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Matt Goff www.sitkanature.org
Addressing Barriers to Integration of Ecosystem Service Data into - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Addressing Barriers to Integration of Ecosystem Service Data into - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Addressing Barriers to Integration of Ecosystem Service Data into Wetland Management Programs Presented by Elizabeth Byers WVDEP Watershed Assessment Branch A century ago, it was all about waterfowl 2 Matt Goff www.sitkanature.org
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Now…fish & wildlife, rich biodiversity, productivity,
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kidneys of the landscape,
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Pinus rigida - Picea rubens / Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides / Sphagnum spp. Woodland (G1G2)
stabilize water supplies,
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protect shorelines from erosion,
USFWS
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carbon sinks and climate stabilizers
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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
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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
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Lesson #6: Build on best available existing science
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Lesson #6: Build on best available existing science
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Ecological integrity & wildlife habitat Flood attenuation
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Water quality: sediment, nutrients, pollutants 3 composite functions
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Society has placed value on function Wetland has intrinsic potential to provide function Landscape provides
- pportunity to perform function
3 lenses
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62 statewide GIS datasets
- Biodiversity
- Ecosystems
- Elevation
- Geology
- Hydrology
- Imagery
- Infrastructure
- Jurisdiction
- Landcover
- Landform
- Soils
- Stressors
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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
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Wetlands of Special Conservation Concern
based on Site Biodiversity Rank
Documented by WVDNR Natural Heritage Data
Link natural heritage data to GIS tool
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Let’s deter impacts to high-functioning wetlands!
100 200 300 400 500 600 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 Frequency 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
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Lesson #8: Recruit partners to fill skill gaps
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Python-based automation
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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
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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,
- rganic material, pH, and stressors
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2019 Field Season: Training
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June 2020 Regulatory Rollout
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Lesson #5 (again): We Stakeholders
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Stakeholders are key to successful public notice and regulatory rule change
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- 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
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