U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Strategic Habitat Conservation The USFWS Framework for Landscape Conservation

Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) is an adaptive management framework that informs decisions about where and how to expend resources for wildlife species, or groups of species, in identified priority areas or regions with particular biological importance—often referred to as landscapes. SHC is the Service’s name for a conservation approach used by many states and partners.

Learning by Doing Adaptive resource management is essentially “learning by doing.” It allows partnerships of managers, scientists, and other stakeholders to actively test theories and make adjustments based on new information. SHC is a form of adaptive management driven by conservation priorities and population objectives. It is an ongoing process of biological planning with measurable outcomes; conservation design that integrates biological objectives for USFWS different wildlife species, management ƒƒ Land conversion (urban sprawl, provides a framework within which practices, and ecological functions; energy development, agricultural scientists and managers can factor in conservation delivery on the ground— uses) the anticipated impacts of actual and something the Service does as well as any projected changes in climate. Using organization; decision-based monitoring ƒƒ Deteriorating environmental this approach, resource managers and that emphasizes evaluation and conditions faced by many wildlife partners can strategically connect the appropriate decision making throughout species. most important wildlife and aquatic the process; and finally, assumption- habitats. Habitat fragmentation, the driven research grounded in the best ƒƒ Increased public demands for need for migration corridors, changes in science available. transparency and accountability. ecosystem response, intensified wildfires, droughts and storms can be addressed Ultimately, SHC allows the Service ƒƒ A shift to sustaining species, through this framework. to better assess risk and work more populations, communities and effectively across landscapes with systems rather than managing Measuring Success partners such as U.S. Geological Survey, individual resource components. The SHC framework is being applied State and Tribal wildlife agencies, successfully in many parts of the United conservation organizations, landowners ƒƒ A shift to more science-intensive States, such as the Lower Mississippi and others who have an understanding of approaches to planning. Valley and Prairie Pothole Region and and interest in the issues. is expanding to many more geographic ƒƒ Increased public demands for areas: Responding to Change interagency collaboration. SHC is a response to large-scale changes ƒƒ Recognizing the king rail as a that affect the way in which the Service Additionally, climate change magnifies priority species, the Eastern North and its partners carry out wildlife and resource management challenges Carolina/Southeastern Virginia natural resource conservation, including: involving habitat fragmentation, SHC team is working with North urbanization, invasive species, disease, Carolina State University to parasites and water management. SHC establish population objective models through the USGS Science Support The ultimate success of landscape Partnership. Working across two conservation depends on the imagination This strategic regions, this data will be used to find and innovative spirit of our employees gaps in current knowledge, identify and partners. potential partners to help fill those approach to gaps and determine priority actions SHC is the Service’s most promising as part of the biological planning strategic tool to address a future filled conservation is and conservation design elements of with uncertainty for our trust species SHC. and habitats. In the face of global climate a living process change and changing and expanding ƒƒ In the Midwest, biologists in human uses of natural resources, SHC Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio are may well be the Service’s best hope that changes and viewing copperbelly water snake to ensure its historic legacy of wildlife recovery efforts through the SHC and natural resource conservation is evolves. lens, developing models to test not lost. It builds on population objectives, predict work the Service has occurrence and prioritize restoration accomplished for more Scientific Information Communication Tools activities. than a century by Wildlife Accomplishments Biological Planning Priority Species Progress toward Population Objectives leveraging the lessons Population Objectives Synthesis of Science ƒƒ In the plains of the West-Southwest, we have learned, the (models) the Playa Lakes Joint Venture data we have collected, Assumption-based followed the SHC framework to the relationships and Research conserve habitat for the lesser partnerships we have prairie-chicken and associated established, and the wildlife through strategic enrollment reputation we have

of land into Farm Bill conservation acquired as the nation’s Design Conservation programs such as the Conservation foremost delivery monitoring based Outcome Reserve Program. system for fish and wildlife conservation. Population Impacts Spatially-explicit Models ƒƒ Using the SHC framework as a In short, it helps ensure Conservation Delivery Habitat Objectives guide, the Service’s Alaska Region we’re doing “the right Priority Areas has created an Arctic Strategy Team conservation in the of multiple Service programs that right places” to benefit is working with state and federal America’s fish and wildlife resources. agencies, NGOs, and universities to design a strategy for responding to the impacts of climate change in the Arctic.

USFWS

USFWS U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov http://www.fws.gov/science/ StrategicHabitatConservation.html

October 2008 Omar Attum©