Endorsement is an opportunity to gain formal support from ACFHP for a completed, current, or proposed fish habitat conservation project. An ACFHP endorsement often takes the form of a letter and use of the Partnership’s endorsement logo, and is generally viewed as an alternative to direct monetary or staff support from the Partnership. This spring, ACFHP endorsed three new proposed projects that support an ACFHP restoration or protection objective and a subregional priority habitat. These three projects are as follows:
South Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Assessment and Tool
In June 2012, ACFHP issued an endorsement for the South Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Assessment and Tool, led jointly by The Nature Conservancy, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), and the University of Georgia (UGA). The project proposes to develop a spatially explicit estimate of small (and large) barriers in the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative and use them to conduct an assessment of aquatic connectivity. This project will build on the The Nature Conservancy’s Northeast Aquatic Connectivity and Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization projects, SARP’s recent Flow Alteration work, and UGA’s barrier inventory work and will be a major advancement towards a consistent assessment of aquatic connectivity across the entire eastern seaboard. ACFHP views this project as an important precursor and first step towards achieving several objectives noted in its Conservation Strategic Plan, and will serve as a beneficial tool for future decision making. For more information on this project, please contact Erik Martin.
Alewife Outreach and Education
In May 2012, ACFHP issued an endorsement for the education and outreach components of a proposed Alewife Outreach, Research, and Education project, led by Sea Research Foundation, Inc. The overall purpose of the proposed project is to establish a partnership among Sea Research Foundation, the Tributary Mill Conservancy, Inc. and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to increase public awareness of Connecticut’s declining alewife (A. pseudoharengus) populations, the role that river herring play in freshwater ecosystems, and how individuals can support current alewife conservation programs. By conducting workshops at the Tributary Mill Conservancy and Sea Research Foundation’s Mystic Aquarium and establishing a permanent Aquarium exhibit on the work, the project will engage the public in conservation work being accomplished through this collaboration and cultivate a new generation of environmental stewards who will protect, conserve, and advocate for Long Island Sound. For more information on this project, please contact Tracy Romano.
Grassy Flats Estuarine Habitat Restoration Project
In May 2012, ACFHP issued an endorsement for the proposed Grassy Flats Estuarine Habitat Restoration Project. A collaborative effort among six partners, the Grassy Flats project will cap approximately 30,000 cubic yards of muck sediments at the main source of sedimentation in the Lake Worth Lagoon and enhance/restore 19.5 acres of Subregional Priority Habitats, including 18.8 acres of seagrass and 0.61 acre of mangrove wetlands. To provide structural complexity and ecological diversity, 1.5 acres of salt marsh, 0.51 acre of tidal flat habitat, and 0.93 acre of oyster/artificial reef habitat will also be provided. The project supports the restoration objectives of the ACFHP by restoring Subregional Priority Habitats and providing long-term water quality benefits to the Lake Worth Lagoon. For more information on this project, please contact Erin McDevitt or Julie Mitchell.
Palm Beach County Project Fact Sheet
Interested in seeking an ACFHP letter of endorsement and having ACFHP as a formal partner on your project? We’d be happy to consider it. Endorsement application and guidelines can be found here.