Central Appalachian Forest Planning Team Considered Information from the Nature Conservancy’S Population Viability Assessment Workshop (Morris Et Al
Central Appalachian Forest Ecoregional Plan February 2001 The Nature Conservancy EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Central Appalachian Forest Ecoregional Plan The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy’s Central Appalachian Forest ecoregion encompasses the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Valley, the Ridge and Valley, and the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Valleys are mostly settled with farms and, more recently, urban and suburban development, but the vast majority of the hills and mountains of this ecoregion are forested. Lying so close to the major East Coast metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, the region represents a tremendous natural resource for both the local people and these urbanites. The high mountains, the lack of past glacial coverage, and the environmental diversity of this ecoregion have combined to make this area one of the most ecologically diverse regions of the eastern United States. This ecoregional plan has identified plants, animals, natural communities, and ecological systems that represent the most urgent conservation priorities for The Nature Conservancy and its partners. Using an exceptional Natural Heritage database and sound science, this plan recommends protection of 467 sites. Within this set of sites, The Nature Conservancy has selected 122 sites for immediate conservation action. The approximate area covered by the portfolio is 3,011,000 acres. Of this area, 2,530,000 acres occurs within large, roadless forest areas. Therefore, smaller sites cover an additional 481,000 acres. The Federal government manages approximately 46% of roadless forest area acreage and various state governments an additional 18%. The majority of the remaining area of roadless forest areas is privately owned.
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