In the field with the Director. USFWS Coastal Marsh Visit with USFWS Director Martha Williams at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge The Director of USFWS, Martha Williams, made a visit to southern Maine in May! We had the pleasure of co-hosting her along with Rachel Carson NWR staff and our regional leadership. [...]
It Was a Great Year for Salt Marsh Conservation Funding! Several new or ongoing grants were secured to assist ACJV partner efforts to conserve land, implement restoration projects, and test promising management actions outlined in our conservation plans. For the third year in a row, we expect that every National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant [...]
ACJV staff old and new came together to celebrate the extraordinary career of Craig this past September. ACJV Says Farewell to Craig Watson We said a bittersweet farewell to Craig Watson, the long-time ACJV South Atlantic Coordinator, in September. Craig is now off to begin his full time adventures as a professional [...]
ACJV Project Dashboard It’s time to enter your coastal marsh projects into the ACJV Project Inventory. This inventory catalogs efforts across the Atlantic coast to conserve or restore habitat for Saltmarsh Sparrow, Black Rail and American Black Duck. The inventory provides a central hub of information for all on-the-ground conservation efforts since [...]
The North American Wetlands Conservation Council recently announced several significant changes to the U.S. North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant programs that will go into effect with the 2024 proposal cycles. These changes are intended to reduce barriers and increase participation on projects, to help build partnerships with new organizations, and to account [...]
Modified from The sparrow that speaks for the marsh | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov) Great Meadows Marsh, part of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Connecticut, was recently restored to improve both marsh health and Saltmarsh Sparrow populations. The USFWS, Audubon Connecticut, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and National [...]
Partners engaged in the New Jersey/Delaware Tidal Marsh Working Group continued to meet and collaborate in 2022. Most of the group’s energy and action was centered around the topic of use of dredged sediments to provide ecological benefits. The “Beneficial Use Learning Network” which formed early in 2021, was increasingly busy throughout 2022. Early [...]
Fire can be a valuable tool to manage the distribution and composition of vegetation and reopen habitats for Black Rails. Susan McRae Black Rail Management Guidance Document Released The Black Rail Conservation Plan indicates the urgent need to focus habitat work in non-tidal locations where birds are relatively safe from regular flooding [...]
American Black Duck. Hal Trachtenberg Ducks Unlimited Secures Funds for Farm Bill Engineering Technician Ducks Unlimited (DU) was awarded an America the Beautiful Challenge Grant for $348,315 through NFWF to hire a Farm Bill engineering technician. This person will work with DU’s existing Farm Bill Biologist to implement NRCS wetland projects through [...]
Letter from the Coordinator What a year it has been! We have enjoyed the opportunity to meet face to face with our partners again - at meetings, conferences and in the marsh! This year was filled with exciting changes, long-awaited accomplishments and bittersweet goodbyes. Our longest-running and much beloved JV staff member, Craig [...]
