Developing & Assessing Conservation Opportunity Areas within Wildlife Action Plans
Summary
ABSTRACT: The USFWS supports State Fish & Wildlife Agencies in their efforts to conserve species. For the past year, the USFWS (staff of Science Applications and Ecological Services) have been working informally with staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to develop a process for designating Conservation Opportunity Areas (i.e. priority areas) for inclusion in their State Wildlife Action Plan. Prototype maps have been developed based on species distributions combined with habitat condition and change information contained in the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy Blueprint. This project will help the Commission to work more strategically to conserve species, as well as help USFWS streamline regulatory decisions. The [...]
Summary
ABSTRACT: The USFWS supports State Fish & Wildlife Agencies in their efforts to conserve species. For the past year, the USFWS (staff of Science Applications and Ecological Services) have been working informally with staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to develop a process for designating Conservation Opportunity Areas (i.e. priority areas) for inclusion in their State Wildlife Action Plan. Prototype maps have been developed based on species distributions combined with habitat condition and change information contained in the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy Blueprint. This project will help the Commission to work more strategically to conserve species, as well as help USFWS streamline regulatory decisions. The funds requested here would formalize and speed up the designation process by contracting technical support functions. Duties under the contract would include management and processing of spatial data, interagency coordination, and training agency staff on how to use the products for decision support. Products of the project will include updated occupancy and range maps for all species contained in the SWAP, a transparent process for designating Opportunity Areas, a map of opportunity areas, and map of regulatory permeability (i.e. the relative amount of regulatory oversight needed under the Endangered Species Act).
AWARD ID: F18AC00762
START DATE: 11/1/2018
END DATE: 9/30/2019
SOURCE: Region 4 Science Applications
AMOUNT: $110,000
PI: Dr. Toby Gray
CONTACT INFO: Geosystems Research Institute, Mississippi State University; Office: 662 325-7642; toby@gri.msstate.edu
LEAD ORG: Mississippi State University
FWS PO: D. Todd Jones-Farrand
