Appalachia Keystone Initiative

The Appalachian Mountains, serving as a home to a wide array of plant and animal species, boast a rich tapestry of biodiversity and contributes to the region's ecological significance and natural beauty. Most of the great rivers of the East Coast have their headwaters in the peaks, ridges and foothills of the Appalachians. This unique geography forms a “superhighway” of species migration, with wide expanses of resilient forests and vulnerable pinch points where the migration of species northward in their ranges is under serious threat due to climate change.