Forestland Stewards · FORESTLAND STEWARDS INITIATIVE BUSINESS PLAN PURPOSE!Establish a blueprint of conservation need, strategies and budgets required to achieve desired conservation

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Forestland Stewards Business Plan

September 11, 2014

FORESTLAND STEWARDS INITIATIVE BUSINESS PLAN PURPOSE

Ø Establish a blueprint of conservation need, strategies and budgets required to achieve desired conservation outcomes

Ø Inform and guide grant making decisions

Ø  Catalyze others to make more strategic conservation investments

FORESTLAND STEWARDS INITIATIVE BUSINESS PLAN PROCESS

Ø  Establish targets

Ø  Identify focal areas

Ø  Establish a baseline

Ø  Estimate goals and costs

Ø  Identify strategies and potential

barriers

Ø  Set metrics for measuring outcomes

COASTAL CAROLINAS AND PINEY WOODS

JONES ECOLOGICAL CENTER: LONGLEAF RESTORATION ASSESSMENT

Assisted NFWF and partners to develop measurable conservation goals by: •  Determining the optimal habitat structure of longleaf to benefit wildlife

•  Defining a suite of wildlife species representative of a healthy longleaf ecosystem

•  Defining restoration treatments that move longleaf habitat toward desired conditions

•  Determining conservation outcomes (species response)

SELECTED SPECIES

Four Representative Species Emerged from the Analysis: •  Bachman’s Sparrow •  Northern bobwhite •  Gopher Tortoise •  Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Bachman’s Sparrow and the Northern Bobwhite use early successional habitat; are fairly well distributed across the range; have sufficient abundance to help ensure a positive response to habitat restoration. Gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker are public trust species; represent a classic umbrella species; recovery will require active translocation; and species use later stage phases of longleaf reforestation situations.

CONSERVATION TARGETS

•  Longleaf Forests

•  Mature “maintenance class” longleaf

•  Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

•  Bobwhite Quail

•  Bachman’s Sparrow

•  Riparian Forests

•  Bottomland hardwoods

CUMBERLAND PLATEAU

CONSERVATION TARGETS

•  Upland Forests •  Shortleaf/shortleaf-oak & oak-hickory

woodland/savannahs

•  Bobwhite quail

•  Prairie warbler

•  Riparian Forests •  Bottomland hardwoods, hemlock

•  Rivers and streams

•  Index of biological integrity (IBI)

•  Fish, amphibians, mussels

Scorecard:  Forestland  Stewards  Initiative  

Initiative Duration: 2013-2017 (yr 2 of 5)

Northern  Bobwhite  (Colinus  virginianus) Target:  Increase  popula1on  by  1,200  –  1,500  coveys   Bachman’s  Sparrow  (Aimophila  aes2valis) Target:  Increase  regional  popula1ons  by  3,100-­‐3,800  pairs   Red-­‐cockaded  Woodpecker  (Picoides  borealis) Target:  Increase  regional  popula1ons  by  65-­‐80  groups   Prairie  Warbler  (Dendroica  discolor) Target:  Increase  popula1on  by  8,000-­‐10,000  pairs   Other  Conserva1on  Outcomes: Index  of  biological  integrity  (IBI) Target:  Improved  or  maintained  score  in  75%  of  stream  segments  where  strategies  are  implemented     Mature  Longleaf  Pine  Habitat Target:  Increase  mature  longleaf  pine  by  48,000-­‐58,000  acres

Targeted  Outcomes  for  Species  (Long-­‐Term  15  years):

Initiative Investment: Partner Funding - $10.125 Million Match Funding - $20.250 Million Total: $30.375 Million

$3.69  million  

$7.09  million  

Acres  of  longleaf,  shortleaf  and  boOomland  hardwood  forest  enhanced

Miles  of  stream  under  improved  management

Habitat Enhancement & Incentives:

187,000

1,000

98,370  acres  

16  miles    

Acres  of  longleaf,  shortleaf,  &  riparian  forest  restored

16,000 Habitat Restoration: 9,200  acres  

Private  landowners  reached  through  technical  assistance

Capacity & Outreach: 3,000 2,610  landowners  

Initiative Strategies: Conservation Output Goals (Short-Term 5 years)

Acres  of  longleaf,  shortleaf,  &  riparian  forest  under  long-­‐term  easement.    

14,500 Habitat Conservation: 0  acres  

Groups  of  red-­‐cockaded  woodpeckers  translocated

Species-Specific Strategies: 35 0  groups  

Planning, Research & Monitoring: TBD

Fund  stream  barrier  surveys  in  order  to  determine  prioriWes  for  future  connecWvity  restoraWon

0  surveys  

Program Coverage:

REGIONAL BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS

Ø  More in-depth look at business plan by region

Ø  Where do we go from here?

Ø  How can we help you?

Prairie warbler | Credit: USFWS