Conservation Action Conservation Action PlanningPlanning

Kathy Moser, Acting State DirectorThe Nature Conservancy of New

York

Conservation Action

Planning

Defining Your Project

Developing Strategies &

Measures

Implementing Strategies &

Measures

Using Results to Adapt & Improve

Over 200 partner Over 200 partner organizations organizations

From more than 15 nations participated over 20 years to develop CAP

Discuss Discuss / Adapt/ Adapt

ValidateValidateReviewReview

Within Each Step: Within Each Step: Adaptive ManagementAdaptive Management

Laojunshan Project –

Yunnan

Condor Bioreserve, Ecuador

Defining Your Project

· Project people· Project scope & focal targetsWhat is the What is the

overall vision overall vision and scale of the and scale of the project?project?

What biodiversity1 are we trying to conserve or restore?

What is the Core CAP Question?

1The term “biodiversity” could be replaced with any number of different concepts, management objectives or outcomes. Currently, CAP examples using cultural resources, operating unit management, volunteer programs, etc. in place of “biodiversity” exist.

Northern hardwood forest ecological system

Low gradient 3rd order riverine ecological system

Emergent wetland community

- Ecological Systems- Assemblages of communities which co-occur on the landscape; linked by environmental processes.

- Communities- Vegetation associations or aquatic alliances

- Species- Often species with special conservation or management needs- Imperiled, endangered, special concern- Assemblages with similar conservation requirements- Significant aggregations, wide-ranging, or keystone

Developing Strategies & Measures

· Target viability· Critical threats· Situation analysis· Objectives & actions· Measures

Overall Viability Summary

Conservation TargetsLandscape

ContextCondition Size

Viability Rank

1 North Shore Forests & Cliffs Fair Good Fair Fair

2 Montane Wet Forest FairVery Good

Fair Good

3South Slope Mesic Forest & Shrubland Poor Good Poor Fair

Overall Biodiversity Health Rank Fair

Baseline for measuring how we are doing and how to prioritize actions

Sa

n M

igu

el

/ D

olo

res

Riv

er

Bio

div

ers

ity

Development of Roads& Utilities

Primary Home Development

Woodland & Shrub Systems

Sage Brush Shrb

Desert Shrub

PJ Woodland

Fire RegimeFire

SuppressionAgency Policies

Public Attitudes

Oil & Gas Drilling

Montane Shrub

Historic Grazing

Invasive Plants- cheatgrass- knapweed

Lack of Surface Fires

O7

O7

O7

O8

Gunnison Prairie DogPlague

Shooting & Poisoning

Attitudes Toward

Prairie Dogs O9

Situation Analysis for San Miguel Terrestrial Targets

O3

Developing Strategies & Measures

· Target viability· Critical threats· Situation analysis· Objectives & actions· Measures

Who are the key stakeholders Who are the key stakeholders with vested interest in the project, with vested interest in the project, what factors are driving critical what factors are driving critical threats, and what opportunities threats, and what opportunities exist?exist?

LOCAL BENEFITS LOCAL BENEFITS • Strategic thinking and

analysis process – aimed at selecting high impact conservation strategies

• Enables adaptive management at a local scale

BENEFITS AT SCALE BENEFITS AT SCALE • Facilitates cross-project

coordination & learning • Captures the essential

ingredients common to successful conservation projects

• Enables the sharing of project-level work

2 Faces of CAP2 Faces of CAP

Conservation Action

Planning

Defining Your Project

· Project people· Project scope & focal

targets

Developing Strategies & Measures

· Target viability· Critical threats· Situation analysis· Objectives & actions· Measures

ImplementingStrategies & Measures

· Develop workplans· Implement actions· Implement measures

Using Results toAdapt & Improve

· Analyze actions & data· Learn from results· Adapt project· Share findings