert.l.smith@tnc.org
Conservation & GIS Analyst Carolyn Koestner carolyn.koestner@tnc.org
During this time the best way to contact our team is via email.
SOURCES
Connectivity. Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative. (n.d.). https://www.a2acollaborative.org/connectivity.html
Scarlett, L., & Hurst, K. (2020, April 28). Family forests: An untapped powerhouse in climate mitigation. The Nature Conservancy. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we do/our-insights/perspectives/family-forests-powerhouse-in-climate mitigation/#:~:text=The%20Blue%20Ridge%20to%20Boreal,states%20and%20three%20Canadian%20provinces.
A2A Image Credit & Address: Ken Buchan https://www.a2acollaborative.org/what-is-a2a.html