The Northern Appalachian-Acadian-Wabanaki ecoregion has a long history of habitat fragmentation and alteration brought about by human settlement, namely extensive deforestation from the region’s agricultural era. Although recovering, the forest ecosystem is still fragile and remains highly vulnerable to increasing development in the area and modern-day biodiversity threats such as forest ownership fragmentation, airborne pollutants, and climate change.

The transnational nature of the ecoregion introduces unique challenges and opportunities for collaboration between Canadian and U.S. governments. As of 2001, no clear precedent for sharing conservation information and strategies between the two countries existed. Conservationists and agencies on either side of the border were not fully aware of the conservation history, regulatory differences, or priority concerns of one another. 

In light of increasing pressures on the ecoregion, various stakeholders began to understand the ecological imperative to practice landscape conservation across the ecoregion, rather than allowing an international border to water down conservation efforts. In the fall of 2001, the EJLB Foundation and the Henry P. Kendall Foundation brought together key conservationists and scientists from the Northern Appalachian-Acadian-Wabanaki ecoregion. Based on the conversations and valuable insights gained through this transborder collaboration, another meeting was called for the next year.