ch 11 wildlife habitat planning

8/3/2019 Ch 11 Wildlife Habitat Planning

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Land Use and Wildlife Habitat

Chapter 17

Wildlife Habitat Fundamentals

Overlapping habitat types at edges produce diverse ecotones

Guidelines to Reduce Impacts of UrbanDevelopment on Wildlife

Before development, maximize open space andprotect the most valuable wildlife habitat by placingbuildings on less important portions of the site.

Design stormwater controls to benefit wildlife.

Retain and plant native plants that have value forwildlife as well as aesthetic appeal.

Provide habitat-enhancing elements like bird-feeding stations and nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds.

Educate residents about wildlife conservation andprovide opportunities for wildlife observation, such as anature trail through open space.

Wildlife Habitat Inventories, Evaluation, GAP Analysis

• Inventories:

– vegetative types – habitat elements: water, food, shelter, space

• Evaluation: – Carrying capacity

– Habitat suitability• GAP analysis:

– Vegetative communities, land ownership, management practice

– Species richness map highlights high biodiversity

– GAP analysis overpays high biodiversity potential with conservationmanagement practice revealing gaps in level of protection:

• GAP 1 is highly protected

• GAP 4 is not protected.

State Wildlife Action Plans

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Grants requiring

comprehensive wildlife conservation plan: – Information on the distribution and abundance of wildlife

– Descriptions of locations and relative conditions of habitats

– Descriptions of problems that may adversely affect species or theirhabitats

– Descriptions of conservation actions proposed

– Plans for monitoring species and habitats

– Descriptions of procedures to review and update the plan – Coordination with federal, state, and local agencies

– Broad public participation in developing and implementing thewildlife action plan

Fragmentation and Connectivity

• Biggest threat to wildlife and biodiversity is

fragmentation and loss on connectivity• Threat will increase as climate change forces wildlife

movement and migration

• California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project – Define analysis area

– Define areas to be connected: the “blobs”

– Define Essential Connectivity Areas: the “sticks” to connect the “blobs”

– Produce the CEHC statewide and regional maps.

– Compare map to previous conservation studies

– Develop Strategic Plan

Least-cost Corridor Analysis

The big culprit: ROADS

$8 million to be spent on wildlife crossing

structures north of Tucson, Arizona

Wildlife underpasses

Urban Biodiversity

• Biodiversity: the variety of life and theprocesses that keep life functioning

• Urban biodiversity an oxymoron?

• Issues of urban biodiversity – Protecting what’s left

– Managing exotic and native species

– Balancing urban core versus suburbs, the value of

near-nature, and Smart Growth management

– Engaging stakeholders

– Integrating objectives, tool, and programs

Chicago Wilderness

touches four states and

contains an extensive array

of existing and

recommendedprotection areas

Urban BiodiversityIn Holmes Run-

Cameron Run

Watershed

Classified Species under Endangered Species Act

FEDERAL STATUS

• The standard abbreviations for Federal endangermentdeveloped by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division ofEndangered Species and Habitat Conservation.

• LE - Listed Endangered

• LT - Listed Threatened

• PE - Proposed Endangered

• PT - Proposed Threatened

• C - Candidate (formerly C1 - Candidate category 1)

• SOC - Species of Concern (formerly C2 - Candidate cat. 2)

Endangered Species Act Conservation Tool Continuum

ESA Section 10(a)(1)(B) and HCPs

The FWS can allow land or resource development in the vicinity of anendangered or classified species habitat by issuing an “incidental takepermit” if the landowner or developer has prepared a satisfactory“habitat conservation plan” (HCP).

The basic objective of the HCP is to demonstrate how the endangeredspecies habitat will be conserved while allowing for land development

in habitat area.According to the regulations: An “incidental take permit” can be issued if the HCP identifies:

impacts on endangered species

measures to minimize and mitigate impacts

alternatives are considered and action is justified

and if the plan shows that:

taking, if any, is incidental

taking will not appreciably reduce likelihood of survival

applicant will minimize/mitigate to the maximum extent possible

adequate funding is assured

HCP Planning Process• Preplanning

• Plan Development

– Define area

– Gather biological data

– Identify human activities in take area

– Determine anticipated take level

– Develop mitigation measures: avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce,compensate

– Develop monitoring plan

– Develop funding scheme

• Submit Plan

• Implement Plan if incidental take permit granted

• Amend Plan as necessary based on monitoring (adaptive)

Austin’s Balcones Canyon Conservation Plan

Issues from 1st Generation HCPs

• How much protection is enough?

• Do we really know what will happen?

• With a wide range of stakeholders, how can we make

effective and acceptable decisions?

• Can an agreement hold together over time?

• What are equitable, efficient, and acceptable means of

generating the large revenues required?• How long is this going to take?

• What surprises await?

“No-Surprises” Policy - 1994

If, in the course of development, a landowner investsmoney and land to protect species covered in anHCP, the government will not later require that the

landowner pay more or provide additional land evenif the needs of species change over time.

Before“no-surprises

”(1984-1994): 14 HCPs

After “no-surprises” (1994-2009): 661 HCPs approved

950 permits approved

Critique of HCP that led to California’s NCCP Act

• Criticism of Project-by-Project Approach

– Patchy, ad hoc, fragmentation, reactive

• Criticism of Single-Species Approach

– Ecosystems require large unfragmented landscapes

– Functioning ecosystems depend on interactions of

wide variety of species

– “Emergency room” model

CaliforniaNatural Community

Conservation Planning(NCCP):

Regional, MultispeciesHabitat Planning

Orange CountyCentral CoastalNCCP

Recurring Issues in the NCCP Program

Recurring Issues in the NCCP Program The timing conundrum: To protect imperiled resources that could be lost

without timely action, NCCP plans require a great deal of scientific data andknowledge that takes time and effort to gather.

Never enough knowledge: There will always be insufficient baseline dataand understanding about many key ecosystem variables, such as the size,demography, distribution, and genetic variability of populations, and of causalprocesses governing population sizes and ecosystem functioning.

Intersection of habitats and development pressures: Every placewhere an NCCP approach is applied will be where there are serious human

threats to the ecosystems. Decisions without standards: NCCPs will be forced to make decisions

about plan design and incidental take with incomplete scientific information,standards, or criteria.

Stakeholders grow impatient or dissatisfied: Developers and localitieswant reliable regulatory assurances, and conservation advocates will want

strong, clearly defined habitat protection. Complex plans require long-termcompliance and monitoring.

Extensive long-term funding is required for implementation, landacquisition, and adaptive management.

Adaptive management and monitoring are critical to offset limitations in

ch 11 wildlife habitat planning

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