In order to protect our water resources, we must consider the sources. That’s why Riverkeeper embarked upon a three-year study, to identify and assess the Buffalo region’s critical habitats to safeguard its 900,000+ acre Niagara River watershed. As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, habitat restoration and conservation are critical to the future of maintaining our fresh water supply.
Through implementation of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper Strategic Initiative, researchers were able to identify a key parcel of land that serves to stitch together a number of additional parcels in order to create a single, massive, protected Headwater Forest Land. The land in question is a 230-acre tract of forested land at the source of Eighteenmile Creek. The tract of land was identified as being a bridge, imperative to connecting 1,000 acres of critical forested property that will ultimately be crucial to filtering the waters that feed the 900,000+ acre Niagara River watershed.
“The Eighteenmile Creek acquisition presents a rare opportunity to provide direct ecological and community benefits to Erie County and the Niagara River watershed” said Kerrie Gallo, Director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper’s Ecological Programs. “Protection of remaining forested headwater landscapes of this size is critical for improving water quality and establishing climate change resiliency within the Niagara River watershed,” noted Gallo.
The regional blueprint for habitat restoration and conservation comes at a time when the Great Lakes and its sources are both in a continual flux of being restored and jeopardized. This Study goes a long way towards ensuring the future of our natural water resources – drinking water, fisheries, animal habitat, etc.
“Protecting water is a top priority for The Nature Conservancy in this region,” says Jim Howe, The Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York director. “Erie County faces many potential water quality problems because of its geology and mix of urban, agricultural and suburban areas. Healthy and intact forests are crucial for keeping these waters plentiful and clean. We’re excited to be working with Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper to protect the headwaters of Eighteenmile Creek for people and nature.”
In order to pull off this tremendous feat, Riverkeeper has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy, and is in the process of securing $300,000 in order to purchase the parcel of forested land at the source of Eighteenmile Creek.
“Global finance leaders like HSBC and JP Morgan are investing in large-scale conservation efforts to protect biodiversity, clean air and clean water,” said Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. “Through Riverkeeper’s three year effort to develop this conservation strategy and our collaborative partnership with The Nature Conservancy, our region now has the opportunity to be a model of leveraging private sector investment for ecosystem and social benefit.”
The investment in securing the Eighteenmile Creek property in order to protect headwater streams coincides with additional ongoing massive investments made by the Federal government to protect the Great Lakes. By the year 2019, it is anticipated that Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes will total $3.2 billion.
You can see the Niagara River Habitat Conservation Strategy by clicking on the following link – Download Habitat Strategy