the high divide - great northern lcc · &&&&&conservationaccomplishments...
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The High Divide Conservation of Continental
Connectivity through Community Based Collaboration
Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative Connectivity Workshop Bozeman, MT April, 2015
Heart of the Rockies Initiative
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (2003)
Crown of the Continent/Upper Columbia (2005)
High Divide (2010)
Central Idaho Wilderness Buffer (future work)
WHERE WE WORK-‐-‐LANDSCAPES
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Conservation Accomplishments
Oct. 9, 2014 HAMILTON, MONTANA
194,483 acres 119 projects
1.2 million acres 806 projects
2004 2004-‐2013
Increasing the Pace of Conservation through . . Science Delivery Collaborative Conservation Planning Capacity Building Development of Project Capital Outreach to Share and Celebrate the Conservation Story
The High Divide
The High Divide connects large core protected areas in the U.S. Rocky Mountains—Yellowstone National Park, the Crown of the Continent, and Central Idaho’s
vast Wilderness Areas.
Idaho and Montana
Courtesy Rowan Nyman, fishonphoto.com
The High Divide Landscape Continental ly Significant Connectivity
Wolverine Metapopulation Connectivity Model
Grizzly Movements
Elk Migrations
Sage Grouse, Mule Deer & Pronghorn Migrations
Generalized Movements
Pronghorn—Long distance Migration
Courtesy WCS
The High Divide Landscape
Courtesy Rowan Nyman, fishonphoto.com
High Divide—Idaho and Montana LANDSCAPE FEATURES HEALTHY WILDLIFE POPULATIONS
whose long-‐term persistence depends upon ecological linkage between large protected core areas
Courtesy Rowan Nyman, fishonphoto.com Courtesy Jeff Burrell, WCS
High Divide—Idaho and Montana LANDSCAPE FEATURES CULTURAL LEGACY
of Native American lands, trails and traditional uses
Photos Courtesy Big Hole National Battlefield, NPS
High Divide—Idaho and Montana LANDSCAPE FEATURES WORKING RANCHLANDS
that are central to the region’s economy and communities
Courtesy Trust for Public Land
High Divide—Idaho and Montana LANDSCAPE FEATURES RECREATION
nationally important dispersed recreation land and waterways
Courtesy Terry R Thomas, IDF&G Courtesy RMEF Courtesy Prickly Pear Land Trust Courtesy Gallatin Valley Land Trust
High Divide—Idaho and Montana LANDSCAPE FEATURES HEADWATERS
for sensitive fish and quality water for human uses
Courtesy Lemhi Regional Land Trust Courtesy PJ Johnson cc
SOCIAL, POLITICAL CONTEXT
Ø Rural, small populations
Ø All-lands approach to agriculture
Ø High percentage of public lands
Ø Strong economic and recreational connections to public lands
Ø Mistrust of federal government and outside interests
High Divide—Idaho and Montana
High Divide Conservation through Local Initiatives Community Based conservation in the Madison Valley, Upper Henry’s Fork, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead Valley, Big Hole Valley, Salmon-‐Lemhi, Idaho’s Lost Rivers, Pioneers Alliance, Sawtooth NRA. Over the past 25 years . . .
• 754,323 acres protected
• $437.5 million invested in conservation easements & fee title
acquisitions
• Restoration: 152,560 acres, 775 river miles $18.7 million
• Need now to secure past investments by protecting and restoring
remaining landscape connections
The High Div ide Col laborat ive Landscape
MONTANA
Land & Water Conservation Fund Conservation Landscape Project
Conserved Properties
Centennial Mtns
Pioneer Mtns
Salmon Dillon Frank Church
River of No Return Wilderness Yellow
stone NP
Island Park
BUILDING COLLABORATION HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
Community Engagement Collaboration requires local community engagement • Invite all stakeholders to the table • Learn their needs • Incorporate into goals
Ø Platform for Trust Ø Safe Place for Risk-‐takers Ø Results matter
BUILDING COLLABORATION USDA Forest Service Region 1 – Missoula, MT
Beaverhead-‐Deerlodge National Forest Gallatin National Forest
USDA Forest Service, Region 4 -‐-‐ Ogden, UT Caribou-‐Targhee National Forest Salmon-‐Challis National Forest Sawtooth National Recreation Area
USDI Bureau of Land Management -‐ Idaho Upper Snake Field Office
Salmon Field Office Challis Field Office Shoshone Field Office
USDI Bureau of Land Management -‐ Montana Dillon Field Office
USDI Fish & Wildlife Service, Region 1, Portland, OR Camas National Wildlife Refuge
USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 Montana Acquisition Office, Great Falls, MT Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge
USDI National Park Service Columbia Cascades System Support Office Craters of the Moon National Monument Nez Perce National Historic Park Big Hole National Battlefield Yellowstone National Park
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service MT and ID; Sage-‐Grouse Initiative
Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
BUILDING COLLABORATION Montana Dept.of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Nez Perce Tribe; Nez Perce Trail Foundation Central Idaho Rangelands Network Centennial Valley Association Madison Valley Ranchlands Group Slash J Ranch Flying A Ranch Inc. Idaho Department of Fish and Game Kalsta Ranch Co. Lee Martinell Ranch Co. Turner Enterprises Flying D Ranch Snowcrest Ranch Red Rock Ranch Teton Regional Land Trust, Driggs, ID Lemhi Regional Land Trust, Salmon, ID Wood River Land Trust, Hailey, ID Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Bozeman, MT Bitter Root Land Trust, Hamilton, MT The Nature Conservancy, Montana The Nature Conservancy, Idaho Henry’s Fork Lodge Idaho Adventures
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Dillon Sage Grouse Working Group Wildlife Conservation Society Future West Craighead Institute Center for Large Landscape Conservation Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative Salmon Valley Stewardship Heart of the Rockies Initiative The Conservation Fund Trust for Public Land, Bozeman, MT Greater Yellowstone Coalition Henry’s Fork Legacy Project Pioneer Alliance Big Hole River Foundation Henry’s Fork Foundation Sonoran Institute Big Hole Watershed Committee Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative Madison Watershed Partnership Project Lighthawk Western Rivers Conservancy
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
BUILDING COLLABORATION HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
Working Across Boundaries
Define landscape through ecological and cultural connections -‐ More than the sum of the parts Reliance on science -‐ ID & MT state wildlife agencies -‐ GNLCC, federal agencies -‐ Wildlife Conservation Society -‐ Craighead Institute -‐ Northern Rockies Cons. Coop. Local expertise—stakeholder input
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
Collaborative Goals OUR SHARED VISION IS TO CONSERVE:
• Working ranchlands central to communities, economy and way of life
• Nationally important dispersed recreation land and waterways where youth
get into nature
• A cultural legacy of Nez Perce, Continental Divide, and Lewis & Clark Trails
• Ecological linkage between protected core areas to conserve wide-‐ranging
wildlife in response to climate change
BUILDING COLLABORATION
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
Collaborative Goals OUR SHARED VISION IS TO CONSERVE….
• Restored headwaters for sensitive fish and human uses
• Crucial core and migratory sage grouse habitats
• Open land in the Wildland Urban Interface to protect life and property and reduce fire costs
BUILDING COLLABORATION
HIGH DIVIDE RESOURCE THREATS:
• Residential and commercial development
• Habitat fragmentation
• Connectivity barriers—physical and cultural
• Loss of public access
• Destruction of heritage sites
• Energy transmission development
“Uncontrolled development in this landscape is our biggest threat. To me
that’s like mud-wrestling in the Sistine Chapel.”
-‐ Nelson Ishiyama, owner Henry’s Fork Lodge, Island Park, Idaho
HIGH DIVIDE
LANDSCAPE CHALLENGES
• Securing landscape integrity for wide-‐ranging fish and
wildlife, including Threatened & Endangered species
• Making room for natural processes (e.g. natural
disturbance) while preventing spread of noxious species
• Climate Change
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The High Divide Landscape Migration Bottleneck Priorities
Identification of priority connectivity bottlenecks = priority conservation targets
SCIENCE DELIVERY TO OUR PARTNERS
Portal through Databasin.org HEART of the ROCKIES CONSERVATION ATLAS
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE
Current Activities Conservation of Target Resources and Linkdages-‐LWCF
FY2016 LWCF Proposal submitted in 08/14 for $36.5 Million in acquisition capital
▪ -‐ $17.9 million ranked high in President’s FY2016 budget
FY2017 LWCF Pre-‐proposal due in early May
Stakeholder Selected Priority Next-‐Step Conservation Strategies ▪ Workshops in Dillon, MT – February 2015 Aligned Capacity Building Workshops
Adopted all-‐lands all-‐hands model with application to : Connectivity, Sage Grouse, Water Conservation and Restoration, Forests and Wildland Urban Interface
Stakeholder Outreach
Local county commissions; National decision makers: congressionals, administration
Lighthawk, Resource Media & Headwaters Economics assisting with outreach
HIGH DIVIDE CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE Next Steps Phase One of Landscape Conservation Design—What is Conservation Success? Spatial assessment of current and future conditions (biological and socioeconomic) with evaluation of system stability—evaluate scenarios for example focal areas Focal Species: Sage Grouse, Wolverine, Mule Deer, headwaters salmonids Ecosystem Processes: Natural wildfire and mitigation, invasive terrestrial plants Modification (HMI) with 3 connectivity scenarios per time period: M/A to M/A, G/S to G/S, M/A to G/S Model future conditions based upon current trends, policies, and climate change
Headwaters Economics human footprint analysis through statistically valid trend projection
Stakeholder engagement—stakeholder workshops, local land use plan review to identify desired future conditions—water, vegetation, communities, ecosystems
Spatially model broad and fine-‐scale core habitat and connectivity needed to sustain desired conditions
Modeling outputs for key ecosystem services (forage biomass, water etc.), invasives
High Divide Planning Area
The HD Planning Area includes all the focal areas identified within HOTR’s High Divide Conservation Plan plus connected focal areas within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Crown of the Continent—the High Divide’s
nearest neighbors.
Landscape Conservation Design
ACHIEVEMENT OF DURABLE, MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES
LESSONS LEARNED
Work collaboratively, engage stakeholders from Day One. Open source. Create a safe place for change and conservation. Earn Trust.
Collaborative goals set by all stakeholders
Landscape scale across boundaries—all lands/all hands approach.
Linkage, connectivity
Resources and people—families, economy, culture, legacy
ACHIEVEMENT OF DURABLE, MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES
LESSONS LEARNED
Sharing good science—need for data sharing/availability from state and federal agencies, academic researchers to make information accessible and usable for on-‐the-‐ground conservation practitioners.
Scale is vital. High resolution resource data are essential to efficient conservation delivery.
Benefit of using best available information to create cost efficient, meaningful and durable ecological outcomes.
Results matter—stay the course—steward the collaborative
Celebrate Success—Life is good!!
Thank you:
By Ilona McCarty. Courtesy Lemhi Regional Land Trust