Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Species of Greatest Conservation Need

 

The Connecticut State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) identifies Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and State Assessment Priority Species (SAPS). SGCN are typically native species with declining populations or vulnerabilities and are expected to benefit from conservation. SAPS are species that we need more information on to understand their status, trends, and level of conservation concern. Our 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan is being revised for 2025, and an updated list of SGCN has been created. The inclusion of SAPS on this list is a new addition for the 2025 revision. Earlier this year, we collected public input on our draft list of SGCN, and that list has since been finalized!

While having a status of SGCN or SAPS does not provide a species with any legal protection, these designations help focus attention on vulnerable plants and animals, stimulate research on data-deficient species, and guide conservation efforts. Ideally, strategic conservation efforts will help declining species recover before they meet criteria for listing as threatened or endangered. SGCN include plants, invertebrates (like insects, snails, and mussels), and vertebrates (like birds, fish, mammals, and amphibians) that are:

  • state-listed as threatened or endangered;
  • vulnerable to threats based on their biological or habitat needs;
  • low in abundance or limited in distribution; or
  • currently not rare but showing declines in abundance or habitat.

SGCN and SAPS are ranked by their relative importance to help prioritize conservation and research efforts; each species is ranked as either most important, very important, or important.

Our list of SGCN and SAPS was developed based on recommendations from CT’s top wildlife and plant experts as well as public input. The updated list includes 17 amphibians, 109 birds, 45 fish, 315 invertebrates, 30 mammals, 546 plants, and 18 reptiles. You may view the draft version of this list as an Excel spreadsheet or PDF document.

Content last updated on September 18, 2024.