The South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative’s Third Thursday Web Forum

1. The South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative’s Third Thursday Web Forum Indicators and Targets for the South Atlantic: What are Your Ideas? Thursday, July 19, 2012

2. Third Thursday Web Forum Agenda Introductions Updates Monthly Topic: Indicators and Targets for the South Atlantic: What are Your Ideas? Questions & Discussion of Monthly Topic Questions & Discussion of SALCC Close

3. Introductions Rua Mordecai, Science Coordinator Janet Cakir, Socioeconomic Adaption Coordinator Amy Keister, GIS Coordinator Ginger Deason, Information Transfer Specialist/Forest Service Liaison Laurie Rounds, Gulf Coast Liaison Hilary Cole, Intern

4. Updates NIPF meeting next week SE State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) meeting 2012 SALCC-funded projects to be announced the end of this week! Any web site member can share news through a blog post! (e.g. Gulf Restore Act, NC WRC needs volunteers, call for submissions for AGU meeting) www.southatlanticlcc.org

5. Establishing “Conservation Priorities” Creating a compelling vision of the future

6. Priorities: Why do they matter? Days per year with peak temperature over 90° F

7. Priorities: Why do they matter? SALCC Mission: Create a shared blueprint for landscape conservation actions that sustain natural and cultural resources

8. Priorities: Why do they matter? The blueprint will need to paint a compelling picture of the future of the South Atlantic region

9. Priorities: Why do they matter? The blueprint will need to paint a compelling picture of the future of the South Atlantic region It needs to represent why we care about the ecosystems of the area

10. Creating the blueprint Priorities Design Adjust Evaluate Implement Monitor

11. Creating the blueprint Priorities Design Adjust Evaluate Implement Monitor Major steps Set detailed priorities Design blueprint to meet those priorities

12. Progress so far Priorities Design Adjust Evaluate Implement Monitor General priorities from OCS project

13. Progress so far Priorities Design Adjust • Natural resources • Integrity of ecological • systems • Viability of T&E species Evaluate Implement Monitor • Cultural resources • Sites • Objects • Biotic cultural resources General priorities from OCS project

14. Progress so far • Ecological integrity: Percent of indicator targets met for: • o Beaches and Dunes • o Estuarine and Marine • o Forested Wetlands (mineral soils) • o Forested Wetlands (organic soils) • o Freshwater aquatic • o Freshwater marshes • o Managed wetlands • o Grassland – Prairie – Savannah • o Southern Pine • o Scrub-shrub • o Upland Hardwood • o Xeric and Maritime Scrub

15. Progress so far Priorities Design Adjust Evaluate Implement Monitor General priorities from OCS project Development of information and tools to translate priorities into a conservation design

16. Indicators and targets: The next step • Indicator: A way to measure a priority • Target: A numeric goal for an indicator

17. Indicators and targets: Examples • Integrity of open pine systems (priority) - Brown-headed Nuthatch (indicator) - Increase coastal plain population by 50% (target) • Integrity of estuarine and marine systems (priority) - Sea grasses collectively (indicator) - Double the area of sea grasses (target)

18. Natural resource indicator team Priorities Design Adjust Evaluate Implement Monitor Purpose: To develop the process for building off existing efforts to set indicators and measurable targets for SALCC natural resource priorities

19. The indicator team Jon Ambrose GA DNR / SWAP Shannon Deaton NC WRC / SWAP John Stanton FWS / ACJV Linda Pearsall NC DENR / Natural Heritage Robert Boyles SC DNR - Marine division Pete Campbell FWS / ENCSEVA Dean Carpenter NC DENR / APNEP Maria Whitehead TNC

20. The indicator team Duke Rankin USFS Tim Pinion NPS Wilson Laney FWS/ Numerous partnerships Roger Pugliese SAFMC Reggie Thackston GA DNR / Private lands Breck Carmichael SC DNR Rick Durbrow EPA

21. Schedule July 24th: First team web meeting Mid-September: Final recommendations on process to Steering Committee February 2013: Final priorities approved by Steering Committee

22. Synthesis of existing plans Compile spreadsheet of existing indicators for each habitat type Build off existing work to minimize redundancy

23. Synthesis of existing plans: Sources • Current sources • USFWS Biologist Conference for the South Atlantic • South Atlantic LCC Priority Appendix • Atlantic Coast Joint Venture • Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program: 2012 Ecosystem Assessment • Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership: Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan • America’s Longleaf Conservation Plan • Future sources • NatureServe • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Longleaf Stewardship Fund

24. Synthesis of existing plans • Ideally, clear groupings will emerge based on the overlap of sources • Other considerations • Targets already set • Consistent geographic distribution across the South Atlantic • Existing monitoring efforts • Scientific literature on indicators • Other sources to incorporate, or things to consider? Please let me know! (hlcole@ncsu.edu)

25. Questions part 1 Questions about the presentation?

26. Questions part 2 What are your ideas for things your cooperative should do in the process of identifying indicators and targets? What are your ideas for things your cooperative should not do in the process of identifying indicators and targets?

27. Questions/Comments Questions or comments in general about the SALCC, what we’re doing, where we’re going, etc.?

28. Contacts Ken McDermond –ken_mcdermond@fws.gov Rua Mordecai –rua@southatlanticlcc.org Janet Cakir –janet_cakir@nps.gov Amy Keister –amy_keister@fws.gov Laurie Rounds –laurie.rounds@noaa.gov Ginger Deason –ginger@southatlanticlcc.org Hilary Cole – hlcole@ncsu.edu