Transcript Wildlife Program

Wildlife Program
O & M Model
December 2006
Typical/Anticipated Habitat Recovery Trend
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
HSi
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0
2
4
6
8
Time (Years)
10
12
14
16
HSi/Dollars
Funding Model based on Habitat condition
0
2
4
6
8
Time (Years)
10
12
14
16
Implementation
• Establish an Assessment Team to include:
– IEAB, ISRP, Regional HEP Team, others?
• During pre-acquisition phase
– Assessment of baseline conditions
– Inform the decision to purchase
– Surface any concerns about meeting some level of sustainability
• Site specific management plan development
– Assessment team could inform management goals/ objectives to reach
sustainability
– Recommend measures/practices to achieve “desired future condition”
– Develop an up-front estimate of the cost of enhancements to reach
future condition
– Develop protocol for assessing “desired future condition”
Implementation (cont’)
• Active management phase
– Implementation contracts could follow “reasonable
cost/acre” determination
• Once management plan has been implemented
– Allow time for habitat to respond
– Team to assess habitat response
– Has project reached “desired future condition?”
Implementation (cont’)
• Passive management phase
– A transition strategy designed to minimize the
impacts on project sponsors
– Maintain habitat values versus maintaining an
infrastructure that may be the responsibility of
others - mitigation sites often provide benefits
beyond the mitigation program
– Contracts could follow “reasonable cost/acre”
determination for passive management
Desired Outcome – An O&M Model
• Consistent with NPCC’s Wildlife Program:
“…..agreements adequate to sustain the minimum
credited habitat values for the life of the project”
• Consistent with NPCC’s Habitat Strategy
– Identify the current condition and biological potential of the habitat, and
then protect or restore it to the extent described in the biological
objectives
– Build from strength – protect intact, productive habitat first
– Ecosystem, not individual species, focused
– Use native species where feasible
• Consistent with MOAs: “provide reasonable O&M
funding to help ensure the habitat’s natural
characteristics and mitigation qualities are developed
and self-sustaining”