Page 30 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

is home to over 100 species," said Matt Reed, the natural treasures program director for Thrive. "Alabama and Georgia have more species of fish than any other state." Though the region is rich in biodiversity, much of its land is unprotected, according to Joel Houser, southeast field coordinator for the Open Space Institute and a member of Thrive's board of trustees. "We recognized that we needed to put forth a bold vision that spatially identified areas important for conservation," Houser said. Natural Treasure Hunt To carry out its mission, the Natural Treasures Alliance uses a landscape conservation model developed collaboratively with scientists, conservation leaders, and stakeholders. The model integrates various datasets, placing higher weight on land best suited for conservation. Model inputs include habitats where biodiversity thrives, current protected areas, and places with high resiliency to climate change. It also considers connectivity, preserving areas that form wildlife corridors that foster genetic resilience in wildlife. For instance, one of the corridors, which the Alliance calls the Appalachian Connector, links the Cumberland Plateau and the Blue Ridge Mountains—the same geographical features between which Chattanooga has developed. The Alliance's model prioritizes the beltway that allows wildlife to bypass urban areas unimpeded. 29 The Cradle of Appalachia Conservation Dashboard provides a continuously updated progress report on areas conserved by the Thrive partnership.