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This page contains additional resources related to the booklet Determining the Size of Eastern Forest Reserves.

How Managed Lands are Classified in the U.S. To evaluate the current state of forest protection, scientists and conservationists in the eastern U.S. categorize thousands of individual tracts of managed area using a system developed by the federal Gap Analysis Program. These GAP status definitions are modified from Scott, J.M. et al. 1993. Gap analysis: A geographic approach to protection of biological diversity. Wildlife Monographs 123. Learn more about the USGS Gap Analysis Program.
Increasing Protection in the U.S. Portion of the Northern Appalachians The Northern Appalachian — Acadian ecoregion extends through large parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, as well as Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Click on the map to see the ecoregions of the northeast. Over 70 critical areas for forest conservation in the U.S. Northern Appalachians have been identified by The Nature Conservancy's scientists and others. Core reserves of 25,000 acres or larger have already been established in 27 of these areas, which are listed below in order of the amount of land protected at GAP status 1 or 2 that they encompass. Click on the chart to enlarge it and see the protection status of these critical places as of November 2003.
1 West Canada Lakes NY 28 Jabe Pond NY 51 Bone Mt VT 2 High Peaks NY 29 Breadloaf VT 52 Dead Diamond River NH, ME 3 Five Ponds NY 30 West Mountain VT 53 Big Spencer ME 4 Baxter ME 31 Sargent Ponds NY 54 Squa Pan ME 5 Silver Lake NY 32 The Burning VT 55 Eagle Lake ME 6 Siamese Ponds NY 33 Tug Hill NY 56 Caswell ME 7 Wilcox Lake NY 34 Jordan River NY 57 Lyon Mountain NY 8 Pemigewasset NH 35 Caribou/Speckled Pond NH, ME 58 Victory Basin VT 9 Independence River NY 36 Bunnell/Nash Stream NH 59 Spring River ME 10 Wakely Mountain NY 37 Amherst ME 60 Unity Wetlands ME 11 Jerseyfield Lake NY 38 Mt. Abram ME 61 Kennebec Highlands ME 12 Pigeon Lake NY 39 Jay Range NY 62 Nulhegan VT 13 Presidentials/Dry River NH 40 Big Reed ME 63 Baskahegan Lake ME 14 Hoffman Notch NY 41 Whitehill NY 64 Coburn Gore ME 15 Hudson River Gorge NY 42 Chamberlain ME 65 Deboullie ME 16 Wild River NH, ME 43 Indian Stream NH 66 Downeast Lakes ME 17 Sandwich NH 44 Tumbledown/Mt. Blue ME 67 East Lake ME 18 Pharoah Lake NY 45 Monestery Mt. VT 68 Little Black River ME 19 Nahmakanta ME 46 Camden Hills ME 69 Mattawamkeag Lake ME 20 White Face NY 47 Mahoosucs NH, ME 70 Number 5 Bog ME 21 Ferris Lake NY 48 Baldpate ME 71 Pine Mountain VT 22 Sable Mountains NY 49 Camels Hump VT 72 Steam Mill Brook VT 23 White Rocks VT 50 Bigelow ME 73 Taylor Valley VT 24 Kilkenny NH             25 Depot Lake ME             26 St Regis NY             27 Giant Mountain NY

 

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