Conserving New England cottontail rabbits in Region 5, what other species benefit?

This funding opportunity (15.654 Visitor Facility Enhancements ⿿ Refuges and Wildlife) provides federal financial assistance, not to exceed five years, to the University of New Hampshire to secure information on New England cottontail (NEC) rabbit and other shrubland associated wildlife at and around National Wildlife Refuges in the Northeast Region. This award is made under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1934 (16 U.S.C. 2901-2911). This project focuses on refining the biological planning process by utilizing assumption based research to determine what the conservation impact will be of using representative shrubland species to guide management for other shrubland dependent species. Project examines how the surrogate species approach for shrubland bird conservation relates to habitat management and the conservation of the federal Candidate Species, the New England Cottontail Rabbit.