Regional Biodiversity Plan

In 2004, members of the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity (LEAP) recognized the value in preparing a Regional Biodiversity Plan with a focus on preservation and restoration of biodiversity in the glaciated portion of the Lake Erie basin, including parts of western Pennsylvania and New York. This goal fit in well with the work of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), who had recently approached several local conservation organizations about establishing a Regional Biodiversity Fund, and believed that a Regional Biodiversity Plan could be used as a tool for guiding which projects get funded through the Fund. As a result, a subcommittee of LEAP was formed and is currently in the process of establishing a Regional Biodiversity Plan for the Lake Erie Allegheny region.

The purpose of the Regional Biodiversity Plan is to:

• Define a regional conservation vision for the Lake Erie Allegheny region (including the glaciated lands and waters south of Canada from Sandusky Bay to the Allegheny Mountains, including northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and western New York);
• Help guide prioritization of land protection and restoration projects;
• Consolidate information from various existing plans;
• Identify information needs; and
• Clarify implementation roles of various conservation agencies and organizations working in this region.

A $46,000 grant from NFWF for the initial planning phase was secured by EcoCity Cleveland (acting as fiscal agent for the project) in August, 2005. Members of the Regional Biodiversity Plan Steering Committee have contributed over $77,000 of in-kind technical assistance toward this project to date.

For further information about the Regional Biodiversity Plan, please contact Patty Stevens at 216-635-3238 or pjs@clevelandmetroparks.com.