The Vermont Loon Recovery Project

Securing the Common Loon’s Future in Vermont

2012 Loon Summary

2012 Summary of Common Loon Breeding Activity in Vermont

What is the Vermont Loon Recovery Project?

Since 1978, the Vermont Loon Recovery Project (VLRP) has been working with citizens, lakeshore owners, hydro dam operators, lake associations, state agencies, and other conservation groups to secure the future of Vermont loons.

In the early 1980s, the number of loon breeding pairs dipped to 7, and LoonWatch volunteers counted 29 adult loons on nearly 100 lakes statewide. The sharp decline sounded an alarm for the state’s ponds and lakes.

Population recovery began following the 1987 designation of the loon as an endangered species in Vermont. The conservation work of the VLRP was in full swing throughout the 1990s, with more and more loon chicks surviving, and by 2000, loon population numbers were on the rise. In 2005, the VLRP reached a major milestone with the removal of the Common Loon from the Vermont Endangered Species list. Over 60 loon pairs have attempted to nest since 2007.
  
However, the original threats to loon survival persist and new ones have appeared on the horizon. 

The VLRP is a program of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and works cooperatively with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

loons