Conservation blueprint

Overview, uses, and next steps

Conservation blueprintsA quick overview

What does the SALCC do?Mission: Create a shared blueprint for landscape conservation actions that sustain natural and cultural resources

Conservation blueprints

• The idea is not new

Conservation blueprints

• The idea is not new• Florida’s CLIP

• SWAPs

• TNC ecoregional assessments

• EPA National Ecological Framework

• SAFMC Essential Fish Habitat

Conservation blueprints

TNC definition of blueprint

“ Conservation Blueprint

The primary product of this ecoregional assessment can be considered a conservation blueprint—a vision for conservation success—to guide the basin’s public land managers, land and water conservation organizations, private landowners, and others in conserving natural diversity within this ecoregion.”

TNC blueprint steps

1. Select indicators

TNC blueprint steps

1. Select indicators

2. Set targets for indicators

TNC blueprint steps

1. Select indicators

2. Set targets for indicators

3. Assess viability of indicator occurrences

TNC blueprint steps

1. Select indicators

2. Set targets for indicators

3. Assess viability of indicator occurrences

4. Identify and design a portfolio of areas of biological significance

TNC blueprint steps

1. Select indicators

2. Set targets for indicators

3. Assess viability of indicator occurrences

4. Identify and design a portfolio of areas of biological significance

5. Identify threats to indicators at conservation areas and identify action steps to conserve the portfolio

So what’s different from past efforts?

So what’s different from past efforts?

• Planning for the cooperative not any one organization

So what’s different from past efforts?

• Planning for the cooperative not any one organization

• This is an adaptation strategy (incorporating climate change, urban growth, and other future changes)

March 11 letter to President Obama

• “In the future, fish and wildlife will need a network of interconnected habitats and migration corridors to survive and thrive”

American Fisheries SocietyAmerican Fly Fishing Trade AssociationBass Anglers Sportsmen SocietyDucks UnlimitedIzaak Walton League of AmericaQuail ForeverPheasants ForeverTrout UnlimitedTheodore Roosevelt Conservation PartnershipWildlife Management Institute

So what’s different from past efforts?

• Planning for the cooperative not any one organization

• This is an adaptation strategy (incorporating climate change, urban growth, and other future changes)

• Bigger scope and scale

So what’s different from past efforts?

• Planning for the cooperative not any one organization

• This is an adaptation strategy (incorporating climate change, urban growth, and other future changes)

• Bigger scope and scale

• New technology means blueprint will be more efficient and more integrated across resources

Integrated planningA blueprint for integrated terrestrial, freshwater, and marine conservation in Cook Inlet Basin, AK

Cook Inlet basin

• 9.4 million acres

• Lots of people (for AK)

• Notable for populations of top predators, migratory waterfowl, marine mammals, and salmon

Cook Inlet basin

• “Rapid” population growth

• Tourism, timber, and fishing are major industries

• Ownership is a mix of state (51%), private (34%), and federal (15%) lands

Some of their Indicators and targets

• Indicator: Number of Lynx, Target: Viable population

• Indicator: Acres of black spruce and open peatland Target: 30% of historic area protected

• Indicator: Acres of protected shorebird aggregation areas Target: 30% of known areas protected

Working on version 2.0

• Version 1.0 (2003) was not selective enough

Working on version 2.0

• Version 1.0 (2003) was not selective enough

• Working now on being more selective and efficient

Integrated planning

• We usually “stack” layers

Integrated planning

• We usually “stack” layers

• This is easier but not as efficient

Integrated planning

• We usually “stack” layers

• This is easier but not as efficient

• More integration = more bang for the buck

Not integrated

• Separate planning

• 3.5 million acres included

Integrated

• Integrated planning

• Same result with only 2.5 million acres

Why does this happen?

Imagine we’re planning where to get lunch…

Why does this happen?

Imagine we’re planning where to get lunch…

Let’s go to Larry’s Subs

Let’s go to Soups R Us

Let’s go to Salad Land

Why does this happen?

What about Maurine’s subs, soups, and sandwiches?

I get a good sub

I get a good soup

I get a good salad

ImplementationExamples of how the SALCC blueprint could be used

So what’s different from past efforts?

• Planning for the cooperative not any one organization

• This is an adaptation strategy (incorporating climate change, urban growth, and other future changes)

• Bigger scope and scale

• New technology means blueprint will be more efficient and more integrated across resources

Case 1: Finding the best places to work together

Case 2: Bringing in new conservation dollars

Case 3: Guiding infrastructure development

Case 4: Creating incentives as an alternative to regulation

Case 5: Bringing landscape perspectives for local adaptation efforts (how do I fit in?)

• Climate adaptation strategies are landscape scale!o Biodiversity management in the face of climate change: A review of 22

years of recommendations

Case 6: Responding to major disasters

Making it happenDeveloping the SALCC blueprint

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

2. What happens to indicators if we do nothing (South Atlantic 2050)

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

2. What happens to indicators if we do nothing (South Atlantic 2050)• Future landscape models complete

• Models done for most indicators

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

2. What happens to indicators if we do nothing (South Atlantic 2050)

3. Spatially explicit map of how we’re going to keep those indicators “in the green”

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

2. What happens to indicators if we do nothing (South Atlantic 2050)

3. Spatially explicit map of how we’re going to keep those indicators “in the green”• Progress from OCS project but will likely be version 2.0

Three steps to a blueprint

1. Indicators and targets

2. What happens to indicators if we do nothing (South Atlantic 2050)

3. Spatially explicit map of how we’re going to keep those indicators “in the green”• Progress from OCS project but will likely be version 2.0

• There are a few other good options to get a version 1.0

Conservation design team

• Mark Anderson TNC

• Bob Cooper UGA

• Mary Conley TNC

• Barry Grand USGS

• Nate Nibbelink UGA

• Jim Fox UNC

• Will Allen Conservation Fund

• Rob Baldwin Clemson