Solutions on the Horizon:Integrated Planning in the 21st

Century

Trisha WhiteDefenders of Wildlife

“The long-range transportation plan shall be developed in consultation with State, tribal, and local agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation and historic preservation.”

Section 6001 Transportation Planning

“Consultation under clause (i) shall involve comparison of transportation plans to State and tribal conservation plans or maps, if available, and comparison of transportation plans to inventories of natural or historic resources, if available.”

Section 6001 Transportation Planning

“A long-range transportation plan shall include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the plan.”

Section 6001 Transportation Planning

1. Consultation with resource agencies

2. Comparison with conservation plans, maps

3. Discussion of mitigation activities, areas

Section 6001 Transportation Planning

Do you mean we’re required to do that?Do you mean we’re not already doing that?

WHAT ?

Game Managemen

t

Endangered Species

Land / Habitat

UGH!

Resource Agencies:

• Lack of resources

• Different constituencies

Transportation Agencies:

• Sophisticated planning process

• Lack of direction from resource agencies

• Established 2001, Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA)

• Administered by USFWS, to state fish and wildlife agencies• Federal funds to state agencies in support of cost-effective

conservation, keep wildlife species from becoming endangered

• SWG projects include restoring degraded habitat, reintroducing native species, developing partnerships with private landowners, monitoring declining species

State Wildlife Grants

Program

State Wildlife Grants

Program

• Funds allocated according to formula based on state size and population

• Fluctuating funding ($65 – 85 million/year)• Non-federal match (50/50)• Required to complete State Wildlife Action

Plan by October 1, 2005

• Developed by state fish and wildlife agencies• Approved by USFWS• Non-federal match (75/25)• Prioritize conservation efforts throughout state• Reviewed at least every decade

Strategic vision for conserving the state’s wildlife, not just a plan for the agency

State Wildlife Action PlansState Wildlife Action Plans

1. Wildlife Status2. Habitat Status3. Threats Analysis & Research 4. Prioritized Conservation Actions5. Monitoring of Status and Actions

6. Plan Review & Update7. Coordination with Agencies8. Public Participation

State Wildlife Action PlansState Wildlife Action Plans

What’s in a name?

• Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans (CWCP)

• Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies (CWCS)

• State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP)

SAME THING

A Plan for ALL the wildlife in a state?

Are you crazy?

Is this possible?

Has anyone ever done this?

Florida Strategic HabitatConservation Areas

Strategic habitatPublic land (April 2001)

Source: Cox, J. R. Kautz, M. MacLaughlin, and T. Gilbert. 1994.Closing the gaps in Florida’s wildlife habitat conservation system.Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee.

Oregon Biodiversity Project

Massachusetts Statewide Plan

Statewide Biodiversity Planning Status as of 2002 (Pre-SWG)

CompletedIn Progress

NonePotential

Completed

Statewide Plans, October 2005

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/cwcp

W i s c o n s i n ’ s S t r a t e g y f o rW i l d l i f e S p e c i e s o f

G r e a t e s t C o n s e r v a t i o n N e e d

http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildliferesources/theplan/final/Illinois_final_report.pdf

Minnesota's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy

1. Consultation with resource agencies

2. Comparison with conservation plans, maps

3. Discussion of mitigation activities, areas

Section 6001 Transportation Planning

Section 6001

Transportation PlanningState Wildlife Action Plan:State Wildlife Action Plan:

ImplementationImplementation

• Transportation planning• Land use planning• Open space funding• Federal & State incentive programs

+= Proactive conservation

= Effective planning tool

= Streamlining

= Better use of tax dollars

Making TRACS

A Project to Integrate Transportation and

Conservation Strategically

A multi-year effort to support, enable and equip states’ efforts to implement their Action Plans

• Information gathering

• Workshops

• Guidance

• Support

• Resources

Stay tuned…

Partners

www.biodiversitypartners.orgwww.biodiversitypartners.org

www.teaming.comwww.teaming.com

www.habitatandhighways.orgwww.habitatandhighways.org