The Blanding’s turtle Project

Project Animal(s) : Blanding's turtle
Project Category : Reptiles
Project Region : North America
Project Type : Conservation
Project URL : https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/plantsanimals/fishwildlife/?cid=nrcseprd1384416
Project is timebound? : No

The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) inhabits wetland areas of 15 states in the Northeast and Midwest. Considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act, a number of factors have contributed to this species’ population struggles, including the loss, fragmentation and degradation of wetland habitat because of development, wetland conversion and invasive plants.

To help reverse the decline of these turtles, NRCS is working with private landowners in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan to increase available high-quality habitat to support these species’ recovery through land protection as well as restoration and enhancement of habitat.

Landowners in this four-state region will help Blanding’s turtles by making turtle-friendly improvements on 2,700 acres of working lands. With the help of NRCS, landowners are making wildlife improvements to working lands and protecting lands not suitable for farming with conservation easements. Through conservation practices, landowners are restoring and protecting wetlands, managing healthy riparian areas and stream corridors, and improving grazing and forestry operations.

This four-state turtle project is part of the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) partnership, a collaborative approach to conserve habitat on working lands.

Project Agency : Natural Resources Conservation Service

Project Agency Contact : https://www.usda.gov/