When Small Creatures Stopped Major Developments in Their Tracks

The spruce-fir moss spider lives beneath damp moss-covered rocks in the highest elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Its habitat depends on cool, moist conditions found in old spruce-fir forests, making the species highly sensitive to construction, recreation, and climate change. Proposals to expand ski resorts or build new facilities near mountain summits have faced restrictions when surveys identified suitable spider habitat. Developers have been required to avoid certain areas, reduce construction footprints, or abandon portions of planned expansions entirely.