The Cooperative Conservation Blueprint in Florida Thursday/1... · The Cooperative Conservation Blueprint in Florida ... Regional Pilot Study Areas ... –Incentivize private investment

Thomas H. Eason

December 13, 2012

The Cooperative Conservation

Blueprint in Florida

Linking landscape priorities with

incentive-based approaches to

conservation

Why does it

matter?

Florida Population Forecast

2060 2005

17.9 Million

35.8 Million

Current Situation

Developed Land

Conservation Lands

Permanently Protected

2060 Projection

Developed Land

Conservation Lands

Permanently Protected

Additional Land Converted to

Urban Development 2005-2060

Native Habitat

2.7 Million

Agriculture

2.7 Million

Other

1.5 Million

Total: 7 Million Acres

Habitat loss

2.3 million acres of black bear habitat

2.1 million acres of wild turkey habitat

700,000 acres of gopher tortoise habitat

How important are fish and wildlife species to you?

The future is up to us

Wildlife 2060: what’s at stake for Florida?

Get Involved Now!

Landscape

Modeling-

CLIP

Critical Lands & Waters

Identification Project (CLIP)

Derived from and updates

existing data sources

Prioritizes biodiversity,

landscapes, water

Multi-agency technical

advisory group

Biodiversity Surface WaterLandscape Ground Water

Combined Model

Strategic Habitat

Conservation Areas

Under-Protected

Natural Communities

Biodiversity

Hotspots

Rare Species Habitat

Conservation Priorities

Landscape Integrity

Florida Ecological

Greenways Network

Intermediate Aquifer

Vulnerability

Shoreline

Complexity IndexSurficial Aquifer

Vulnerability

Hard Bottom/

Coral Habitat

Floridan Aquifer

Vulnerability

Seagrass Habitat

Significant

Surface Waters

Natural Floodplain

Wetlands

MarineBiodiversityBiodiversity Surface WaterSurface WaterLandscapeLandscape Ground WaterGround Water

Combined Model

Strategic Habitat

Conservation Areas

Under-Protected

Natural Communities

Biodiversity

Hotspots

Rare Species Habitat

Conservation Priorities

Landscape Integrity

Florida Ecological

Greenways Network

Intermediate Aquifer

Vulnerability

Shoreline

Complexity IndexSurficial Aquifer

Vulnerability

Hard Bottom/

Coral Habitat

Floridan Aquifer

Vulnerability

Seagrass Habitat

Significant

Surface Waters

Natural Floodplain

Wetlands

Marine

CLIP Data Structure

Consensus

All CLIP

Priorities

Landscape

Planning-

CCB

Cooperative Conservation Blueprint

CLIP is the first step

Expert science product

A unified GIS application

Decision support tool

Blueprint

Builds on CLIP

Cross links with social and economic priorities

Creates a consensus GIS overlay and policies to implement

CCB Organizational Structure

CCB Steering Committee

CCB Core Team

Water Incentives

Working Group

Land Incentives

Working Group

Carbon Incentives

Working Group

Interagency

Coordination Team

CLIP Technical

Advisory Group

Florida Forever

Advisory Council

Consensus

Priority

1 & 2

Land

– Safe Haven Master Strategy (Lg. landholdings)

– Conservation Development (Sm. landholdings)

Water

– Self Supply Water Security & Resource Restoration

Partnerships

– Hydrologic Restoration of Natural Systems

Carbon Markets

– Carbon Offset Program

– Inventorying Carbon Credits

Incentive Ideas

1 & 2

Priorities

Overlay

Agriculture

and

Silviculture

Regional

Pilot Study

Blueprint-

Regional

Pilot

Southwest

CCB Priority

Connections

“Arrow Map”

CCB- Gopher Tortoise PES

Where from

Here?

CCB- Closing thoughts

A Bold vision of Florida’s future

If we can envision our future we can create that future

It’s a quilt, not a blanket

Focus on people

FLORIDA 2060 A Research Project of 1000 Friends of Florida

Florida 2060

Trend analysis of urban development

Results of incremental decisions

Question of legacy leadership

Prepared by:

GeoPlan Center of UF and

CQG&RD at Georgia Tech

Assumptions

1. Moderate Population Growth

(BEBR trend line)

2. New population consumes land at same

density as existing development, by County

3. New population distributed geographically

based on land suitability (existing urban,

roadways, water, coastline, wetlands)

Statewide Land Use Allocation

(millions of acres)

2060 2005

Agriculture, Other

Undeveloped Lands

19.5

Urban

Development

6.0

Urban

Development

13.0

Water

2.0

Water

2.0

Permanently

Protected

Conservation

10.8

Permanently

Protected

Conservation

10.8 Agriculture, Other

Undeveloped Lands

12.5

Total: 38.3 Million Acres

Reserve Network for Florida

Core Preserves

Buffer Zones and Corridors

Source: Noss & Cooperrider 1994

Wildlife 2060: What’s at stake for Florida?

What future do we want?

Florida now

Possible Florida

in 2060

Issues to consider

Habitat loss

Habitat isolation

Coastal challenges

Water quality and quantity

Wildlife/Human interactions

Access to land and water

Habitat isolation

Now 2060

How do you burn when you are surrounded by a sea of development?

Coastal challenges

What happens to our coasts if sea level rises?

Height above sea level

Current Core Data Layers

Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas FWC

Biodiversity Hotspots FWC

Rare Species Habitat Conservation Priorities FNAI

Under-Protected Natural Communities FNAI

Ecological Greenways UF / OGT

Significant Surface Waters FNAI / DEP

Natural Floodplain FNAI / DEP

Wetlands FNAI / NWI

Aquifer Recharge FGS / FNAI

Additional Data (Potential Core Layers

and Overlays)

Landscape Integrity UF

Estuarine Shoreline Complexity FWRI

Seagrass Beds and Hardbottom/Coral FWRI

Impaired Water Basins DEP

CBRA Coastal Barrier Resources USFWS/FEMA

Developments of Regional Impact DCA

Population/Development Projections UF

Agricultural/Silvicultural Lands WMDs

Future Transportation Corridors FDOT

Biodiversity Surface WaterLandscape Ground Water

Combined Model

Strategic Habitat

Conservation Areas

Under-Protected

Natural Communities

Biodiversity

Hotspots

Rare Species Habitat

Conservation Priorities

Landscape Integrity

Florida Ecological

Greenways Network

Intermediate Aquifer

Vulnerability

Shoreline

Complexity IndexSurficial Aquifer

Vulnerability

Hard Bottom/

Coral Habitat

Floridan Aquifer

Vulnerability

Seagrass Habitat

Significant

Surface Waters

Natural Floodplain

Wetlands

MarineBiodiversityBiodiversity Surface WaterSurface WaterLandscapeLandscape Ground WaterGround Water

Combined Model

Strategic Habitat

Conservation Areas

Under-Protected

Natural Communities

Biodiversity

Hotspots

Rare Species Habitat

Conservation Priorities

Landscape Integrity

Florida Ecological

Greenways Network

Intermediate Aquifer

Vulnerability

Shoreline

Complexity IndexSurficial Aquifer

Vulnerability

Hard Bottom/

Coral Habitat

Floridan Aquifer

Vulnerability

Seagrass Habitat

Significant

Surface Waters

Natural Floodplain

Wetlands

Marine

CLIP Data Structure

All species with SHCA (1994)

17 species identified with habitat threats in ‘Habitat Conservation Needs of Rare and Imperiled Wildlife in Florida’

Species with recent habitat threats or subject to proposals for change in listing status.

62 species selected

– 14 amphibians and reptiles

– 32 birds (8 species wading birds – as a group)

– 16 mammals

SHCA - Species Selection

SHCA – Project Flow

Landscape

DataField

Studies Experiments

GIS

Layers

Demographic

Data

Population

Model

Metapopulation

Model

Habitat Suitability

Map

Patch

Map+

Risk Assessment

Landscape

DataField

Studies Experiments

GIS

Layers

Demographic

Data

Population

Model

Metapopulation

Model

Habitat Suitability

Map

Patch

Map+

Risk Assessment

Potential habitat mapping

Population Viability Analysis

(PVA)

Strategic

Habitat

Conservation

Areas

Map

Biodiversity

Category

Priorities

Surface

Water

Priorities

Landscape

Category

Priorities

Florida’s Wildlife Action Plan

Statewide Actions

Develop incentive-based

programs

Acquire important lands and

waters

Coordinate conservation

efforts

Educate the public

Cooperative Conservation

Blueprint

How is the Blueprint Different?

1) Unified GIS layers of priority conservation areas,

working landscapes, and development areas

2) Online application to make GIS layers available to

all Floridians

3) Package of incentives and policies needed to

implement the land use priorities statewide

A process to build common land use priorities with three main components:

ArcIMS I

complete

ArcIMS

update

Brief key legislators,

Governor and agencies

Go to legislature

Blueprint Development Process

Outreach to 2-4

legislative chairs

2008

February

March

April

May

June

July

*August

September

October

November

December

January

2009

Technical ArcIMS Incentives Coalition

Outreach

CLIP complete

Blueprint overlay

draft due

1:1 outreach

3-5 Draft incentives

Materials

complete

1:1 outreach

50 supporting organizations

* Benchmark – Decide to move forward or not to the Governor and Legislature

Blueprint complete ArcIMS update Incentives detail complete Partners confirmed

Blueprint Outreach and Partnering

Core Team

3 Incentive Working Groups

Internet Delivery

Steering Committee

GIS Technical Group

Stakeholder Outreach

Blueprint Steering Committee

University of Florida - Tom Hoctor

Florida Natural Areas Inventory - Gary Knight

Defenders of Wildlife - Laurie Macdonald

Century Commission - Steve Seibert

FWC - Thomas Eason

Evans Properties - Ron Edwards

Family Lands Remembered - Ernie Cox

WilsonMiller - Georgianne Ratliff

Florida Chamber of Commerce –Tony Carvahal

The Nature Conservancy – Doria Gordon

Trust for Public Lands – Andy McCloud

Florida Division of Forestry – Steve Bohl

Blueprint Partnering

Century Commission

Collins Center for Public Policy

Defenders of Wildlife

Florida Natural Areas Inventory

Florida State University, FREAC

FWC

UF GeoPlan Center

Wildlife Foundation of Florida

CLIP Blueprint

Complete, maintain, and update the Critical Lands &

Waters Identification Project

Create a draft Blueprint overlay with outreach to

State’s largest landowners (FL Land Council, etc.)

Landowner representatives (Farm Bureau, FL Forestry…)

Land use agencies (FDEP, FDOT, FDOF, DCA, WMDs)

Counties and Regional Planning Councils

Cooperative Conservation Blueprint

A consensus starting point

for building our future

A unified vision for

Florida’s natural

landscape

Incentives and policies

to achieve it

Internet availability to

use it

1 & 2

Priorities

Overlay

2060 Growth

Projection

1 & 2

Priorities

FDOT

Projects

1 & 2

Priorities

Sea Level

Rise

Regional Pilot Study Areas Southwest

Christine Small

Build on Babcock Ranch

Connectivity work

Heartland

Mary Oakley

Partner with Heartland

2060 effort

Upper Kissimmee Basin

Kim Love

Focus on water

Regional Pilot Study Areas Southwest

Christine Small

Build on Babcock Ranch

Connectivity work

Heartland

Mary Oakley

Partner with Heartland

2060 effort

Upper Kissimmee Basin

Kim Love

Focus on water

Regional Pilot Study Areas Southwest

Christine Small

Build on Babcock Ranch

Connectivity work

Heartland

Mary Oakley

Partner with Heartland

2060 effort

Upper Kissimmee Basin

Kim Love

Focus on water

CCB -

Regional

Pilot

Study

Areas

Combined

64

Dynamic Gap Analysis (Schematic only)

– Sea Level Dynamics

– Habitat Displacement

– Strategic Habitat for the future (???)

Areas for strategic Habitat DOI-Conservation Areas New Conservation Efforts

Continue to Update Models

FL Wildlife Corridor

Gopher Tortoise Payment for Ecosystem Services

Create new regional efforts across state

House within Wildlife Action Plan and Florida LCC

Build into Southeast blueprint work

Expand & Use with Other Efforts

Keys to Success

Open, transparent process

Full understanding and buy-in

Strong partnerships

Best available GIS modeling

Incentives and policies to allow use

Capturing current alignment of interest and need

SHCA Map

Congruency

Cooperative Conservation Blueprint

A Bold vision of Florida’s future

If we can envision our future we can create that future

Critical Lands & Waters

Identification Project (CLIP)

Derived from and updates

existing data sources

Prioritizes biodiversity,

landscapes, water

Multi-agency technical

advisory group

Landowner Assistance Program

Focusing

Landowner

Assistance

Using Priority

Habitat Focal

Areas

Threats to Freshwater Habitats

Mapping threats to

Florida’s Freshwater

Habitats by

Subwatersheds

Greater

Everglades

Refuge

Planning

Areas

Blueprint Incentives – 2 Tracks

1. Guide to Current Incentives, Evaluate Programs

2. Land, Water and Carbon Markets Working Groups

6 conceptual ideas (Aug. ‘08)

Test and develop ideas with a broad audience (Oct.–Jan ’08)

Complete testing and development (May ‘09)

Go to the legislature (Mar. 2010)

Incentive Ideas - Land

A Safe Haven Master Strategy (Lg. landholdings)

– Parcel evaluation and planning with “time-out” on

new land use, permit and regulations

– Landowner “time-out” no increase density and land

use intensity proposals

Conservation Development (Sm. landholdings)

– Identify the areas protected and how, and areas to

be developed and how

Incentive Ideas - Water

Self Supply Water Security & Resource

Restoration Partnerships

– Long-term water permit for existing permitted

quantities

– Eligible for regional resource restoration

partnerships with other water users

Hydrologic Restoration of Natural Systems

– Incentivize private investment for the restoration

of hydrologic restoration target areas

Carbon Offset Program

– Establish unlimited carbon offset program as an

integral part of a cap-and-trade program

Inventorying Carbon Credits

– Establish accounting of carbon credits to enable

private landowners to benefit financially from

emerging carbon markets

Incentive Ideas – Carbon Markets

Online Application

CLIP & Blueprint available to use

CLIP v2.0 update completed

Display draft Blueprint overlay

Phases

– Viewing and understanding

– Review and comment

– Use and analysis

Partners, partners,

partners!

Landscape scale

Focal species / issues

Modern challenges

require multi-

organizational approach

Build on existing efforts

Closing Thoughts