Federal government takes New England cottontail off list of species considered for protection

Recent habitat management efforts throughout Southern New England have ensured the long-term conservation of New England Cottontail Rabbit and many other species associated with early successional habitats.  White Memorial joined in with these efforts.  You can see the results of the habitat management at Apple Hill on the Foundation Property in Morris on East Shore Rd.

New England Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus transitionalis)
John Huff/Foster's Daily Democrat via AP

DOVER, N.H. (AP) — Public and private conservation efforts have helped the New England cottontail rebound to the point where it can be taken off the list of species under consideration for protection, the federal government said Friday.

The small, brown rabbit has been threatened by a loss of habitat throughout its range in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. It's vanished from Vermont. It's endangered in Maine and New Hampshire, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had been studying whether to list it under the federal Endangered Species Act. Continue Reading