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Conservation Management Institute

Conservation Management Institute. Scott Klopfer and Ken Convery. Mission. Informed conservation action is necessary to stem the worldwide loss of biodiversity, and good management must be grounded in good science.

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Conservation Management Institute

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  1. Conservation Management Institute Scott Klopfer and Ken Convery

  2. Mission • Informed conservation action is necessary to stem the worldwide loss of biodiversity, and good management must be grounded in good science. • We are a service organization specializing in conservation research, development, management, education, and outreach.

  3. Information Technology Military Lands Management Spatial Technologies International Projects Human Dimensions Outreach and Education Field Ecology Ecological Restoration Areas of Work

  4. Size and Scope • CMI received over $4 million in contracts and grants in 2005. • In 2005 CMI had over 80 + staff on the payroll or in open positions. CMI supported 40 + students. • CMI currently has 50+ active projects and numerous subprojects.

  5. Why Land trusts? • Relatively “new” mechanism for land conservation • Therefore, wildlife, water, air, cultural,etc. • Large and getting larger • Tax incentives • More organizations, working together • Greater interest with increasing development

  6. Land trusts in Mid-Atlantic States

  7. “Who” are Land Trusts? • Membership organizations • Commonly not “natural resource professionals” • Very intelligent • Understand their objectives

  8. Land Trusts Typically… • Lack resources to build effective information technology in-house • Lack expertise to gather, compile, and analyze data • Very open to “outsourcing” the process • Understand the importance of planning

  9. Need • Huge Geographic Area - 8 Counties in SW VA • Small Staff Overworked • Town Hall Meetings Ineffective

  10. REALLY need • Efficient mechanism to identify priority lands and owners • Maximize effectiveness of conservation action

  11. New River Land TrustLand Prioritization Using a Decision Support System

  12. What is GIS? • GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information Spatial Data + Tools = New Spatial Data

  13. What is a Decision Support System? • Tool Designed to Help Make Decisions • It will Retrieve, Analyze and Summarize Data based upon user input • It Will Not Make Decisions For You

  14. Familiar DSS

  15. Objective • Create a GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) That Will Help Identify Areas of Scenic/Aesthetic, Biological, Recreational, Historical, Cultural Importance within the New River Valley

  16. Step 1 - Identify User Needs • As a Group…What is Important to You? • Forested Lands? • Open Space? • Water Quality? • Scenic Beauty? • Roadless Areas? • Prime Farmland • …More!

  17. “NRLT Conservation Themes” • Scenic Viewsheds • Biodiversity & Natural Heritage • Water Quality • Agricultural & Farming • Forest Lands • Historical & Cultural • Threat / Risk

  18. Step 2 - Develop or Acquire Relevant Spatial Data for Each Theme Theme >= 1 data layer

  19. Aesthetic / Scenic Conservation Theme • Viewshed - Everything Visible from a Particular Vantage Point • You choose the features!

  20. Threat / Risk Conservation Theme • Population Growth • Road Density • Proximity to Interstate

  21. Forested Lands Conservation Theme • Forested Lands • High Forest Site Quality • Create Index from Slope, Aspect, and Slope Position • Large, Contiguous Blocks • Fragmentation/Patch Statistics • Riparian Forest Buffers • Intersect Forests with Stream Buffers

  22. Biodiversity & Natural Heritage Virginia Natural Heritage Data • Conservation Sites • General Locations

  23. Step 3 - Establish Importance Values of Data Layers • We Facilitate - You decide!

  24. Online DSS Version 1.1

  25. Output Areas of High Conservation Value

  26. Example Output • Red = High Importance

  27. Example Output • DOD land constrained • Orange/Red = High Value

  28. Benefits of Approach • Process is Transparent and Repeatable • You Choose What’s Important! • You Create the Model - Rank Individual Data Layers • Flexibility! • As the Landscape Changes so does Output • As Priorities Change so does Output

  29. Questions? http://128.173.240.47:8081/NBII_DSS/index.jsp

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