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October 20, 2008October 20, 2008October 20, 2008

Kelly McAllister WSDOTKelly McAllister WSDOTKelly McAllister WSDOTJoanne SchuettJoanne SchuettJoanne Schuett---Hames WDFWHames WDFWHames WDFW

Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Planning in Washington

Photo credit M. Vasquez

What We’ll Cover…

• Roots of connectivity planning in Washington• Washington’s collaborative connectivity working

group• Some next steps in Washington

But first…

Habitat Connectivity What is it? Why?

Most animals need to move to:● Find food

● Find mates

● Find security from predators and other threats

● Access critical seasonal habitats like winter and summer range

● Maintain gene flow which is critical to population health in species that naturally exist at low densities (Cougar, Grizzly Bear, Wolverine)

● Colonize vacant habitat areas

The Roots ofHabitat ConnectivityPlanning in Washington

The I-90, Snoqualmie Pass East project was formative for WSDOT, engaging staff at many levels and multiple disciplines with issues of habitat connectivity and a permeable transportation system

Very importantly, a collaborative NGO and agency group worked together to make this a success “The I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition”

WSDOT Secretary’s Executive Order 1031

Protections and Connections for High Quality Natural Habitats

“Washington State Department of Transportation, in partnership with other agencies, organizations, and the public, must assure that road and highway programs recognize, together with other needs, the importance of protecting ecosystem health, the viability of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife species, and the preservation of biodiversity”

Pierce County’s Biodiversity Network and Spokane County’s Parks to Peaks planning efforts both identified core habitat blocks and connecting corridors. Corridors generally followed stream courses.

Spokane County’s plan included linkages to habitat blocks in Idaho.

Connectivity and Local Governments

Connectivity and Local Governments

Birch Bay Watershed, Whatcom County•Multi-agency

•Landscape planning for water quality, fish, and wildlife

•Extensive population growth expected

Example Connectivity Results•Great Blue Heron flight pathways (yellow)

•Amphibian connectivity zone (green hatches)

•Arrows indicate importance of connecting to adjacent watersheds (white)

Lynx Wolverine

Wolf Grizzly Bear

Singleton, Gaines, and Lehmkuhl identified core habitat patches and linkages for four rare forest carnivores

Washington’s Biodiversity Conservation Opportunity Maps:-

Classify the state relative to Biodiversity significance as well as future risk of loss of biodiversity

Identifying corridors to connect habitat patches was not part of the initial strategy

The Western Governors’Association has created a new impetus for habitat connectivity planning, with an emphasis on planning that crosses state boundaries

Washington’s Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group

• Mission Statement • Who we are• Collaboration with other efforts• Importance of science and communications• Timeframe & products• Progress report on statewide effort• Next steps

Mission Statement

“To promote the long-term viability of wildlife populations in Washington State through a science-based, collaborative approach that identifies opportunities and priorities to conserve and restore habitat connectivity.’’

Conservation Northwest

The Nature Conservancy

Western Transportation Institute

South Coast Wildlands

University of Washington

US Fish and Wildlife Service

US Forest Service

WA Biodiversity Council

WA Department of Transportation

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife

WA Department of Natural Resources

WA Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development

Working Group Participants

Full Group: Science, Communication, Policy

Core Team: Responsible for preparation and coordination of state and ecoregional plans

Sub-groups: The Core Team is supported by Community Involvement and Science Groups

Working Group Structure

Collaboration with Other Efforts

Washington’s Connectivity Working Group supports strong linkages between efforts, common goals, and common products:

•Wildlife Action Plans

•State Biodiversity Plan

•Western Governor’s Wildlife Corridors Initiative

Working Group Linkage to Western Governors’ Wildlife Corridors Initiative

Washington Habitat

Connectivity Working Group

•Scientific focus

•Produce state and ecoregional connectivity scientific analyses and products

•Lead on communication products

WA Governor’s Office

•Member WGA Wildlife Corridors Initiative

•Provides information about the Initiative

•Facilitates implementation of connectivity plans

Biodiversity Council•Communications bridge between Working Group & Governor’s office

•Address policy

•Assist on guiding landowner communications

•Add connectivity to biodiversity opportunity products

•Participate in scientific discussions with Working Group

Science and Social Issues

Science-based approach• Working Group includes local species experts as well

as nationally recognized connectivity scientists• Scientific peer review by national experts Communications / outreach• Sub-group focusing on laying groundwork for

connectivity understanding and project acceptance• Communications strategy & web-site under-

development

Timeframe and Products

Statewide products: Dec. 2009Ecoregion products: Dec. 2011• Maps will identify best places to invest resources to conserve or

restore native plant communities situated between important core habitat areas

• Extensive public outreach & dialogue with local communities• Scientific peer review

The Science…

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Direct Mortality

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Direct Mortality

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Direct Mortality

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Direct Mortality

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Direct Mortality

STRESSORS

Wildlife Population ImpactsBiodiversity & Ecosystem Effectse.g., reduced native species diversity

Wildlife Movement Requirements:• Daily movements • Seasonal movements to breeding, birthing, summer, and winter habitats • Dispersal and colonization of vacant habitat

Habitat Alterations:

• Land clearing• Development• Roads / Traffic• People

Habitat Effects Alienation

Impacts to Individual Animals

Direct Mortality

CLIMATE CHANGE

Connectivity “Conceptual Model”

Structural and Functional Connectivity

Structural Connectivity:The spatial arrangement of different types of habitat or other elements in the landscape

Functional Connectivity:The behavioral response of individuals, species, or ecological processes to the physical structure of the landscape

Focal species are used to understand functional connectivity

Connectivity Plan to be Built from Three Mapping Outputs

Primary mapping output:Focal species approach

Public lands connectivity map(s)

Biodiversity significance map(s)

This will be reviewed and interpreted with the products below:

Current Work Efforts…Statewide Focal Species Selection

Focal Species Selection - Statewide Analyses

Assemble a statewide vertebrate species database

Characterize species based on vulnerability to connectivity threats and selected criteria

Link species to major vegetation classes

Evaluate species, by vegetation class, to determine which ones best meet focal species criteria

Preliminary List of Focal Species

• Washington vertebrates• State Rank 1-3, Global Rank 1-3• Species with movements over a broad spatial scale• Species highly sensitive to loss of connectivity from

development, roads, or traffic• Preliminary list - 200 vertebrates

Alpine, shrub, grass, rock

Link Species to Washington’s Major Vegetation Associations

Northern Rocky Mt. Forests

Semi-desert

Vancouverian low to mid elevation forests

Subalpine forests

National Vegetation Classification System: 5 Major Vegetation Associations

Assess Each Species Based on Criteria

• Representative of vegetation class• Representative of threat classes• Adequate information for modeling• Movement choices made at proper scale• Species is limited by loss of connectivity• Do we know how to monitor the species for

response to our actions?

Select Candidate State Focal Species – draft list

Wolverine Available Habitat – Core habitat plus 100 km weighted distance

areas

Singleton, Gaines, and Lehmkuhl

Wolverine Available Habitat Plus Least Cost Corridors

Singleton, Gaines, and Lehmkuhl

Combining Outputs - Identifying Areas Serving Multiple Species’ Needs

Next Steps & Future Directions…• Complete state-wide effort• Ecoregional-scale connectivity mapping• Collaboration across state/provincial boundaries• Climate change

Questions ???