The Atlantic Coast region stretches from southwestern Maine to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Although urbanization has chewed up many thousands of acres, this great expanse of land remains critically important to a range of resident and migratory wildlife, including many species that need young-forest habitat. Recently, conservationists in the region have joined forces and funding to launch the Atlantic Coast Regional Woodcock Initiative, reports the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI).

Aimed primarily at creating habitat for timberdoodles, the effort also will benefit New England cottontails, bobcats, golden-winged warblers, Eastern towhees, whip-poor-wills, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys and bog turtles, as well as scores of other species that use young forest for all or some of their life needs. The populations of many of these animals have fallen in recent decades.

Partners pledged to the effort include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey; state fish and wildlife departments in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia; the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS); the National Wild Turkey Federation; New Hampshire and New Jersey Audubon Societies, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and WMI.

RGS senior biologist Mark Banker serves as habitat-management coordinator. He is working with biologists and land-management specialists to develop a set of best management practices (BMPs) that will guide habitat-management efforts on designated public and private lands. Those sites will serve as demonstration areas where other managers and landowners can learn how best to create, rejuvenate and maintain young-forest habitat.

Biologists will monitor numbers of woodcock and other wildlife before and after young-forest habitat is created, to gauge the effectiveness of the BMPs and to document changes in bird populations following habitat alteration.

The Atlantic Coast Woodcock Initiative centers on Bird Conservation Region 30. It is the fourth regional initiative aimed at achieving habitat and population goals outlined in the American Woodcock Conservation Plan, published in February 2008.

The Northern Forest Woodcock Initiative, underway in New England and the Adirondacks, won the Cooperative Conservation Award from the Secretary of the Interior (see April 2008 article). The Appalachian Mountains Regional Initiative began in 2008; it involves parts of Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia, and already has 10 Demonstration Areas up and running. The Upper Great Lakes Woodcock and Young Forest Initiative in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota began in 2008 (see September 2008 article).

Check?Timberdoodle.org for information on all the regional initiatives. The American Woodcock Conservation Plan also can be downloaded at that Web site. (sjw)