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New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy

2018 Revision

An Outreach Plan to Help Partners Implement the Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail

Approved: February 27, 2019

New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy2018 Revision

Submitted by: __________________________________Kate O’Brien, ChairOutreach Working Group

Approved by: ___________________________________Catherine Sparks, Chair, Executive CommitteeYoung Forest Conservation Initiative

Date: _______________________________

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This 2018 revision to the New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy (Outreach Strategy) provides guidance on how to effectively communicate about New England cottontail (NEC) conservation. This document supplements the Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail (Conservation Strategy Objective 701), which gives overall direction for restoring NEC in focus areas identified throughout the species’ six-state range (Fuller and Tur 2012).

In order to address the challenges in meeting the goals and objectives described in the Conservation Strategy (Fuller and Tur 2012), we need positive public reception, as well as landowners willing to manage their properties to provide habitat for NEC. We need to be proactive and identify, approach, and implement agreements for habitat management with landowners and land managers. Support from key government officials; federal, tribal, state, and town agencies; and members of the conservation community will also make it easier to carry out the Conservation Strategy.

In 2012, at the request of the Executive and Technical Committees responsible for developing and implementing New England cottontail restoration, an ad hoc Outreach Working Group was convened to write an outreach strategy (New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy 2012). The team of biologists, human dimensions researchers, landowner recruitment specialists, and communication practitioners represented state and federal agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, the region where NEC are found and on which the Conservation Strategy is focused.

This revised and updated 2018 strategy was reviewed by the NEC Technical Committee. Questions raised and information shared by technical reviewers led to updates and changes from the 2012 version. Following further review by the NEC Technical Committee, this strategy was approved in February 2019 by the NEC Executive Committee.

NEC conservation partners have developed a variety of regionally specific messages and outreach products since 2012. Many of these products are still effective and useful. Rangewide coordination in presenting these messages to various audiences can allow us to leverage funds, reduce redundant efforts, combine and advance technical expertise, and present a unified message leading to the restoration of this imperiled regional rabbit.

In parallel to the effort to conserve NEC, a Young Forest Partnership taking in 17 eastern states has been working on messaging and products to promote early successional habitats for all wildlife, and many of their products support NEC-specific outreach activities; however, there remains a need for outreach efforts and products specific to NEC restoration. We anticipate that the NEC Outreach Working

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Group and a communications team with the Young Forest Partnership will continue to work together to promote efficiency and effectiveness.

In creating this revised and updated Outreach Strategy, the NEC Outreach Working Group followed the five-step method known as the Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation (RACE) formula (Marston 1979), a standardized process for developing a communication plan, with an added Stewardship step (Kelly 2001). (See sequence below.) We also considered similar outreach plans developed for American woodcock conservation (Case et al. 2010); young forest communication (Oehler and Weber 2012; Oehler et al. 2017); and the effects of white-nose syndrome on bat conservation (Froschauer 2010) as guides and references for this document.

1. Research: The team shared and reviewed existing information about private non-industrial woodland owners and management of their forested lands; the findings obtained by the investigators in the American Woodcock Conservation Plan Communication Strategy; research completed by Dr. Ashley Dayer on New York woodland owners; the experiences of landowner recruitment specialists; results of recent research into wild populations of NEC; and proposed conservation actions. In addition, we developed a Problem Statement (page 9) to guide planning, and defined Expected Outcomes (page 9) for the outreach effort.

2. Action Planning: We identified specific audiences (page 11), drafted appropriate messages (page 14), and specified strategies and tactics for delivering those messages (page 18).

3. Communication and Implementation: We identified tools and tactics to achieve desired outreach outcomes (page 24).

4. Evaluation: We outlined methods to determine our progress toward reaching objectives stated in the NEC Conservation Strategy (page 27).

5. Stewardship: We identified steps to ensure the continued restoration of NEC, including recognizing landowners and other conservationists who are creating habitat (page 28).

Expected Outcomes

Successfully implementing this strategy will ensure that target audiences (page 11) will gain the appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills that lead to the following behaviors:

All target audiences will carry out, support, or accept actions aimed at conserving NEC, including land acquisition, habitat management (through timber harvests, shrub mowing, prescribed burning, etc.), captive breeding of NEC, reintroduction into the wild, and managing other wildlife species as needed.

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Landowners will make create and maintain sufficient young forest and shrubland habitat to meet the targets outlined in the NEC Conservation Strategy (Conservation Strategy Objective 705).

Conservation advocates will contribute time, money, volunteers, and staff support toward NEC conservation.

Natural resource professionals will advocate for an increase in young forest and shrubland habitat in the region, and share tools and outreach materials with their clients and colleagues.

Federal, state, and municipal officials will legislatively and financially support and promote community engagement in conservation efforts described in the NEC Conservation Strategy.

Communities, neighbors, and wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts will be aware of NEC conservation efforts and will not actively oppose them. (Although the general public is not a target audience, we also expect that our efforts will result in broader support and understanding of NEC conservation on the part of the public.)

Partners in the conservation effort will communicate, both internally and externally, in a clear, unified, and consistent manner based on information provided by this Outreach Strategy.

Basic communication principles indicate that if NEC conservation partners speak with one clear voice, we will increase the likelihood that our messages will be received and acted upon by our various audiences. By working together as a unified team, we can achieve a much more successful conservation outcome. This Outreach Strategy is an important step guiding us in that direction.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary................................................................................................................................... iiHow to Use this Outreach Strategy.....................................................................................................1Research.......................................................................................................................................................... 2

BACKGROUND......................................................................................................................................... 2New England Cottontails Need a Special Habitat.........................................................2

Reasons for Decline.......................................................................................................................4

Endangered Species Act Listing.............................................................................................4

Social Challenges............................................................................................................................ 5

Ecological Challenges...................................................................................................................7

Political Challenges....................................................................................................................... 8

Economic Challenges....................................................................................................................8

Opportunities................................................................................................................................... 8

PROBLEM STATEMENT...................................................................................................................... 9EXPECTED OUTCOMES....................................................................................................................... 9

Action Planning......................................................................................................................................... 11TARGET AUDIENCES.........................................................................................................................11A. Landowners......................................................................................................................................11B. Conservation Advocates..............................................................................................................12C. Natural Resource Professionals...............................................................................................12D. Elected Officials – Federal, Including U.S. Congress, State, and Municipal...........13F. Partners in the Conservation Strategy..................................................................................13STRATEGIES.......................................................................................................................................... 18A(1). Private Landowners...............................................................................................................19A(2). Private Agricultural Landowners.....................................................................................20A(3). Private Small Woodlot/Forest Landowners................................................................20A(4). Commercial, Energy, and Industrial Landowners.....................................................20A(5). State Landowners and State Agencies............................................................................20A(6). Federal Landowners...............................................................................................................20A(7). Municipal Landowners..........................................................................................................21A(8). Tribal Landowners..................................................................................................................21A(9). Land Trusts and other Nonprofit Local Conservation Entities...........................21B. Conservation Advocates..............................................................................................................21C. Natural Resource Professionals...............................................................................................21D. Elected Officials - U.S. Congress...............................................................................................22

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E. Communities, Neighbors, and Wildlife and Outdoor Enthusiasts............................22F. Partners in the Conservation Strategy..................................................................................22

Communication and Implementation.............................................................................................24Communication and implementation represents the third step in the RACES process used to develop an effective communications plan............................................24TOOLS AND TACTICS.........................................................................................................................24

Evaluation.................................................................................................................................................... 27Stewardship................................................................................................................................................ 28In Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................. 30References................................................................................................................................................... 31Appendices.................................................................................................................................................. 33

Appendix A: Link to 2012 New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy.......................34Appendix B. Tools and Tactics Descriptions...........................................................................35Appendix C. Outreach Work Group Members.......................................................................38Appendix D: Summary of Available Outreach Products........................................................40

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HOW TO USE THIS OUTREACH STRATEGY

This plan:

1) identifies target audiences with whom we need to communicate to ensure that we successfully implement the NEC Conservation Strategy;

2) provides messages tailored to those target audiences;

3) suggests strategies and tactics for delivering those messages;

4) compiles and prioritizes a list of available outreach products and needs; and

5) offers methods for evaluating the success of our communications and outreach efforts.

As new research results become available, management actions evolve, and NEC status changes, we will adapt, modify, or create new messages, strategies, or tools to keep pace with the latest developments in NEC conservation.

This plan is intended for all partners engaged in outreach activities, including biologists, habitat managers, and outreach specialists. It will be helpful as a reference before you meet with a particular landowner for the first time, are interviewed by the media, or give a presentation to an audience.

All messages, strategies, and tactics in this plan are connected to the goals and objectives in the New England Cottontail Conservation Strategy (Fuller and Tur 2012).

We welcome your input. Please contact Kate O’Brien ([email protected]), the designated contact person for this Outreach Strategy, to provide updates and to identify how you can help implement this plan. The plan will be reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect changing conditions and needs (see also Section 6.0, Adaptive Management, in the NEC Conservation Strategy). The Outreach Working Group will continue to meet quarterly and address the needs for New England cottontail outreach. Fully implementing this plan will require an investment of resources and staff time over many years.

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mailto:[email protected]

RESEARCH

Research is the first step in the RACES process for developing a communications plan. This section includes background information, a problem statement, and outcomes expected to be achieved through implementing the outreach strategy.

BACKGROUND

The following background information provides a brief overview of New England cottontail biology, basic knowledge that can be used when meeting with landowners and others to help them learn about NEC.

Biologists have determined that NEC remain in less than 20 percent of their former range, likely due to habitat loss and fragmentation through forest maturation, habitat conversion, residential and commercial development, possible competition with the nonnative eastern cottontail, and predation of rabbits by native and nonnative species.

Once common throughout most of New England, the NEC is now thought to have vanished from Vermont and is exceedingly rare in Rhode Island. It is uncommon in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. In State Wildlife Action Plans filed by the six states that still have NEC, this rare native rabbit is considered a species of conservation concern. Further, the species is listed as "state endangered" in Maine and New Hampshire and is considered a game animal in the four other states where it is found.

In October 2012, when the first version of this outreach strategy was approved by the NEC Executive Committee, the New England cottontail was listed as a Candidate Species under the federal Endangered Species Act, hereafter ESA (71 FR 53756 Sept. 12, 2006). This means that it met the criteria for listing under the ESA, but that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) had focused its efforts on addressing other listing priorities.

In September 2015, the USFWS issued a finding that listing the NEC was not necessary, owing to accomplishments by conservation partners to create habitat for the species and to continue to implement activities listed in the NEC Conservation Strategy. Today, partners remain committed to continuing research, habitat management, the captive rearing program, and other related activities necessary for the conservation of this iconic species.

New England Cottontails Need a Special Habitat NEC occupy several habitats, including shrublands and regenerating (regrowing) forests that are dominated by young trees and woody shrubs, often intermixed with small patches of grasses and wildflowers. NEC habitat is generally defined by the structure of its vegetation – mainly its height and density – rather than by the specific plants that grow there. Vegetation in good habitat is at least several feet tall

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and thick enough that a person would have trouble walking through it. Research studies suggest that good habitat may have at least 40,000 to 50,000 woody stems per hectare (>20,000 per acre). The habitat also needs to contain plants that provide food, such as grasses, sedges, clover, goldenrod, hardwood seedlings and shoots; vines such as greenbriar and wild grape; and shrubs such as pasture rose, blackberry, winterberry holly, silky dogwood, chokeberry, sumac, and viburnums.

These habitats generally develop five to 15 years after a disturbance caused either by humans, through timber harvesting, prescribed burning, mowing older shrubs, or other management activities, or by natural processes that remove or fell trees, such as flooding, windstorms, and wildfires. NEC also use abandoned agricultural fields, as well as naturally occurring shrublands along coastlines and rivers and in wetlands and barrens.

NEC also require that patches of thick winter cover be of at least a certain minimum size. Researchers in New Hampshire found that cottontails survived the winter at much higher rates in patches 7.5 acres and larger (Barbour and Litvaitis 1993). Habitat patches need to be close enough to one another so that rabbits can travel between neighboring patches to find mates or establish new home territories, or be large enough to sustain a population of rabbits through time. Compared to the eastern cottontail, a nonnative competitor, NEC are able to use and may prefer larger, older habitat patches (Cheeseman 2018).

The habitats that provide NEC with the dense low cover they require are technically referred to as early successional, and include shrublands, thickets, shrub swamps, barrens, regrowing fields, and some types of regenerating forest. The simpler, easier-to-understand term young forest, which focus-group testing found to be the phrase that resonated most with private landowners, can be used to communicate the general suite of habitats suitable for NEC.

Many early successional habitats are short-lived. As competing trees grow taller and their crowns broaden, the shade they cast suppresses the low, dense vegetation that NEC need for both food and cover. This ongoing natural phenomenon, known as forest succession or simply succession, means that conservationists, landowners, and land managers must continue to create disturbances that refresh or recreate the dense vegetation required by cottontails and used by many other kinds of wildlife, including many state-identified Species of Greatest Conservation Need.

In communicating about these habitats, the goal is to create understanding and a visual image of the vegetative structure that NEC require. Using common language and avoiding technical jargon is important for engaging target audiences. For this reason, we recommend the use of young forest and/or shrublands when communicating about NEC habitat. Both terms will be used throughout this plan.

Young forest is a term and concept that nontechnical people – landowners and the public – find easy to understand and associate with healthy ecosystems. However, from a technical standpoint it may not be representative of all habitats where NEC

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are found. In certain situations and for certain audiences, it may be appropriate to provide more detail about the desired habitat by using terms such as shrublands, thicket, brush, or barrens. Technical language, such as early successional habitat, may be used when communicating with habitat managers and scientists. In all cases, the audience should be provided with a clear mental picture and understanding of the type of thick habitat that NEC need and that conservationists are seeking to create.

Reasons for DeclineThe primary reason for NEC population decline is the loss and fragmentation of its habitat through forest maturation and conversion to other land uses, such as residential and commercial developments. The loss of natural shrublands caused by coastal development, ditching and draining wetlands, channelizing rivers, reforestation of abandoned agricultural lands, reduced forest management activities, and limiting natural disturbances caused by wildfires and beaver populations have also made this habitat, and the wildlife that need it, increasingly rare.

The amount of early successional forest cover is limited in the states where NEC occur. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that the area of early successional forest cover in the southern New England states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) declined from 36 percent of the total forestland area in the early 1950s to 5 percent in the late 1990s (Brooks 2003).

In all states within its shrinking range, NEC shares its habitat with the imported nonnative eastern cottontail, which is now the more common rabbit in the region and the one most often seen by people. There is strong evidence that eastern cottontails limit NEC habitat use (Cheeseman 2018). The eastern cottontail is able to live in a wider variety of habitats, including highly fragmented landscapes, and in habitat patches that are too small to support NEC. Eastern cottontails appear to reoccupy disturbed or vacant habitat patches more quickly and efficiently than NEC, adding to their competitive edge over the native rabbit.

Endangered Species Act ListingHelping NEC populations recover presents conservationists in the Northeast with an important opportunity to take beneficial actions that will increase NEC numbers while also helping other kinds of wildlife with which NEC share young forest and shrubland habitat. Conservation partners can justifiably take pride in their efforts so far. However, even with continued measurable progress in implementing conservation actions, there is no guarantee that the cottontail won't require future protection under the Endangered Species Act. The commitment made by the partners remains key to restoring the species.

Conservation partners seeking to continue to restore NEC populations must contend with social, ecological, political, and economic challenges.

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Social ChallengesForest Harvesting - Negative attitudes towards clearcutting, along with regulatory barriers limiting or preventing timber harvesting in some states, have prevented conservation partners from conducting key management activities that benefit NEC. Despite the clear importance of young forest and shrubland habitats for maintaining healthy and diverse wildlife populations, few research projects have examined landowner attitudes toward early successional habitats (Gobster 2001). The limited available information indicates that in many areas, landowners tend to prefer mature forest to young forest and are not aware that young forests and other early successional habitats are in decline (Enck and Brown 2006, Enck and Odato 2008).

Many reasons contribute to this preference for mature forest and resistance to managing for young forest. Landowners may believe that cutting single trees throughout their forest is better for the land and for wildlife, rather than cutting patches of trees or creating clearcuts. However, cutting single trees does not create early successional habitat (Dayer et al. 2011).

It may be possible to connect young forest management with landowner interest in managing forests to benefit wildlife. In a study conducted in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire, landowners listed the following reasons for why they feel owning forest is important: for its beauty, to protect the land, to be close to nature, and to provide wildlife habitat (D.J. Case et al. 2010). In another study, when landowners in New York learned about the benefits to wildlife of patch cuts and clearcuts, they said they would be more likely to use those techniques (Dayer et al. 2011) on their lands.

These studies suggest that helping landowners understand that “having a diversity of wildlife requires a diversity of habitats” and that “wildlife needs young forests and shrublands” would encourage them to create some early successional habitat when carrying out forest management activities. However, what landowners think is best for wildlife is not always what wildlife species actually need. Bridging this gap can help promote early successional habitats for a large guild of wildlife on private lands. State conservation departments list more than 60 kinds of young forest wildlife as Species of Greatest Conservation Need within the NEC range.

Habitat Appearance – Many landowners think shrublands and thickets are visually unappealing or messy habitats. As such, they are often cleared and converted to lawn or pasture or allowed to revert to forests. Communicators need to find ways of showing the inherent beauty of young forest and shrubland habitats, as well as educating people to the ways in which they benefit NEC and other wildlife.

Fear of Regulation - The NEC’s status as a former candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act caused some landowners to fear that creating habitat for a species that may be given federal protection could restrict the future use of their land or adversely impact their neighbors. The 2015 “listing not warranted” decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may have lessened the impact of those fears and perceptions. Several studies found that in general, the public strongly

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supports the Endangered Species Act (Kellert 1979, Czek and Kraussman 1999, Harris Interactive 2011). Conversely, a study of landowners’ decisions to participate in federal programs to conserve candidate species suggested that landowners were often conflicted between wanting to be good land stewards and conserve wildlife, and not incurring additional regulatory burdens under the ESA (Womack 2008). In the absence of federal endangered species status for NEC, the values of land stewardship and wildlife conservation may lead to actions that favor commitment to creating and maintaining young forest and shrubland.

Understanding that the status of the NEC can change, depending on longterm availability of habitat and the species’ population trends, conservation partners must keep in mind the potential impacts on private landowners if the NEC is listed sometime in the future. Partners must acknowledge landowner reluctance to create and manage habitat for a potentially listed species and develop the messages, tools, and incentives that will let landowners examine any real or perceived risks that the listing process may cause.

Benefits for Wildlife – Landowners often are unaware that uneven-aged timber harvests, including cutting sizable patches of trees, can help wildlife; they tend to consider uneven-aged timber management to be a better practice. In a study in New York, landowners reported that their likelihood to engage in patch cutting would be most affected by learning that this activity would actually benefit wildlife (Dayer et al. 2011). Landowners also thought that mature forests were slightly more beneficial to wildlife than young forests.

Single-Species Management – Many conservation groups, landowners, and land trusts perceive management of the NEC to be “single-species management” that fails to help other important wildlife. This attitude reflects a lack of understanding about the wide variety of habitats that benefit wildlife, including young forest and shrublands.

Landowner Collaboration – Landowners see parcel boundaries on the land, but wildlife does not. Landowners may not be aware that activities conducted on their land could be critical to individuals in a challenged population of wildlife, such as NEC, living just beyond their property. Additionally, many landowners do not collaborate with their neighbors or consider whether the activities on their land could be more effective when integrated with adjacent land uses.

Ongoing Management – In some cases, the activities required to create or maintain habitat for NEC can be laborious and cost-intensive. Landowners are often unaware of incentive programs and technical resources that can be harnessed to support such management.

Controversial Management Techniques – At times, certain management actions, such as suppressing invasive shrubs, are made more efficient by the application of herbicides. Today, some landowners are reluctant to allow herbicides to be applied

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on their land. Managing competing wildlife, such as eastern cottontails, or predators may also arouse controversy.

Tick Populations – Landowners and the general public are increasingly aware of the public health dangers associated with tick-borne diseases. Some perceive that the dense habitat created for NEC may support high tick populations. Natural resource professionals can inform landowners that certain techniques – such as siting trails appropriately, creating wider trails during management activity, and then mowing those trails frequently – can allow landowners to create NEC habitat and continue to use and enjoy their land while avoiding contact with ticks.

Ecological ChallengesInvasive Plants – Young forests and shrublands are prone to invasion by nonnative plants, and on many sites, such plants make up a large portion of NEC habitat. These nonnative plants have some ecological benefits as well as costs. Agencies and conservation groups face the dilemma of how best to restore native habitats; whether that is a realistic goal on certain sites; and how to responsibly and effectively integrate replacing nonnative shrubs with native varieties as part of early successional or young forest habitat and shrubland management.

Browsing by Deer – Regenerating shrubland and forest habitats following management activities, such as tree cutting, can be difficult in areas where deer populations are large.

Site Selection – Existing vegetation, soil type, site slope and aspect, forest stand age, and geographic location are all important factors when choosing areas suitable to manage for NEC. Sites with rich soils, existing native shrub understory, or younger-age forests may yield the desired habitat more quickly than sites lacking those traits. Areas that are close to existing NEC populations and far away from abundant eastern cottontail populations are of particular interest.

Eastern Cottontail – Additional research is needed to quantify interactions between eastern cottontails and NEC in young forest and shrubland habitats. NEC and eastern cottontails can and do inhabit the same areas, and the two species compete for the same habitat resources (Probert and Litvaitis 1996). In areas where eastern cottontails and NEC co-occur, NEC densities may be lower (Kristensen and Kovach 2018).

More research is also needed to determine how NEC populations respond to habitat-creation projects on sites near existing eastern cottontail populations. Some studies indicate that eastern cottontails are able to establish themselves on those sites earlier than NEC and may interfere with occupation of the sites by NEC. Managers should use caution when managing NEC-occupied sites to ensure that they do not tip the habitat structure to favor eastern cottontails by overly thinning stands. Research conducted in New York (Cheeseman 2018 and Gottfried 2013) may be helpful to conservation professionals writing habitat-creation plans. In general, when creating new habitats, conservationists should strive to control nonnative

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shrubs and maintain some overstory trees, which may allow NEC to occupy managed sites sooner.

Predation – Most cottontails die as a result of predation. In areas where habitat is thin or of poor quality, predation by native or nonnative predators can be excessive, even to the point where local NEC populations decline and are extinguished.

Uncertainty – Restoring the NEC depends largely on having enough habitat in the right places. However, other factors may also be influencing the species’ decline. As research studies reveal more information, management approaches and actions may need to be changed. The effort to restore NEC populations must remain flexible and responsive to changing conditions and new information.

Political ChallengesUncertain Federal and State Funding – Federal and state budgets are uncertain from year to year. Funding for management actions may be limited in years to come. Declining funding could be problematic for management actions, land protection efforts, and staffing and agency capacity to deliver programs and information.

Federal ESA Listing – In September 2015, the USFWS decided that the NEC did not need to be placed on the federal endangered list at that time. That finding resulted in the removal of NEC from candidate status. In the future, the USFWS may need to revisit that decision, based on NEC habitat and population trends.

Economic ChallengesNeed for Market-Based Incentives for Management – Creating and maintaining NEC habitat can be expensive and must be repeated periodically to keep good habitat available. Timber harvests, including clearcutting, may pay for some projects with revenue generated from the sale of forest products such as sawlogs, wood chips, pulp, and firewood. However, not all habitat management projects will yield marketable forest products, and additional capital will be required to carry out some projects. Advocating for markets for lower-grade forest products such as wood chips could help reduce the cost of habitat management.

OpportunitiesConservationists working to reverse population declines of forest-interior songbirds have mainly tried to preserve the mature forests where those birds nest. But recent research suggests that young forest may be just as important for deep-woods nesters: scarlet tanagers, wood thrushes, ovenbirds, and Blackburnian and cerulean warblers, to name but a few (Stoleson 2013).

Several studies have shown that after mature-forest birds nest and fledge their young, both adults and fledglings shift from older forest to young forest, including tracts that have recently been clearcut. Among the densely regrowing trees and shrubs, the birds find abundant insects and fruits. These high-value foods let immature birds grow quickly and help both young and adults build up fat that they will burn during their southward migration. The vertical structure of the dense

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young trees in clearcuts appears to protect the birds from predators, such as hawks, as they go about the important tasks of growing, molting, and finding food.

Some State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast point to a lack of young forest and shrubland habitat as a threat for some species whose populations are declining. NEC and more than 60 other wildlife species including insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals require or benefit from this habitat type.

Talking about young forest and shrubland and the many wildlife species that benefit from carefully planned habitat management provides an opportunity to build support for NEC recovery through creating the habitat that the species needs.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The following statement describes and directs the outreach work to be conducted through the use of this plan.

The New England cottontail requires areas of young forest and shrubland. Because the number of acres of these habitats has been dwindling for decades, the cottontail has vanished from some parts of its historic range, and its population has fallen to low levels in many others. In carrying out the science-based New England Cottontail Conservation Strategy, developed in 2012, conservationists work to create on both public and private lands the habitat that this native rabbit needs. To preserve the cottontail’s future, conservation partners must address and surmount significant social, ecological, political, economic, and communications challenges.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Successfully carrying out this strategy will result in target audiences gaining the appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills leading to the following behaviors:

All target audiences will carry out, support, or accept actions aimed at conserving the New England cottontail, including land acquisition, habitat management (timber harvests, prescribed fire, etc.), captive breeding, reintroduction into the wild, and managing other species.

Landowners will make significant progress toward creating and maintaining young forest and shrubland to meet the targets outlined in the NEC Conservation Strategy (Conservation Strategy Objective 705)

Conservation advocates will contribute time, money, and people in support of New England cottontail conservation.

Natural resource professionals will advocate for an increase in young forest and shrubland habitat and share tools and outreach materials with their clients and colleagues.

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Federal, state, and municipal officials will legislatively and financially support and promote community engagement in conservation efforts described in the NEC Conservation Strategy.

Communities, neighbors, and wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts will be aware of NEC conservation efforts and will not actively oppose them. (Although the general public is not a target audience, we also expect that our efforts will result in broader support and understanding of NEC conservation on the part of the public.)

Partners in the conservation effort will communicate, both internally and externally, in a clear, unified, and consistent manner based on this Outreach Strategy.

For those unfamiliar with communication planning processes and nomenclature, the outcomes we hope to achieve are stated at the outset of a project to lead to appropriate strategies and tactics for communication. It’s important to know what we are trying to achieve: otherwise, communication becomes a scattershot approach, wasting time and money.

Research Resources

To find peer-reviewed technical articles on a variety of topics, please visit the websites www.youngforest.org and www.newenglandcottontail.org. In the “Resources” section, search under the “Articles (Technical)” category.

Many other resources are also available to use when conducting outreach and communicating about NEC, including nontechnical popular articles, audio files, best management practices documents for creating habitat, brochures, displays, fact sheets, images, infographics, guidebooks and manuals, reports, posters, PowerPoint presentations, signage, videos, and more.

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http://www.youngforest.org/

ACTION PLANNING

The second step in the RACES communication planning process lays out the key elements of the action plan – audiences, messages, and strategies.

TARGET AUDIENCES

We selected the following audiences based on their potential to address the social, ecological, political, and economic challenges for restoring the NEC; then we assessed each audience’s needs in order to recruit them into the conservation initiative. We determined that all of our target audiences need a basic understanding of the NEC’s status, the threats facing the species, the need for management actions to address those threats, and the environmental benefits delivered by projects designed to help NEC, such as improving habitat for songbirds. We describe each audience below, along with their needs and the contributions they can make toward carrying out the NEC Conservation Strategy.

A. Landowners

The availability of suitable habitat is the most significant limitation to restoring the NEC. Most of the land within the species’ range is privately owned. There are also varying amounts of land under municipal, state, federal, and tribal ownership in each NEC focus area (areas designated in the NEC Conservation Strategy where habitat management is to be focused). In each focus area, partners will need help from and participation by many landowners, so that we can create the numerous habitat patches that, together, will support a healthy NEC population. Since the landowner audience is very diverse demographically, socially, and behaviorally, we subdivide this group as follows:

(1) Private Landowners need to be aware of the people, resources, tools, and incentives available to them, and understand that even simple actions they take can make an important positive difference for wildlife, and may also enhance the value of their land.

(2) Private Agricultural Landowners need to understand the important role that farmers can play in managing for wildlife, and that contributing to the effort to conserve NEC need not compromise farming operations and may even benefit their business.

(3) Private Small Woodlot/Forest Landowners need to be informed that managing for NEC can be simple, deliver aesthetic benefits, and improve forest health, and that consultants and financial support are available.

(4) Commercial, Energy, and Industrial Landowners typically are interested in profits and community support, and need to be made aware that

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participating in NEC conservation activities can benefit their company. They are also important stakeholders, as utility rights-of-way can provide habitat connectivity to let individual cottontails move between small populations, and, in some cases, may be needed for local populations to survive.

(5) State Landowners and State Wildlife and Forestry Agencies already care about wildlife, but they need information about grants to create habitat and how managing for NEC can benefit other priority state programs, such as timber management, promoting hunting, and improving habitat for other state Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).

(6) Federal Landowners need to understand that they can be important partners in the effort to restore the NEC, and that obviating ESA listing by implementing proactive conservation efforts is much more efficient and cost effective than listing, recovering, and delisting NEC under the Endangered Species Act.

(7) Municipal Landowners are concerned about town goals, including planning for green infrastructure and town services, and need to be aware that managing for NEC need not compromise public recreation opportunities and can also promote a healthier and more diverse environment that benefits people as well as wildlife.

(8) Tribal Landowners often understand why it is important to preserve indigenous wildlife; they need information about funding and technical support to help further that goal.

(9) Land Trusts and Nonprofit Conservation Entities want to be good land stewards; they need to be assured that their lands can play an important role in conserving NEC while still meeting their organizational mission, and that helping NEC and other rare or declining species may result in greater support from their constituents and members.

B. Conservation Advocates

Conservation advocates can influence policy and leverage resources at a national level. They need information on how supporting the NEC fits in with their mission and how they can best use their resources to help NEC and other wildlife while developing a positive image for their organization. This audience includes nonprofit partners such as The Nature Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, and National Farm Bureau.

C. Natural Resource Professionals

Consulting (non-agency) natural resource professionals work directly with landowners, giving them the opportunity to encourage landowners to manage for young forests and shrublands. This audience includes foresters, wildlife biologists,

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environmental scientists, consultants, contractors, technical service providers, loggers, and communications specialists. They need to understand that their ability to provide advice on creating habitat can attract more clients, and that there are already many tools and resources available for them to use.

D. Elected Officials – Federal, Including U.S. Congress, State, and Municipal

In the six states where conservationists are working to conserve NEC, we have opportunities to help elected officials become spokespeople for wildlife conservation, influence public opinion, promote community engagement in conservation efforts described in the NEC Conservation Strategy, pass favorable laws or rules, and provide funding for NEC conservation. Elected officials especially want to learn about effective collaborations that make efficient use of taxpayer resources.

E. Communities, Neighbors, and Wildlife and Outdoor Enthusiasts

Local acceptance and understanding of NEC conservation will make it easier to implement potentially unpopular management activities such as timber harvests and prescribed burns. If young forests and shrublands are being created in their community or neighborhood, this audience needs to know that managing lands for NEC aligns with their own interests. An increase in habitat leads to a diversity of game and nongame wildlife, which in turn improves outdoor recreation activities such as birdwatching, wildlife viewing, and hunting. This audience includes people who reside in and near towns where active NEC management is underway. We need support from many people to continue the restoration and recovery work. Communicating effectively with the general public, some of whom have no interest in wildlife or the environment, requires a large budget. It is usually better to target geographic areas and use the media to reach people living in NEC focus areas, or to communicate directly with organizations and memberships with the means and staff to help inform the public that habitat management benefits people as well as wildlife.

F. Partners in the Conservation Strategy

This internal audience includes employees of state agencies, federal agencies, zoos, universities, and nonprofit organizations working together to carry out the NEC Conservation Strategy. We can use our limited resources more efficiently if we speak with one voice, understand our shared goals and objectives, and work together. Our partners need to understand that they are part of an exciting effort to restore a declining species, and that we can provide them with communications tools and guidance on how they can help.

G. Media

The Outreach Work Group considers the media to be an audience, and one that can also serve as an intermediary audience or communication channel. Conservation

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activities are highly complex, and the media needs access to information designed to provide a contextual background, supporting data, and the opportunity to talk with highly knowledgeable scientists and field staff to help them tell the NEC restoration story.

KEY MESSAGES

The Outreach Work Group recommends the following Priority Messages be covered in every interaction. This is important, because to build awareness, promote understanding, and motivate supportive actions for NEC recovery, we must make sure people understand certain basic information. For example, some species of wildlife require specific habitats, with accompanying food and cover, to thrive. Some of those habitats – such as the young forest and shrubland required by NEC – are ephemeral and require periodic renewal, either through natural disturbances, which humans have greatly curtailed in our era, or through our repeated management actions.

Communicators need to get to know their audiences and assess whether they understand certain basic facts and possess important knowledge, and then shape their communications efforts accordingly.

Priority Messages

Young forest is a general term that describes young regrowing forest, shrubland, brush, thicket, and early successional habitats.

Maturing forests, increased development, and our suppression of natural disturbance processes such as flooding and wildfires have resulted in too little young forest on the land.

More than 60 wildlife species native to our region rely on young forest, including New England cottontails, and many of those animals have seen serious population declines in recent decades.

To have diverse wildlife, we need diverse habitats, including some young forest. We need to create young forest in key places so that wildlife like the New England cottontail don’t disappear.

Young forest is temporary, so landowners and conservationists must work to periodically renew young forest and shrublands to help keep local New England cottontail populations healthy and connected. Rabbits may not use a freshly created habitat for several years, and may not occupy it at all unless robust NEC populations exist nearby. But even if these native rabbits don’t take up residence on a given tract, the new young forest will deliver valuable food

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and cover to many other kinds of wildlife, including both rare and common species.

Federal and state agencies can offer private landowners advice and financial incentives for some projects that create young forest for wildlife.

The following related messages also will help NEC partners’ communications and outreach efforts. Designed to resonate with all audiences both logically and emotionally, these messages combine the findings of communications research and firsthand experience connecting with landowners. Consult these messages to ensure that what you say is consistent with what other conservation partners are saying across the NEC range. Each primary message (italicized) includes several supporting messages (bulleted). Refer to strategies and tactics for information on how to effectively communicate these messages. Partners may want to add messages or adjust them to local conditions as needed.

Additional Key Messages

Young forests provide essential homes for a large variety of native wildlife, and we are losing this important habitat – and the wild creatures that need it – at a rapid rate in the Northeast.

Young forest is a type of habitat thick with young trees and shrubs, often with patches of grasses and wildflowers mixed in.

The natural disturbance processes that historically created young forests no longer have the same impact on the land that they once did, due to human development, increased population density, dam building, and wildfire suppression.

Forest management practices can mimic these natural processes in a controlled and science-based way.

An important part of the solution lies in carefully planning and carrying out forest management practices and projects in the right places. Landowners and loggers can responsibly and sustainably harvest stands of trees and use prescribed burning and mowing to create and maintain patches of young native forests within largely mature forested landscapes.

The New England cottontail, a species whose population has decreased significantly over the last 40 years, is the only native rabbit in these six northeastern states: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York east of the Hudson River.

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New England cottontails, like many other kinds of wildlife, need dense, thick areas where lots of plants, including shrubs and young trees, provide them with abundant food and hiding cover.

This kind of habitat is often referred to as “young forest.” A rabbit commonly seen in some areas is the eastern cottontail, a different

species than the native New England cottontail. Eastern cottontails were introduced to the region in the early 1900s. They have been very successful in adapting to a landscape fragmented in many areas by human development; unfortunately, NEC have not been as successful in adapting to a changed landscape that includes fewer acres of young forest than in times past.

Young forests provide essential homes for many native animals and birds; we are losing both young forest habitat and its wildlife in the Northeast.

The decline in the amount of young forest has caused the New England cottontail's population to fall, along with the populations of many other kinds of wildlife with which our native cottontail rabbit shares the habitat.

As young forests grow older, they stop providing homes for animals such as the New England cottontail. That means we need to keep creating and renewing young forest in places where it will do wildlife the most good, including on public and private lands and on holdings of nature groups, wildlife organizations, and land trusts.

For New England cottontail populations to grow and repopulate enough land in the six states where it exists, conservation partners will need to create and maintain, in the right locations, about 27,000 acres of young forest and self-sustaining shrubland habitat.

Voluntary habitat management actions on private, public, and nonprofit lands have helped boost the amount of food and cover available to the New England cottontail; continuing such efforts is critical to saving our region’s native rabbit.

Creating and maintaining enough young forest for wildlife requires active, ongoing habitat management.

We need continued cooperation from landowners willing to make and maintain habitats for the New England cottontail and the many other species that require young forest and shrublands.

Wildlife of young forest includes many kinds of animals whose populations have been falling, as well as common species that we want to keep common.

In many areas, local New England cottontail populations have fallen to dangerously low levels, and wildlife scientists may need to supplement them with additional animals, after food and cover have been established to meet the population’s needs.

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Conservation partners are rearing New England cottontails at two zoos, in large outdoor pens, and on uninhabited islands, and have begun to reintroduce these animals to bolster local populations on the land and to start up new populations as needed.

It will take time to increase New England cottontail populations, and newly established populations often require additional animals over time to supplement their numbers until they become self-sustaining.

In some areas, New England cottontails will naturally move into new young forest created through management activities, once the shrubs and young trees are large and extensive enough to provide the food and hiding cover that the rabbits need.

In 2015, based in part on collaboration and a commitment to create New England cottontail habitat by state wildlife agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New England cottontail was removed as a candidate for listing as “threatened” or “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Although this decision has already been made, we know our work is not done, and conservation partners remain strongly committed to continuing to follow the path of recovery already taken.

The decision not to list the New England cottontail as a federal endangered species was made as a result of conservation partners’ collective efforts and progress made toward addressing threats to New England’s native rabbit, as well as the promise to continue those efforts into the future.

If conservation measures are not implemented, or are not effective, the rabbit may need to be considered for future federal listing as threatened or endangered.

The New England cottontail remains listed as a state-endangered species in Maine and New Hampshire. (Include as a state-specific message if pertinent.)

A diversity of wildlife requires a diversity of habitats.

Wildlife that requires young forest includes more than 60 kinds of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, many of which are designated as “species of greatest conservation need” by state conservationists.

Flowering shrubs in young forest patches provide pollen, nectar, and nesting sites for many kinds of insects, including native pollinators.

Maintaining young forest and shrublands on the landscape will address many of the needs of rare and common wildlife.

Like your own home and yard, young forests require routine maintenance to renew and sustain the characteristics that let them support the many kinds of wildlife that need this habitat.

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A clearcut or burned area may look messy at first, but it quickly greens up with new growth that provides critically important food and cover for wildlife.

When talking with decision makers include this message:

More than 60 groups from 17 states (including the six states with NEC populations) have joined the Young Forest Project as partners in creating this important habitat, including state and federal agencies, major funders, the U.S. military, wildlife organizations, land trusts, municipalities, businesses, and Native American tribes.

Many conservation and natural resource professionals agree that increasing the amount of young forest is important to meet the needs of declining wildlife, to keep common species common, and to avoid the need for states or the federal government to list rarer species as threatened or endangered.

There are success stories in your own area that demonstrate positive outcomes and public support for creating and maintaining young forest and shrublands.

Habitat Demonstration Areas exist throughout the 17-state Young Forest Project where people can go and learn about techniques for creating young forest and see the abundant and diverse wildlife that these management actions encourage.

(Additional audience-specific messages developed in 2012 can be found in the original outreach strategy via the link provided in Appendix A of this revision.)

STRATEGIES

Strategies are broad descriptions of actions and approaches that are used to deliver key messages to our target audiences.

Strategies for All Target Audiences

Establish, build, and maintain positive working relationships with all Target Audiences.

Relate NEC conservation to issues and values that resonate with each Target Audience, particularly themes like wildlife conservation, environmental health, economic benefits, benefits to future generations, efficient use of funds, and public support.

Associate “good feelings” with NEC conservation (e.g. “a better world,” “healthy animals,” “helping a rare species recover,” “good stewardship of the land,” “helping future generations,” “efficient use of resources,” “individuals

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can make a difference,” “supporting local communities,” and “a good conservation ethic”).

Use a variety of new and traditional media to reach Target Audiences and build general support for NEC conservation.

Use a consistent brand image to increase the visibility and recognition of NEC conservation.

Highlight success stories: landowner habitat projects, captive breeding, releasing animals into good habitat to boost populations, new tracts preserved to help NEC, new partners in the NEC initiative, etc.

Ensure that information about NEC conservation is easily accessible via print and electronic media.

Ensure that scientific data, habitat projects, and recent research findings are available to all partners in NEC conservation.

A. Landowners

The strategies below apply to all landowner audiences. However, in order to address the demographic and behavioral diversity of our landowner audiences, we developed additional strategies tailored to each subset of this audience.

Strategies Common to All Landowners

Review landholdings for all landowner audiences.

Establish, build, and maintain positive relationships with all landowners within the focus areas established in the NEC Conservation Strategy.

Develop the most effective approach for engaging each individual landowner or landowner audience.

Emphasize the benefits of NEC management, including helping other wildlife, economics, establishing viewsheds, tax incentives, making sure future generations will have be able to enjoy wildlife viewing or hunting, healthy lands, etc.

Facilitate the process for landowners to easily create habitat, including making them aware of available advice and financial incentives.

Provide positive reinforcement when landowners choose to manage their land for NEC.

A(1). Private Landowners

Show private landowners how they fit into a larger conservation effort.

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A(2). Private Agricultural Landowners

Work through USDA NRCS field staff, Cooperative Extension agricultural and forestry staff, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife employees.

Establish effective working relationships with leaders of agricultural groups, such as the Farm Bureau, state conservation district associations, and state agricultural agencies.

Demonstrate how agricultural practices and wildlife conservation can be compatible.

A(3). Private Small Woodlot/Forest Landowners

Work through NRCS field staff, Cooperative Extension forestry and wildlife staff, state fish and wildlife biologists, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, woodlot/forest owner associations, and private lands foresters.

Demonstrate how forestry practices can be compatible with wildlife management.

A(4). Commercial, Energy, and Industrial Landowners

Meet with public relations personnel and determine whether they have sustainability programs that can include NEC conservation, both to help cottontails and to generate valuable positive publicity.

Network with associations (e.g. Empire State Forest Products Association in New York) to inform them about NEC conservation.

A(5). State Landowners and State Agencies

Ensure that leaders of state wildlife agencies are aware of and engaged in NEC conservation efforts.

Encourage networks of state agency leadership and biologists in the Northeast.

Communicate with federal and state transportation agencies to ensure that NEC conservation needs are considered when implementing new projects or upgrading existing infrastructure.

A(6). Federal Landowners

Network with biologists who work on federal lands in the Northeast.

Coordinate with leaders and staff of other federal agencies.

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Connect with the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association.

A(7). Municipal Landowners

Reach out to conservation commissions, code enforcement officers, town planners, and open space committees. Collaborate with others doing similar outreach, i.e. State Wildlife Action Plan implementers.

Demonstrate how public use, such as hiking, birdwatching, or hunting, are compatible with young forest and shrubland management practices that benefit a broad range of wildlife, including NEC.

A(8). Tribal Landowners

Work with tribal natural resource departments to identify potential NEC habitats within their respective tribal lands and provide opportunities to conserve, protect, enhance, and create such habitats.

A(9). Land Trusts and other Nonprofit Local Conservation Entities

Work through land trusts and their landowner networks to communicate the importance and benefits of managing for NEC.

B. Conservation Advocates

Demonstrate how NEC conservation fits into their organizational missions.

Work with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on Farm Bill reauthorization (e.g. American Farmland Trust and American Farm Bureau).

Develop a cross-agency group to work on relationships with conservation advocates at the Washington, D.C., level.

C. Natural Resource Professionals

Identify opportunities and venues to reach groups of natural resource professionals and deliver presentations or workshops.

Reach out to state fish and wildlife biologists, foresters, and park managers.

Network with natural resource professionals through professional societies.

Ensure that this audience knows how to access materials and resources dealing with NEC conservation.

Emphasize various species that also benefit from habitat management, such as American woodcock, blue-winged warbler, wood turtle, box turtle, and pollinating insects.

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Partner with the Young Forest Project to develop training materials and plan training sessions for natural resource professionals.

Work with the Northeast Conservation Information and Education Association.

Ensure that broad audiences, such as consultants, are invited to workshops.

D. Elected Officials - U.S. Congress

Educate congressional members using compelling data and success stories about NEC conservation.

Advocate for conservation through key partners and important conservation organizations in elected officials’ districts.

Highlight partnerships, the fiscal responsibility of working together and pooling resources, and the importance of NEC conservation to all of the many partners involved in the effort.

Emphasize the need to save young forests and shrublands to lessen the need for federal protection and to support the suite of species that need this habitat, including many that are cherished by citizens and some that are hunted.

Work with the USFWS’s Northeast Congressional Liaison to help plan and carry out Capitol Hill visits.

E. Communities, Neighbors, and Wildlife and Outdoor Enthusiasts

Talk with communities where management is being planned and communicate with key landowners directly.

Share good news and success stories and proactively document helpful and beneficial activities.

Identify communities with regulations that are incompatible with habitat management for NEC and work with them to remove regulatory barriers.

Work with partners to leverage education and outreach resources.

F. Partners in the Conservation Strategy

Ensure that partners communicate and coordinate regularly.

Ensure that recent research findings, survey data, and maps are available to all partners.

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Develop templates and standards to facilitate, coordinate, and streamline NEC outreach materials.

NEC Outreach Working Group to meet quarterly

G. Media

Build relationships with local, state and regional media staff.

Ensure that current progress, success stories and challenges are shared with them.

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COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Communication and implementation represents the third step in the RACES process used to develop an effective communications plan.

TOOLS AND TACTICS

Tools are in the vertical column on the far left of the following table. (Short descriptions of each tool can be found in Appendix B of this plan.) The numbers 1 to 7 in the top horizontal line represent expected outcomes for outreach efforts described in the Research section of this Outreach Strategy.

TACTICS AND TOOLS

OUTREACH STRATEGY EXPECTED OUTCOMES

(e - existing)

(p - proposed)

1-Overall support for variety of NEC conserva-tion actions

2-Land- owners will make progress toward acreage targets

3-Conserva-tion advocates contribute time, money, and people to NEC conservation

4-Natural resource profession-als share tools and outreach materials

5-Financial and legislative support from elected officials

6-Communi-ties, neighbors, wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts aware and will not oppose

7-Partners use consistent, unified communica-tion and messages

Educational

Habitat demonstration areas (e)

X X X X X

Outreach meetings for landowners (e)

X X X

Outreach workshops for natural resource professionals (p)

x x x x

Exhibits (e) x x x x x x

Working with the media (e) x x x x

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TACTICS AND TOOLS


(e - existing)

(p - proposed)








Informational * (see bottom of table)

Website (e)x x x x x x x

Signage – prescribed burning (p)

x x x

Signage – mowing and cutting (e)

x x x x

Rangewide brochure and templates (e)

x x x x x x x

Young Forest Guide (e) x x x x x x

Communication collaboration among partners (p)

x x x x

Outreach Strategy (e) x x x

Promotional

Direct emails (p) x x x x

Magnets (p) x x x

Events (p) x x x x

Social Media

Establish social media program (p)

x

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TACTICS AND TOOLS


(e - existing)

(p - proposed)








Instagram (p) x x x

Organizational

Maintain executive/tech-nical committee organizational structure (e)

x x

Landowner recognition program (p)

x x x x

Internal communication among partners (e)

x x x x

Attend annual Technical Committee Meetings (e)

x x x x

Policy Tools

Maintain active Outreach Work Group (e)

x x x x x x

Scientific

Conduct research to measure the effectiveness of outreach tools and programs (e)

x x x x x x

Previously developed materials can be viewed at www.newenglandcottontail.org.

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http://www.newenglandcottontail.org/

EVALUATION

Evaluation, the fourth step in the RACES communication planning process, is an important component of any communication effort and one that is often overlooked. Communication and outreach are essential to NEC conservation. Just as the success of conservation ultimately will be measured by NEC population recovery and habitat restoration, so too will the success of communication efforts be measured by those results.

C.S. Objective Desired Outcome C.S. Performance Measure

Target Level

701: Develop outreach strategy

A completed outreach strategy which identifies critical target audiences & prioritizes outreach tactics and tools.

As a result of monitoring the environment we suggest changing this performance measure to periodic review and updates.

1

5 year interval plan review

702: Develop/main-tain website

Website featuring info on NEC biology, ongoing projects/programs, contacts and how to get involved.

Projects highlighted

5 per year

703: Develop communication products to explain and further NEC conservation.

Media, messages and communication products available for use in NEC outreach, targeted to audiences defined in strategy.

Targeted media provided to OWG and they are trained on delivery

1 specialist in each state

705: Target outreach to key audiences.

Dedicated outreach specialist who can promote implementation of restoration, including prescribed fire--by agencies, Tribes, towns and NGOs, and Inter-state

Increase in habitat management acreage objectives for 507, 508, 509, 510, 513

10,000 acres

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STEWARDSHIP

The final element of the five-step RACES planning process is Stewardship. Natural resource professionals understand this word and its many associations in the context of the longterm conserving of lands, populations of wildlife, clean air, and clean water. In the context of communication, stewardship takes on an additional meaning.

In the fund-raising profession, an oft-cited principle is that “your best prospects are previous donors.” In business circles, you will often hear that “it is easier to keep an old customer than find a new one.” Marketing studies show that it costs seven times more to enlist a new customer than to retain a current one (Microsoft 1997). In the field of public relations, we learn that “effects theory holds that changing behavior is more difficult than reinforcing behavior” (Kelly 2001).

Partners in the effort to conserve NEC must advocate and support creating and maintaining over 27,000 acres of young forest and shrubland habitat for NEC. To that end, natural resource professionals need to acknowledge the importance of “keeping old customers”: reinforcing the decisions that landowners have made to create habitat, while continuing our communication efforts to gain similar commitments from new, additional landowners.

Stewardship is accomplished through the following activities:

1. Reciprocity2. Responsibility3. Reporting4. Relationship nurturing

Reciprocity means demonstrating gratitude for supportive behaviors. When landowners or others act in ways that benefit NEC conservation, partners can show their appreciation by saying “thank you” and by finding other ways to recognize the supportive behavior: presenting a plaque, inviting a landowner to a special event, or simply sending a personalized letter to the landowner who has made a significant contribution.

Responsibility requires that partners in NEC conservation interact in a polite, respectful, and socially responsible manner with all audiences and especially with the target audiences who have exhibited the support we are seeking. Stated simply, we must keep our promises and do what we say we will do.

Reporting means that we must communicate regularly with the groups of people who have done what we have asked them to do. Through responsible and effective reporting, we can keep them informed about the progress of NEC conservation, any problems we encounter, and success stories. Effective reporting helps reinforce public confidence in the integrity and effectiveness of our work. This is just as important for conservationists as it is for those who work for businesses.

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Relationship nurturing will demonstrate that partners care for, respect, appreciate, and will continue to involve the people who have supported NEC conservation in the past. Natural resource professionals carrying out this communication plan will keep these important contributors in mind, maintain regular contact, share information, and seek their continued involvement and a potential role as ambassadors for the effort to restore New England’s native rabbit.

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IN CONCLUSION

As managers, biologists, and outreach specialists working together to successfully carry out the NEC Conservation Strategy, we can follow the guidelines listed above to ensure that we continue to engage and respond to our partners and landowners. Over time, we will create a culture of conservation where we retain partnerships and build a sustainable and continuous conservation landscape to benefit NEC and other declining wildlife species.

This outreach and communication strategy is a living document, designed to be assessed and updated as conditions require. The strategy is linked to conservation outcomes and will be evaluated on its ability to shape, guide, and promote the conservation and recovery of the New England cottontail. Please refer to this strategy frequently and send comments, criticisms, and suggestions to the NEC Outreach Working Group.

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REFERENCES

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Brooks, R.T. 2003. Abundance, distribution, trends and ownership patterns of early-successional forests and native shrublands in the northeastern United States. Forest Ecology and Management 185:65-74.

Case, D.J., P.T. Seng, and R. Christoffel. 2010. Investigating Communication Strategies to Support Implementation of the American Woodcock Conservation Plan. D.J. Case and Assoc. 46 pp.

Cheeseman, A.E., S.J. Ryan, C.M. Whipps, and J.B. Cohen. 2018. Competition alters seasonal resource selection and promotes use of invasive shrubs by an imperiled native cottontail. Ecology and Evolution: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4580

Czech, B., and P.R. Krausman. 1999. Public opinion on endangered species conservation and policy. Society and Natural Resources 12:469-479.

Dayer, A.A., S. Broussard Allred, R.C. Stedman, D. Decker, J. Enck, and M. Kurth. 2011. New York’s Southern tier landowners’ management for early successional forest habitat: attitudes, barriers, and motivations. HDRU Publ. 11-9. Dept. of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. 102 pp.

Enck J.W. and T.L. Brown. 2006. Residents' perceptions of the Great Northern Forest and its management. HDRU Publ. 06-7. Dept. of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. 47 pp.

Enck, J.W. and M. Odato. 2008. Public attitudes and affective beliefs about early- and late-successional stages of the Great Northern Forest. Journal of Foresty 106(7):388-395.

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. 2011. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 9/2011: http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/tools-data/

Froschauer, A. 2010. Communications and Outreach Plan for the National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats.

Fuller, S. and A. Tur. 2012. Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis). 143 pp.

Gobster, P.H. 2001. Human dimensions of early successional landscapes in the eastern United States. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(2):474-482.

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https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4580

Gottfried, A. 2018. Fine-scale assessment of habitat characteristics of two cottontail species in southern New England. M.S. thesis, Univ. of Rhode Island. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/59/

Harris Interactive. 2011. Endangered Species Act Summary. A public opinion poll and report to Endangered Species Coalition. 9 pp.

Kellert, S.R. 1979. Public attitudes toward critical wildlife and natural habitat issues. U.S. Department of Interior. 138 pages.

Kelly, K.S. 2001. Stewardship: The Fifth Step in Public Relations, pp 279 -289 in Heath, R.L. (ed) Handbook of Public Relations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

King, D.I., R.B. Chandler, J.M. Collins, W.R. Petersen, T.E. Lautzenheiser. 2009. Effects of width, edge and habitat on the abundance and nesting success of scrub-shrub birds in powerline corridors. Biological Conservation 142:2672–2680.

Kristensen, T.V and A.I. Kovach. 2018. Spatially explicit abundance estimation of a rare habitat specialist. Ecosphere 9(5):e02217. 10.1002/ecs2.2217

Marston, J. E. 1979. Modern Public Relations. New York: McGraw Hill.

Microsoft. 1997. The bigger day. Redmond, WA.

New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy. 2012. Original outreach plan to help partners implement the conservation strategy for the New England cottontail. 62 pp.

Oehler, J. and J. Weber 2012. Young Forest Communication Plan.

Oehler, J., J. Weber, and C. Fergus. 2017. Young Forest Outreach Strategy.

Probert, B.L. and J. Litvaitis. Behavioral interactions between invading and endemic lagomorphs: implications for conserving a declining species. Biological Conservation 76(3):289-295.

Stoleson, S. 2013. Condition varies with habitat choice in post breeding forest birds. The Auk 130(3):417-428.

Womack, K., 2008. Factors affecting landowner participation in the Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances Program. M.S. thesis, Utah State Univ. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/29/

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https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/59/

APPENDICES

A. Link to 2012 New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy

B. Tools and Tactics Description

C. Outreach Work Group Members

D. Summary of Available Outreach Products

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Appendix A: Link to 2012 New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy

https://newenglandcottontail.org/sites/default/files/research_documents/Appendix%20K.%20Outreach%20and%20Communications%20Plan.pdf

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Appendix B. Tools and Tactics Descriptions

Habitat Demonstration Areas: These are active projects where the landowner or land-owning organization is willing to have people visit, conduct tours, and answer questions. As good examples of young forest and shrubland management, these sites could be visited following an outreach program in which general information about NEC conservation is presented. Site visits let communicators describe and point out management techniques in greater detail, demonstrate outcomes over time for creating and refreshing habitat, and let program participants see and feel what NEC habitat is like.

Outreach Meetings for Landowners: Landowners in NEC focus areas are invited to attend meetings where NEC and young forest and shrublands management are discussed. Participants can ask questions, and well-trained recruitment specialists and other natural resource professionals can provide information about planned management activities and what to expect. Meetings may be followed by a visit to a habitat demonstration area, or even be held at a demonstration area. Attendees can be given outreach materials, including publications, and informed about potential funding to help cover the costs of habitat management actions.

Outreach Workshops for Natural Resources Professionals: A successful workshop format that provides young forest and shrubland basics plus communications training is offered periodically by states and partners in the NEC initiative. This content only needs a small addition of content to serve as an outreach workshop directed at NEC restoration and communication. Workshops of this nature serve to expand awareness of NEC, the role of habitat management in the restoration of this species, and will harness the communications skills and capabilities of the six NEC states where habitat restoration is underway. Opportunities to present a workshop of the nature exist and Meetings such as the Society of American Foresters and other natural resources conferences and meetings to keep in touch with a range of professionals.

Exhibits: Two exhibits can be ordered by partners and be taken to shows and meetings. The first is a pull-up tabletop banner that features a large photograph of a New England cottontail and a series of photos, plus text, showing the regrowth of shrubs and trees on managed land over time. (The banner can be customized through the addition of partner logos.) The second is a revision to the Peter Rabbit “Tails of Success” infographic that can be printed off and pasted to foam core board for a simple exhibit or fabricated via other techniques for a sturdier product.

Working with the Media: Partners can contact and interact with reporters to build and maintain relationships in which the media can help in explaining NEC conservation to the public. Approaches include sharing background information, presenting story ideas, and inviting media personnel to special events (such as the release of captive-reared rabbits) and to come see habitat sites and demonstration areas.

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Website: www.newenglandcottontail.org presents the story of NEC conservation and the habitat management activities that make it happen. The site, hosted by the Wildlife Management Institute, includes natural history information, success stories, news stories, short articles about relevant topics, downloadable resources, and contact information for natural resource professionals working to conserve NEC. It is an excellent place to send interested parties (such as media people, town and municipality officials, consulting foresters, land trust members, and many other potential helpers) to learn about NEC. The site links to two related websites, www.youngforest.org and www.timberdoodle.org.

Signage – Prescribed Burning: This proposed sign would communicate about the value of prescribed burning as a forest management tool and be available for partners to use on lands they are managing with this technique.

Signage – Mowing and Cutting: In the “Resources” sections of the websites there are a number of signs that can be used as models to create new signs or copied in total. When people visit a site where timber cutting has taken place, the signs help them understand the purpose for the habitat-management activity they see, and they assure visitors that after time passes, the land will green up with a thick growth of young trees and shrubs that will deliver important benefits to local wildlife.

Rangewide Brochure and Templates: Provides basic information about NEC and the species’ habitat needs and introduces the conservation partners working together to restore the region’s native rabbit. (Accompanying templates are available, designed in the same style, so that partners can add customized informational inserts.)

Young Forest Guide: This 24-page large format publication can be given to private, nonprofit, corporate, and public landowners who would benefit from and be inspired by photographs of habitat and wildlife and in-depth information about young forest management.

Communication Collaboration among Partners: Among the conservation partners there are a number of communication offices with existing programs, products, and opportunities tailor-made for collaboration. This will multiply the impact of NEC communication and outreach efforts.

New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy: Having a roadmap to follow for outreach efforts began with the initial NEC Outreach Strategy approved in 2012. The 2018 update will continue to perform the same purpose: help partners conduct unified, effective communication about conserving NEC.

Direct emails: This may be playing a role in recruiting landowners to attend outreach meetings. There may be additional roles for direct email updates on the restoration project as a stewardship aspect of outreach. Natural resource professionals can periodically email pertinent news to involved landowners to help them maintain the good feeling they got when they helped out the rabbits initially. Such emails can include success stories and update the status of NEC in their area.

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Magnets: These are handed out to participants at outreach meetings and events and show the logo for the effort and the web address. Sustains recollection of the initiative and a reminder of the need for land management.

Events: Consider attending events where target audiences might be present like Stonyfield with a clear purpose and outcomes in mind. Host similar events in other states – nudge colleagues to consider something like this if there are people they are trying to reach.

Establish Social Media Program: Social media plays an important role in how people connect and gather information. Currently the initiative has no social presence except when Partners include the occasional post on their platforms. Communications specialists will weigh the advantages of adding social media to NEC outreach efforts. If the initiative does not develop its own social media program the use of new or existing hashtags will be important. Platforms will be evaluated for match with demographics of key audiences, SMART objectives prepared for its use and results monitored.

Instagram: Landscapes and wildlife are often photographed and shared online. This may be a good social media outlet to experiment with. INaturalist may be another platform with relevance to landowner participants in habitat management.

Maintain Executive and Technical Committee Organizational Structure: The Executive Committee, Technical Committee and Working Groups all have a role to play in moving the restoration project forward. Coordination and internal communication is critical and supports partner synergy to achieve targeted results for the NEC and habitat.

Landowner Recognition Program: Events, newsletters, plaques and other forms of recognition are appreciated by people and organizations. This is an area for additional work in the future to create a package of model programs for use by partners.

Internal Communication among Partners: Designated individuals attend and distribute meeting notes to keep partners informed about progress, issues and upcoming meetings.

Attend Annual Technical Committee Meetings: This is an excellent source of updated progress, latest science to communicate, and an ideal meeting to solicit input about future communication needs and products.

Maintain Active Outreach Work Group: Communication and outreach are key components outlined in the Conservation Strategy.

Conduct Research to Measure the Effectiveness of Outreach Tools and Programs: Periodic surveys will be used to gauge the impact and effectiveness of materials from the point of view of the recruitment specialists who use the materials.

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Appendix C. Outreach Work Group Members

The Technical Committee convened the Outreach Working Group, which includes wildlife biologists, outreach specialists, and researchers; some of whom are also members of the Northeast Conservation Information and Education Association.

Our original 2012 working group members (listed alphabetically by last name) are:

Shorna AllredCornell UniversityHuman Dimensions Research Unit

Kelly BolandMaine NEC Restoration CoordinatorUSFWS Rachel Carson NWR

Marci CaplisLegislative Affairs SpecialistUSFWS Northeast Regional Office

Emma CarcagnoExtension Program Assistant, WildlifeUNH Cooperative Extension

Ashley DayerCornell UniversityHuman Dimensions Research Unit

Terri EdwardsChief of Public AffairsUSFWS Northeast Regional Office

Chuck FergusWildlife Management Institute

Mao LinFish and Wildlife BiologistUSFWS Gulf of Maine Coastal Program

Kate O’BrienRefuge BiologistUSFWS Rachel Carson NWR

Diane PetitPublic Affairs OfficerUSDA NRCS Massachusetts

Meagan RaceyPublic Affairs SpecialistUSFWS Northeast Regional Office

Judy StokesPublic Affairs Division ChiefNH Fish and Game

Dorie StolleyWildlife BiologistUSFWS Rhode Island NWR Complex

Anthony Tur (Endangered Species Biologist, USFWS New England Field Office) and Dr. Steve Fuller (Wildlife Management Institute) participated on our working group as liaisons from the Technical Committee.

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2018 Outreach Working Group MembersKate O’Brien, Chair, Refuge Biologist

USFWS Rachel Carson NWR

Shorna AllredCornell UniversityHuman Dimensions Research Unit

Haley AndreozziExtension Program Assistant, WildlifeUNH Cooperative Extension

Gary Casabona/ Walter MarshallRI NRCS

Charles L. FergusWildlife Management Institute Science Writer and Editor

Dylan FerreiraRI DEM

Andrew JohnsonNRCS, Maine

Paul NovakBiologistNYDEC

Diane PetitPublic Affairs OfficerUSDA NRCS Massachusetts

Andrea PetrulloCT DEEP

Marianne PicheMass Wildlife

Meagan RaceyPublic Affairs SpecialistUSFWS Northeast Regional Office

Nicole RaymanUSFWS

Jeff TashMaine NEC Restoration CoordinatorUSFWS Rachel Carson NWR.

Anthony Tur (Region 5 At-Risk Species Coordinator, USFWS), liaison from NEC Technical Committee.

Sandra Van VrankenNYDEC

Lisa WahleCT DEEP

Judy Stokes WeberWildlife Management Institute Contractor

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Appendix D: Summary of Available Outreach Products

Websites

All three WMI-sponsored websites link to one another, with www.youngforest.org the overarching main site.

www.youngforest.org

Tagline: The Young Forest Project: Growing Wildlife Habitat Together

Content covers 17-state area (Maine to Minnesota, south to Virginia and Ohio), with web pages on wildlife, habitat, landowner and partner success stories, demonstration areas, FAQs, and more. Includes changing menu of news stories and more than 90 resources (articles, publications, reports, BMPs, brochures, PPTs, images, signage, videos, etc.).

Primary audience: general public, private landowners, students, land managers, foresters, hunters, NGOs, conservation partners, funders.

www.newenglandcottontail.org

Tagline: Working Together for the New England Cottontail

Content covers six-state range of NEC (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York), with web pages on habitat needs, population, USFWS listing decision, landowner and partner success stories, demonstration areas, captive breeding, research, FAQs, and more. Includes changing menu of NEC and young forest news stories and numerous resources (articles, publications, reports, NEC Conservation Strategy, BMPs, brochures, etc.).

Primary audience: general public, private landowners, students, land managers, foresters, hunters, NGOs, conservation partners, funders.

www.timberdoodle.org

Tagline: The Woodcock Management Plan

Content covers five regional initiatives where habitat is being created to reverse the population decline of the American woodcock. Web pages include information on population, habitat types, research, landowner and partner success stories, demonstration areas, FAQs, and more. Includes changing menu of AMWO and young forest news stories and numerous resources (articles, publications, reports, BMPs, brochures, signage, etc.).

Primary audiences: general public, private landowners, students, land managers, foresters, hunters, NGOs, conservation partners, funders.

Print Publications (also available in pdf)

WMI:

Wildlife Needs Young Forest: The Woodcock Management Plan

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http://www.timberdoodle.org/




Quad-fold brochure with emphasis on American woodcock.Primary audiences: private landowners, commercial forest landowners, NGOs, land managers, foresters, hunting clubs, general public.Funding/logos: NFWF, NEAFWA, USFWS, WMI.Updated version published 2014.http://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-young-forest

Restoring a Rare Rabbit: Helping the New England Cottontail

Quad-fold brochure with emphasis on New England cottontail.Primary audiences: private landowners, NGOs, land managers, municipalities, foresters, hunting clubs, general public.Funding/logos: NFWF, NEC Project, USFWS, USDA/NRCS, WMIPublished 2014.http://youngforest.org/resource/restoring-rare-rabbit

The Young Forest Project: Growing Wildlife Habitat Together (revised)

Eight-panel brochure describing the Young Forest Project with general wildlife emphasis. A partner publication to Talking About Young Forests: A Communication Handbook (see below).Primary audiences: private landowners, birders, NGOs, NEC partners, land managers, municipalities, foresters, hunting clubs, general public.Funding/logos: WMI, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, NEAFWAPublished 2016. https://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-brochure

Partners:

Connecticut Shrubland Habitat Enhancement Initiative

Tri-fold brochure describing Connecticut's Private Landowner Technical Assistance Program to create shrubland habitat for New England cottontails.Funding/logos: CT DEEP, WMI, NRCS, NFWF, USFWShttp://youngforest.org/resource/connecticut-shrubland-habitat-enhancement-initiative

The Clearcut Advantage for Wildlife and Forest Health

Tri-fold brochure explaining how clearcutting, maligned and misunderstood, can jump-start new forest and help wildlife.Funding/logos: CT DEEPhttp://youngforest.org/resource/clear-cut-advantage

New England Cottontail Rabbits in New Hampshire

Tri-fold brochure on this rare regional rabbit that needs young forest and shrubland habitat.Funding/logos: UNH Cooperative Extension, NRCS, NHF&G, USFWShttp://youngforest.org/resource/new-england-cottontail-rabbits-new-hampshire

Shrublands (Habitat Stewardship Series)

Tri-fold brochure on recognizing, protecting, and promoting shrubland habitat for wildlife.Funding/logos: UNH Cooperative Extension, NHF&G, SFIhttp://youngforest.org/resource/shrublands

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http://youngforest.org/resource/shrublands

http://youngforest.org/resource/new-england-cottontail-rabbits-new-hampshire

http://youngforest.org/resource/clear-cut-advantage

http://youngforest.org/resource/connecticut-shrubland-habitat-enhancement-initiative

https://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-brochure

http://youngforest.org/resource/restoring-rare-rabbit

http://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-young-forest

Wildlife Needs Shrublands: Conserving Habitat in Maine

Tri-fold brochure on Maine shrublands. Developed by Rachel Carson NWR and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.Funding/logos: Wells Reserve, USFWS, Environmental Defense Fund, NFWF, WMI, Maine DGIF, Maine Dept. of Conservation, NRCShttp://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-shrublands

Young Forest Guide: Wildlife Needs Young Forest Habitat. You Can Help.

28-page 8 ½ x 11 guidebook on how to create young forest. Primary audiences: Private landowners and those who manage public lands (state wildlife areas, parks, or forests), town or county forests, nature preserves, land trust properties, and hunting clubs.Funding/logos: WMI, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, NEAFWAStatus: Published 2016 https://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-guide

The Young Forest Project: Helping Wildlife Through Stewardship and Science

60-page 8 ½ x 11 publication with general wildlife emphasis, explaining the breadth of the young forest restoration effort.Primary audiences: existing and potential funders, existing and potential partners, communicators, general public, media.Funding/logos: WMI.Status: Published 2014. http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-helping-wildlife-through-stewardship-and-science-0

Under Cover: Wildlife of Shrublands and Young Forest

90-page 8 ½ x 11 publication with profiles of 65 birds, mammals, and reptiles that need ESH; scientific emphasis, includes numerous references and journal article citations.Primary audiences: habitat managers, biologists, partners, NGOs, communicators, students, members of general public with interest in wildlife.Funding/logos: WMI, NFWF, USFWS, NEAFWA.Status: Published 2012; paid publication that can be ordered for $15 through the WMI store. 900 in stock at D.J. Case (June 2016)http://youngforest.org/resource/under-cover-wildlife-shrublands-and-young-forest

Talking About Young Forests: A Communication Handbook

38-page 8 ½ x 11 publication equipping conservation professionals with communication materials, skills, and messages to present the need for YF to the public, landowners, decision-makers, and media.Primary audiences: conservation professionals, including habitat managers, biologists, and communicators.Funding/logos: NEAFWA, WMI, USFWS, numerous states and NGOs.Status: Published 2013. Can be downloaded on all three WMI websites.http://youngforest.org/resource/talking-about-young-forests-communication-handbook

Best Management Practices

Best Management Practices for the New England Cottontail.

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http://youngforest.org/resource/talking-about-young-forests-communication-handbook

http://youngforest.org/resource/under-cover-wildlife-shrublands-and-young-forest

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-helping-wildlife-through-stewardship-and-science-0

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-helping-wildlife-through-stewardship-and-science-0

https://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-guide

http://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-shrublands

28-page booklet on how to create, enhance and maintain habitat for this rare regional rabbit while incorporating Best Management Practices to minimize harm to existing populations.Primary audiences: Public land managers, consulting foresters, land trusts, fish and game clubs, private landowners, town and county conservation commissions.Funding/logos: Regional Initiative, NFWF, USFWS, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, USDA, WMIStatus: Published 2017.

American Woodcock: Habitat Best Management Practices for the Northeast

Wildlife Insight No. 89 (2010). 12-page booklet on how to best create and maintain habitat for American woodcock in the Northeast.Funding/logos: NRCS, WMI, USGShttp://youngforest.org/resource/american-woodcock-habitat-best-management-practices-northeast

How to Make and Manage Habitat for the New England Cottontail: A Regional Land Manager’s Guide

28-page booklet detailing the best ways to make and manage habitat for NEC (2013).Funding/logos: WMI, USFWS, NFWF, NRCS, URI, Roger Williams Zoo, UNH Cooperative Extension, NHF&G, CT DEEP, RIF&W, MassWildlife, ME IFW, NY DEChttp://youngforest.org/resource/best-management-practices-new-england-cottontail

Landowner’s Guide to New England Cottontail Habitat Management

36-page illustrated publication providing detailed information on how to create and maintain habitat for cottontails, by Margaret Arbuthnot (2008).Funding/logos: USFWS, EDF, NRCS, ME IFWhttp://youngforest.org/resource/landowners-guide-new-england-cottontail-habitat-management

Displays

Wildlife Needs Young Forest

Tabletop or poster display (retractable, 38” high by 60” wide) for use at conferences, workshops, annual meetings, outdoor shows, field days, public info sessions. WMI produce. Designed to the printing specifications of Anything Display Co. and available for agencies and partners to customize with their own logos and purchase on their own.http://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-young-forest-0

Fact Sheets

New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis)

2-page sheet on the New England cottontail.Funding/logos: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehttp://youngforest.org/resource/new-england-cottontail-fact-sheet-0

Guidebooks and Manuals

A Landowner’s Guide to Woodcock Management in the Northeast43

http://youngforest.org/resource/new-england-cottontail-fact-sheet-0

http://youngforest.org/resource/wildlife-needs-young-forest-0

http://youngforest.org/resource/landowners-guide-new-england-cottontail-habitat-management

http://youngforest.org/resource/best-management-practices-new-england-cottontail

http://youngforest.org/resource/american-woodcock-habitat-best-management-practices-northeast

25-page guide by Greg Sepik, et al. First published 1981, University of Maine Extensionhttp://youngforest.org/resource/landowners-guide-woodcock-management-northeast

Managing Grasslands, Shrublands and Young Forests for Wildlife

148-page guide for the Northeast by James Oehler, et al. Published 2006 by the Northeast Upland Habitat Technical Committee.http://youngforest.org/resource/managing-grasslands-shrublands-and-young-forests-wildlife

Image Gallery

25 Animals of Young Forest

Birds, reptiles, mammals. Images for educational purposes only. Downloadable from “Resources” sections of WMI young forest websiteshttp://youngforest.org/resource/25-animals-young-forest

Infographic

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Infographic on the New England cottontail: history, range, and habitat and population goals to help the species.Funding/logos: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehttp://youngforest.org/resource/here-comes-peter-cottontail-infographic

PowerPoint Presentations

The Young Forest Project: Growing Wildlife Habitat Together

PowerPoint presentation of 40 slides explaining the need for YF and the animals that require such habitat. Produced by Jim Oehler, NHF&G.http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-powerpoint-presentation

The Young Forest Project: Growing Wildlife Habitat Together

Script for PowerPoint presentation (above)http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-powerpoint-script

Talking to the Media

PowerPoint presentation and script for 20 slides featuring advice from USFWS public affairs specialist Meagan Racey on how to address the media concerning YF habitat. Functions as companion product to Talking About Young Forests: A Communications Handbook [see Print Publications (Larger Format), above]. Produced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://youngforest.org/resource/talking-media

Public Service Announcements

Generic Young Forest Public Service Announcement

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http://youngforest.org/resource/talking-media

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-powerpoint-script

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-project-powerpoint-presentation

http://youngforest.org/resource/here-comes-peter-cottontail-infographic

http://youngforest.org/resource/25-animals-young-forest

http://youngforest.org/resource/managing-grasslands-shrublands-and-young-forests-wildlife

http://youngforest.org/resource/landowners-guide-woodcock-management-northeast

2-minute radio spot on importance of young forest to wildlife and forest health. Can be used anywhere in the Northeast. Serves as a template for customizing a similar message for any state.http://youngforest.org/resource/generic-young-forest-public-service-announcement

Generic Young Forest PSA Script

Script for young forest public service announcement. Can be customized for use in any state in the Young Forest Project.http://youngforest.org/resource/generic-young-forest-psa-script

Young Forest Public Service Announcement (New Hampshire)

2-minute PSA by New Hampshire Fish & Game.http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-public-service-announcement-0

Reports

A Tool for Evaluating Outcomes of New England Cottontail Conservation Efforts

4-page report on mathematical tool for evaluating NEC habitat. Published 2016 by Natural Resources Conservation Service, Working Lands for Wildlife partnership.Funding/logos: USDA NRCS, NEC project logohttp://youngforest.org/resource/habitat-suitability-tool-new-england-cottontail-rabbit

Managing for New England Cottontail Rabbit Habitat in New York’s Eastern Hudson Valley: Landowner Attitudes, Motivations, and Barriers

56-page report by Shorna Allred, et al, published 2014 by Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.Funding/logos: New York Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration granthttp://youngforest.org/resource/managing-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks-eastern-hudson-valley-landowner

Incentives to Encourage Landowners’ Management for New England Cottontail Rabbit Habitat in New York’s Eastern Hudson Valley

2-page report by Shorna Allred, et al, published 2014 by Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.http://youngforest.org/resource/incentives-encourage-landowners-management-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks

Signage

Forest Managed for Wildlife

Vertical format, four color; woodcock portrait, smaller photos of GWW, NEC, white-tailed deer.Funding/logos: NFWF, USFWS, WMI, space for sign user’s logohttp://youngforest.org/resource/forest-managed-wildlife

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http://youngforest.org/resource/forest-managed-wildlife

http://youngforest.org/resource/incentives-encourage-landowners-management-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks

http://youngforest.org/resource/incentives-encourage-landowners-management-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks

http://youngforest.org/resource/managing-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks-eastern-hudson-valley-landowner

http://youngforest.org/resource/managing-new-england-cottontail-rabbit-habitat-new-yorks-eastern-hudson-valley-landowner

http://youngforest.org/resource/habitat-suitability-tool-new-england-cottontail-rabbit

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-public-service-announcement-0

http://youngforest.org/resource/generic-young-forest-psa-script

http://youngforest.org/resource/generic-young-forest-public-service-announcement

Important Habitat Work in Progress! Connecticut’s Young Forest and Shrubland Initiative

Horizontal format, four color; CT emphasis; photos of machine, freshly cut area, regrowing habitat, cottontail rabbit.Funding/logos: CT DEEP, USFWS, NFWF, WMI, NRCShttp://youngforest.org/resource/important-habitat-work-progress

Young Forest & Shrubland Restoration Area

Horizontal format, four color; NH emphasis; photos of habitat, wildlife foods, NEC, field sparrow, yellow warbler.Funding/logos: USFWS, NHF&G, NH Assn. of Conservation Districts, UNH Cooperative Extension, NRCS, NH Forest and Lands, WMIhttp://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-and-shrubland-restoration-sign

Working Together for Wildlife

Horizontal format, four color; NEC, catbird, people planting shrubs. Produced by Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Maine.Funding/logos: Town of Cape Elizabeth (ME), NFWR, WMI, USFWShttp://youngforest.org/resource/working-together-wildlife

Helping Wildlife

Vertical format, B&W; silhouettes of ruffed grouse, woodcock, songbirds, butterfly, NEC. Produced by Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Maine. Metal sign; Voss Sign Co.Funding/logos: NEC Project, WMI, NFWF, USFWS, USDA, MassWildlife, CT DEEP, NY DEC, RI F&W, ME IF&W, NHFGhttp://youngforest.org/resource/helping-wildlife

Videos

New Hampshire’s Young Forests

Six-minute video produced by NHFG describing how conservationists and landowners are making young forest for wildlife in New Hampshire.http://youngforest.org/resource/new-hampshires-young-forests

Brontosaurus Eating Trees

Video offering front-seat view of a “brontosaurus” machine chewing down pole-stage trees to create young forest habitat. Southeast Land Trust, Kingston, NH. NH F&G, NH University Cooperative Extensionhttp://youngforest.org/resource/brontosaurus-eating-trees

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http://youngforest.org/resource/brontosaurus-eating-trees

http://youngforest.org/resource/new-hampshires-young-forests

http://youngforest.org/resource/helping-wildlife

http://youngforest.org/resource/working-together-wildlife

http://youngforest.org/resource/young-forest-and-shrubland-restoration-sign

http://youngforest.org/resource/important-habitat-work-progress

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