addressing barriers to integration of ecosystem service ... · addressing barriers to integration...
TRANSCRIPT
Addressing Barriers to Integration of Ecosystem
Service Data into Wetland Management Programs
Presented by Elizabeth Byers
WVDEP Watershed Assessment Branch
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Matt Goff www.sitkanature.org
A century ago, it was all about waterfowl…
Now…fish & wildlife, rich biodiversity, productivity,
kidneys of the landscape,
Pinus rigida - Picea rubens / Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides / Sphagnum spp. Woodland (G1G2)
stabilize water supplies,
protect shorelines from erosion,
USFWS
carbon sinks and climate stabilizers
Ecosystem Services Quantified
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Obstacles? What obstacles?
Laughspark.com
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9 key lessons learned
as West Virginia moves to Functional Assessment for
Clean Water Act and Food Security Act activities
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Should we start up this trail at all? (Lessons #1-#4)
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Lesson #1:
We needed a catalyst
to get us started
2008 Mitigation rule
for aquatic resources
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Isizmile
Lesson #2: We needed leadership champions to get us started
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Isizmile
Obstacle! Both champions retired.
...it was okay, we had gotten started and had built some support
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Lesson #3: We needed financial support
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Lesson #4:
We needed a
determined
project leader
Isizmile
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Obstacle! No one available on staff.
...it was okay, we recruited from another division
Obstacle! Staff turnover.
…that was tough, we had to delay outputs
Isizmile
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Walking the trail (Lessons #5-#8)
Isizmile
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Lesson #5: Bring stakeholders into the process
early & often
Isizmile
Obstacle! They’re speaking
different languages. …we opened our ears
2017-18 Field-testing: 69 stakeholders from 22 organizations
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Lesson #6: Build on best available science
Obstacle! How do
we sort through so
much information?
…we looked only at
tested, validated
methods & metrics
Lesson #6: Build on best available existing science
Lesson #6: Build on best available existing science
Ecological
integrity &
wildlife habitat
Flood
attenuation
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Water quality:
sediment, nutrients,
pollutants
3 composite functions
Society has placed
value on function
Wetland has
intrinsic potential
to provide function
Landscape provides
opportunity to perform function
3 lenses
62 statewide GIS datasets
• Biodiversity
• Ecosystems
• Elevation
• Geology
• Hydrology
• Imagery
• Infrastructure
• Jurisdiction
• Landcover
• Landform
• Soils
• Stressors27
75 metrics in 9 categories
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Intrinsic
Potential
Landscape
Opportunity
Value to
Society
Water Quality vegetation,
soil,
hydrology
50 m buffer,
contributing
watershed
public use,
planning
Flood Attenuation vegetation,
soil,
hydrology
50 m buffer,
contributing
watershed
economic risk
Habitat/
Ecological Integrity
vegetation,
soil,
hydrology
perimeter,
300 m / 1 km buffer,
contrib. watershed
investment,
public use,
access
Wetlands of
Special Conservation Concernbased on Site Biodiversity RankDocumented by WVDNR
Natural Heritage Data
Link natural heritage
data to GIS tool
Let’s deter impacts to high-functioning wetlands!
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
Fre
qu
en
cy
Regulatory Wetland Function Credits
Regulatory Credit Scores (GIS only) for 10,416 vegetated wetlands
Median score = 0.56
2% of wetlands are of special conservation
concern and score above 1.0
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Lesson #7: Laser focus
Obstacle! Other important work doesn’t get done
…we’ve gotten pretty good at saying “no”
Isizmile
32Lesson #8: Recruit partners to fill skill gaps
Python-based automation
NRCS Experts
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Reaching our destination – the last mile (Lesson #9 and a return to #5)
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GIS Desktop Scenario Planning
Lesson #9: Make it easy to use
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Lesson #9: Make it easy to use
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Preliminary GIS Score for every mapped wetland in WV
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• Vegetation, Soils, Hydrology, Buffer,
Stressors
• GIS metrics improved
Level of effort: 2 technicians x half-day
Skill level: wetland delineation
plus 2-day training
Rapid Field Assessment
Floristic Quality Assessment
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Mean abundance-weighted CoC using 50/20 Rule vs. Full Floristics
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Soil metrics distilled to clay texture,
organic material, pH, and stressors
2019 Field Season: Training
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June 2020 Regulatory Rollout
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Lesson #5 (again): We Stakeholders
Stakeholders
are key to
successful
public notice
and regulatory
rule change
C. Reaching our destination
9. Make it easy to use
…and stakeholders take us the final mile
Recap: 9 Key Lessons Learned
A. Should we head up this trail at all?
1. Catalyst is already in place: 2008 Mitigation Rule
2. Leadership champions necessary for start-up
3. Secure financial support
4. Recruit determined project leader
B. Walking the trail
5. Bring stakeholders into the process early & often
6. Build on best available existing science
7. Laser focus
8. Recruit partners to fill skill gaps