Lower Columbia River and Coastal Landscape Conservation Design

Transcription

1 Today s Presenters: Lower Columbia River and Coastal Landscape Conservation Design John Mankowski, North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative Sara Evans-Peters, Pacific Birds Tom Miewald, US Fish and Wildlife Service and NPLCC Khem So, US Fish and Wildlife Service Meghan Kearney, North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative Facilitator: Lisa DeBruyckere, Creative Resource Strategies, LLC

2 Agenda Welcome (L. DeBruyckere) Background J. Mankowski S. Evans-Peters The Project Plan (T. Miewald, K. So) Budget and Letters of Support (L. DeBruyckere) Questions and Answers (M. Kearney, L. DeBruyckere) Next Steps (J. Mankowski) Website and communications (M. Kearney) The End

3 Why? Many natural, cultural, and social values are supported by this unique landscape Numerous groups are involved in managing these resources within the context of their authorities, missions, and needs. And... there is rapidly growing need to understand how the environment will be change and how we can adapt But... there is no forum/process to convene these interests, asses large-scale impacts to valued resources, and align conservation efforts to achieve collective impacts towards common goals Therefore, the NPLCC has been asked support this ambitious project to develop a climate resilient conservation blueprint for the region.

4 Goals of the Pacific Northwest Coast Landscape Conservation Design Foster collaboration, communication, learning and collective impact develop a community of practice for adaptation in the region Understand how landscape scale stressors will affect this region and resources of interest Craft a conservation blueprint(s) to target conservation and adaptation strategies and actions. Develop products (maps, tools, models, education materials) to support implementation of the blueprint framework, Track our progress and improve over time.

5 Initial Team Facilitate conceptual approach Stakeholder collaboration Information sharing Guidance and direction Lead development of project plan Core Team (Co-managers/Sovereign entities) Lead/manage project Pacific Northwest Coast Conservation Blueprint Technical Advisors Scientists to provide technical information and data to inform project goals Stakeholders Represent the interests and values of entities within the geographic scope of the project

6 Initial Team Members North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative US Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Ventures Current Core Team Members Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission David Evans and Associates Ducks Unlimited Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board National Park Service Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Natural Resource Consulting Convening/Facilitation Lisa DeBruyckere -- Creative Resource Strategies, LLC North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative Oregon Department of Transportation Oregon Parks and Recreation Department PC Trask and Associates Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership Sauvie Island Habitat Partnership The Nature Conservancy Tillamook Estuaries Partnership USFWS US Geological Survey Northwest Climate Science Center Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Western Invasives Network Yakama Nation

7 Growing interest NGOs Audubon Washington Federal agencies Bonneville Power Administration NOAA Fisheries NRCS PNNL, Marine Sciences Lab US Army Corps of Engineers US Environmental Protection Agency US Forest Service Tribes Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Cowlitz Tribe Coquille Tribe Quinault Indian Nation State governments Northwest Power and Conservation Council Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Department of Land and Conservation Development Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Washington Connectivity Partnership Washington Department of Ecology Other Partners Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce University of Washington Washington Sea Grant Industry Columbia Land Trust Ecotrust Estuary Technical Group Institute for Applied Ecology NatureServe Pinchot Institute for Conservation Wetlands Conservancy Wild Salmon Center Aardscan Biological and Environmental Adaptation/Insight AECOM Another Set of Eyes Ballard Ecological Consulting EcoWest Environmental Science Associates Metro

8 Project Plan Phase I Convene parties, clarify interests/intent/refine conceptual approach, develop detailed project plan. Produce problem statement and establish conservation goals and objectives (April 2016) - COMPLETED Phase II- UNDERWAY Information gathering and sharing. Conduct assessments; develop adaptation strategies, and implementation options (December 2017) Implement the design Phase III - Monitor, review, and revise the LCD (2018) Monitor, Evaluate, Adjust

9 The Problem Statement Need - Achieve conservation goals for key focal species and habitats Issue - No unified landscape-scale conservation blueprints for the region that identify valued resources and consider the impacts of large-scale stressors on those resources Opportunities: Identify valued resources (biological, cultural, societal) Assess the impacts of stressors (i.e., climate change, development) Create a conservation blueprint to guide management actions to achieve common conservation outcomes.

10 Conservation Priority: Sustaining Coastal Wetlands Sustain coastal wetland habitat in the Pacific Northwest in the face of large scale landscape changes, i.e. sea level rise Promote planning, restoration techniques, and public policies, that are responsive to threats and adaptable to the uncertainty associated with a changing climate The LCD process is important to Pacific Birds None of us can do this alone build networks to rally around common goals Each organization can bring forward their strengths and organizational niches - for us, its through a bird lens Avoid duplication of and support shared conservation efforts End goal to have spatial information that helps us all invest resources effectively and efficiently to achieve shared conservation priorities

11 Help inform LCD priorities (targets) Reviewing existing plans, documents, and reports from organizations working within the geographic scope of this LCD Identifying, synthesizing, and summarizing goals and targets Compile threats Identify and summarize major threats and stressors that limit our ability to achieve our goals Build on the great work that s already available OVERLAPPING PRIORITIES

12 Creating the Roadmap 3 Core Team meetings 2 Technical Team meetings 2 Polls Review of literature Other LCD efforts

13 Criteria for Identifying the Geographic Scope Consistent/coherent ecoregion Similarities within estuarine, terrestrial, and riverine ecoregions. Shares common change agents (threats & stressors) Adequate for understanding terrestrial and aquatic connectivity Whole watersheds Convergence with existing planning boundaries The area includes the terrestrialmarine interface

14 Very important Important Somewhat important Important for version 2.0 Number of responses Prioritization of strategies Priority core areas for species and/or habitats Effects of climate change on priority habitats and species Assessment of past and present condition Connectivity zones for wildlife Planning across ecosystem types Impacts to habitats Ecosystem services and species from in combination with population increase species/habitat and development conservation Connect existing small projects & protected areas

15 25 Core decision support products 20 Number of responses

16 Schmitz et al Conserving Biodiversity: Practical Guidance about Climate Change Adaptation Approaches in Support of Land-use Planning

17 The 4 Elements of Landscape Conservation Design Convening Stakeholders Assessing Current and Plausible Future Conditions Spatial Design Strategy Design

18 General Approach Prototyping, build version 1.0 Build from and augment existing landscape-scale efforts and tools. Balance the science with convening

19 Element 1: Convening Goal: Convene and maintain a broad base of partners throughout the project. Objective 1.1: Build and maintain core team and technical teams and communicate with stakeholders regarding the LCD processes, outcomes, and next steps. Tasks: Fund and hire a coordinator/facilitator to help manage the overall LCD process. Hold regular bi-monthly Core Team meetings to track progress, steer the process, and communicate emerging needs and interests. Develop a social network map that that assesses the relationships between key natural resource interests in the region. Convene a State of the Pacific Northwest Coast symposium, a 1 2 day event, midway through the project, that convenes stakeholders around the ecoregion. Develop a communications plan and materials for partner engagement and to ensure relevance.

20 Element 1: Convening Objective 1.2: Identify shared goals and objectives for a suite of conservation and associated human well-being targets. Continual throughout the process

21 Identifying Targets Coarse Filter Conservation (potentials) Conifer Forests Estuaries Wetlands Salmon Connectivity Freshwater systems and riparian zones. Fine filter, or nested Human Well-being Ecosystem services Working lands Aesthetic values Recreation Health

22 Element 2: Assess Current and Plausible Future Conditions Goal: Assess the current and future condition of shared conservation and human well-being targets. Objective 2.1: Identify and map the extent and condition of conservation targets throughout the region to build baseline conditions. Objective 2.2: Identify and map human well-being targets (HWB) throughout the region. Objective 2.3: Identify and map future threats across the landscape, with an emphasis on climate change.

23 Objective 2.1: Identify and map the extent and condition of conservation targets throughout the region to build baseline conditions. Conservation Target Conifer Forests Attribute Category LANDSCAPE CONTEXT LANDSCAPE CONTEXT CONDITION CONDITION CONDITION SIZE SIZE LANDSCAPE CONTEXT Key Attribute Landscape pattern and structure Connectivity Distribution of ecological system physiognomic types Vegetation Composition and Structure Vegetation Composition and Structure Absolute Size Relative Size Fire Regime Indicator Acreage of land surrounding patches that is in seminatural condition Acreage of land in patches connected to other patches Acreage in forested ecological systems Cover across majority of the acreage Composition of native plant species, and invasive annual species, across the majority of the acreage Patch size across the majority of the acreage Current extent/original natural extent Departure from historical fire regime Current Status FAIR FAIR POOR to GOOD FAIR FAIR FAIR POOR (TBD)

24 Objective 2.2: Identify and map human well-being targets (HWB) throughout the region. Tasks: Convene a sub-team of experts in human dimensions of landscape conservation to identify high-value needs and a long-term approach for addressing HWB targets. Assess the utility of existing data for addressing HWB targets. Develop a work plan and proposal for a robust implementation of HWB targets in version 2.0.

25 Objective 2.3: Identify and map future threats across the landscape, with an emphasis on climate change. Examples: Example: GLEAM Example: Arid Lands Initiative

26 Element 3: Development of a Spatial Design Goal: Develop a conservation blueprint that represents an efficient, resilient, and representative network of priority places and connectivity zones to meet shared goals. Objective 3.1: Identify priority core areas. Objective 3.2: Map connectivity zones. Objective 3.3: Assess the resiliency of the design to climate change and other stressors. Objective 3.4: Scenario planning workshop. Objective 3.5: Develop a web-based interface.

27 Objective 3.1. Identify priority core areas. Synthesize existing priority areas Identify priority areas for terrestrial targets Identify priority areas for freshwater targets Identify priority areas for estuarine targets Identify priority areas that meet goals across systems Example: Arid Lands Initiative Example: Connecticut River Watershed

28 Objective 3.2. Map connectivity zones. Tasks: Convene a one-day workshop to share knowledge about past and existing connectivity work in the region, identify a limited suite of focal species throughout the region, and develop a methodology. Model connectivity using GIS methods and incorporate climate gradient analysis Work with regional partners to explore connectivity mapping for nearshore marine habitats and species as well as aquatic-associated species. Example: WWHCWG

29 Objective 3.3. Assess the resiliency of the design to climate change and other stressors Examples: Arid Lands Initiative

30 Objective 3.4. Scenario planning workshop. Objective 3.5. Develop a web-based interface. Example: Central Valley Landscape Conservation Project Example: South Atlantic Conservation Blueprint 2.0

31 Element 4: Strategy Development Goal: Create opportunities for partners to identify coordinated strategies to achieve the shared goals and objectives articulated within Element 1, in the locations mapped by the spatial design in Element 3, to adapt to the stressors and threats described in Element 2. Objective 4.1: Identify a portfolio of mutually reinforcing strategies. Objective 4.2: Identify strategic investments to achieve conservation goals. Objective 4.3: Measuring actions against chosen strategies. Objective 4.4: Ensure that this is a living document.

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35 Budget and Letters of Support

36 Next Steps Share recording of this webinar with interested stakeholders. Prioritize LCD Project Plan tasks, priorities, timeframes, and associated budgets. Convene a Funding Committee to develop a funding strategy to fund LCD priorities. Funding Committee proposes funding strategy to Core Team. Convene an ALL HANDS meeting of in the Fall of 2016 to: Share the progress made to date; Share the progress Pacific Birds has made compiling conservation priorities within the region; Form work groups to being implementing elements of the framework; and Create opportunities for partners to share updates and progress on conservation initiatives within the geographic scope of the LCD. Related efforts/topics: sea level rise conference (informational agenda item) Communication tools

37 Questions

38 Pacific Northwest Coast Blueprint Website

39 Want to track progress on this initiative? Provide us with your contact information: Want to serve on the Funding Committee? Contact Lisa DeBruyckere at