Conservation Targets the building blocks

1. Conservation Coaches Network New Coach Training Conservation Targetsthe building blocks

2. What Is the Question? Conservation Targets • What set of ecosystems, natural communities, and species best represents the place that you are trying to conserve? • Are all critical threats represented? • Are all important ecological processes represented?

3. Key Points to Introduce this Step Conservation Targets • Critical Importance • Scale – Spatial? Biological? Other? • Coarse-filter & fine-filter • Iterative • Project “boundary” based on targets

4. Critical Questions to Ask the Team Conservation Targets • Are there coarse-filter ecological systems to start with? • Do Species targets warrant target status or just indicators? • Any targets that are not of critical importance? • To lump or to split?

5. Common Issues & Recommendations Conservation Targets Issue: Lump or split? • If you save the system, do you save the species? • Do the different species co-occur in the same locale? • Do targets require similar habitats and/or processes? • Are targets likely being affected by similar threats?

6. Common Issues & Recommendations Conservation Targets Issue: Large project area or too many targets • Try defining a large project using just the major system types • Consider a separate process for rare, fine scale components • Start with large number of targets - then look for shared threats where an over-arching strategy could benefit the system • Identify a wide-ranging species or species guild that uses a broad range of habitats across the area

7. Common Issues & Recommendations Conservation Targets Issue: Non-biological targets (e.g. groundwater, open space, rural lifestyle, archeological sites, etc.)? ALWAYS Up to the team whether to include diverse target types… • Important to be clear about the scope of the project • Create a shared vision statement • Important to be clear about the relationship between the targets • Note that some strategies may actually conflict Conservation Target Conservation Targets Ecosystem Service Targets Human Welfare Targets Culture Empowerment Water Provision Education Wealth Nutrient Cycling Health NTFPs Conservation Target

8. Common Issues & Recommendations Conservation Targets Issue: Project area is only part of the range of a wide-ranging species • Simply recognize that only part of the species’ range will be protected – but be clear about what important functions occur in the project area • OR • Consider working with other teams in other areas to meet the full needs of the wide ranging species

9. Helpful Hints Conservation Targets • Map your target occurrences - even a “cartoon” map adds value. • If viability, land use history and threats are dramatically in different parts of the project area, split target(s) accordingly • e.g. Longleaf pine (public lands) & Longleaf pine (private lands) • Corridors as targets? – corridor for what? The answer to this will greatly influence size, shape, location, threats, etc. Is the “corridor” really a KEA?