Help for Hellbenders: Private Lands Conservation Program Includes Giant Appalachian Salamanders

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the addition of five new wildlife conservation projects to its Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) partnership, including one for the Southeastern hellbender. The hellbender, a large aquatic salamander native to several states throughout the Appalachian region, is struggling to survive habitat loss and degradation. The species was added to WLFW through the effort of the Southeastern Hellbender Conservation Initiative (SEHCI), a collaboration between Defenders of Wildlife, NRCS and other conservation partners to support farmers using conservation practices on their lands that help restore hellbender habitat.

Defenders of Wildlife Southeast Program Director Ben Prater issued this statement:

“This is a great day for the iconic hellbender. Private landowners play a vital role in protecting Appalachian rivers and streams and our natural heritage. The hellbender’s inclusion in the Working Lands for Wildlife program will help support and incentivize conservation practices on private lands in direct cooperation with landowners. This proactive and on-the-ground conservation work will ensure that our mountain streams remain sources of healthy habitat for these sensitive amphibians and hundreds of other species that call this region home.”

Defenders of Wildlife Southeast Program Representative Kat Diersen issued this statement:

“Collaboration is a vital part of wildlife conservation, especially here in the Southeast region. Hellbenders are a sensitive species that need clean, fast-flowing water to survive, and much of their habitat is on private lands. We look forward to continuing our work with landowners through the Southeastern Hellbender Conservation Initiative, and together will make sure hellbenders thrive in Appalachian waters for generations to come.”