Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy
SECAS brings together public and private organizations around a bold vision for the future of our region. We're connecting the lands and waters of the Southeast and Caribbean to support healthy ecosystems, thriving fish and wildlife populations, and vibrant communities. With a data-driven spatial plan and an ambitious regional goal, SECAS helps accelerate conservation action in the places where it will make the biggest impact.
From the blog
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Southeast CASC Project Spotlight - Working together towards a conservation landscape of the future
Hidden Paradise
Fall has just started in Umstead State Park. Turtles bask on logs to ward off the morning chill. Sunlight dapples an already-thick cushion of leaves that dampens hikers’ footsteps. Chickadees sing about cheeseburgers in red-tipped trees while bees buzz around late-blooming asters. The air vibrates with calm, quiet life.
It’s easy to forget that the park sits in the middle of one of the fastest growing communities in the nation.
William B. Umstead State Park is located 10 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Visitors enjoy over 30 miles of hiking and multi-use trails, camping, and fishing and boating at three manmade lakes. The park is one of the largest protected habitats in Wake County and is home to more than 145 bird species and 800 species of plants.
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The plan for the 2024 Southeast Conservation Blueprint
Last year, the focus was on expanding the Blueprint to the U.S. Caribbean and finishing coverage of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf ocean. This year, we’re working on two big things:
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Going a little deeper on a set of indicator improvements: We’re working on a number of exciting indicator improvements–some of which will likely make it into this year’s Blueprint, while others won’t be ready until the 2025 Blueprint. You probably saw the opportunity to review drafts for some of these indicators. Overall, we’re focusing on climate-resilient indicator improvements that can cover the full continental Southeast.
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Improving prioritization methods with a new version of Zonation: There’s a new version of the software we use for the Blueprint priorities.
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Update on the SECAS Social Network Analysis
Where We’ve Been
A few years ago, when I joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the first project I was tasked with overseeing and assisting was a social network analysis (SNA) for the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS). The 2021 SECAS Futures report recommended conducting this analysis as a tool to increase connections and deepen engagement with other regional forums and partners by helping SECAS better understand existing relationships and connections. I quickly came to learn that the SECAS partnership fills two critical roles across the Southeast region: 1) as a regional forum for collaboration, and 2) as a decision-support hub.
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Visit the SECAS blog for a full archive of posts.