Important Herpetofaunal Areas Working Group Plans

Reptiles and amphibians are experiencing exceptional declines among North American vertebrates with habitat loss and fragmentation among the leading threats to both groups. The goal of an Important Herp Area (IHA) system is to identify valuable habitat for priority herpetofauna throughout the U.S. using a system informed by scientific criteria and expert review. Important Herp Areas are not designed to compete with other state biodiversity priorities but rather to complement them − providing an additional landscape layer for consideration when implementing statewide conservation planning initiatives. To this end, the National Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) IHA Task Team has produced a draft set of model criteria and associated implementation plans for potential designation of IHAs in each state. Model criteria draw on the concepts of species rarity, regional species richness, and landscape integrity to shape the boundaries of IHA candidate sites.

A presentation of the National PARC´s IHA implementation plan was provided by Phillip deMaynadier (Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife) to the NEPARC Chapter meeting in Watkins Glen, NY in August 2009 and was favorably received. Chapter members provided constructive feedback on the IHA concept plan and suggested potential modifications to IHA nominating criteria to better fit northeastern faunal priorities. Other tasks identified by the NEPARC Working Group included:

• Exploration of grant opportunities to hire a landscape ecologist/GIS specialist to spearhead candidate IHA site analyses for all northeastern states under supervision of the NEPARC IHA Working Group.
• Incorporation of NEPARC SGCN priority species into the eligible nominating criteria for IHAs. Specifically need to work with the Wildlife Action Plan Working Group on procedures for folding species of regional conservation concern and/or regional responsibility into the IHA rarity criteria.
• Finalization of the membership of the NEPARC regional IHA Working Group (interested new members see contact below).
• Nomination of 2-3 candidate names to the National PARC IHA Task Team as recommendations for a potential name change for "Important Herp Areas".