In the Greater Sierra Nevada Bioregion
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A GUIDE TO Wildlands Conservation in the Greater Sierra Nevada Bioregion © Claus Sivert A GUIDE TO Wildlands Conservation in the Greater Sierra Nevada Bioregion © Claus Sivert Prepared by: Fraser Shilling, Ph. D. Evan Girvetz Chris Erichsen Brenda Johnson, Ph. D. Peter C. Nichols February, 2002 California Wilderness Coalition 2655 Portage Bay East, Suite 5 Davis, California 95616 (530) 758-0380 www.calwild.org ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Project Steering Committee Janet Cobb, California Oak Foundation and Yosemite Regional Conservation Trust Barbara Dugelby, Ph.D., The Wildlands Project Robert Johnston, University of California, Davis Jim Quinn, Ph.D., University of California, Davis Fraser Shilling, Ph.D., University of California, Davis Michael Soulé, Ph.D., The Wildlands Project Wildlands Planning Team Christen Erichsen, California Wilderness Coalition Evan Girvetz, University of California, Davis Brenda Johnson, Ph.D., California Department of Fish and Game Alison Sterling Nichols, California Wilderness Coalition Peter C. Nichols, California Wilderness Coalition Fraser Shilling, Ph.D., University of California, Davis Acknowledgments This document would not be possible without the generous financial support of the Columbia Foundation and the Foundation for Deep Ecology. Many knowledgeable individuals helped refine and prepare this conservation vision by providing reviews, data, GIS coverages, and their expertise. The California Wilderness Coalition and planning team extend great thanks to Laurel Ames, Reginald Barrett, Eric Beckwitt, Steve Benner, Scott Hoffman-Black, Sam Blankenship, Vern Bleich, Gordon Gould, Sue Britting, John Buckley, Carlos Carroll, Janet Cobb, Kathy Daly, Barbara Dugelby, Jon Fischer, Steve Greco, Bill Haskins, Pat Huber, Rich Hunter, Mark Jennings, Bob Johnston, Walt Koenig, Levi Lewis, Eric Loft, Dan Macon, Peter Moyle, Jim Quinn, Ron Schlorff, Michael Soulé, Jim Strittholt, Craig Thomas, Jim Thorne, Steve Torres, Rick Truex, Jon Wehausen, and anonymous peer reviewers. About the California Wilderness Coalition California Wilderness Coalition works to defend the pristine landscapes that make California unique, provide a home to our wildlife, and preserve a place for spiritual renewal. We protect wilderness for its own sake, for ourselves, and for generations yet to come. We identify and protect the habitat necessary for the long-term survival of California’s plants and animals. And through our hard-hitting advocacy and public education, we enlist the support of citizens and policy-makers in our efforts to protect California’s wildlands. For more information, contact: Alison Sterling Nichols, [email protected] Pete Nichols, [email protected] P. O. Box 342, Grass Valley, CA 95945, (530) 271-5951 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1. Sierra Nevada Overview ................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Ecoregion profiles .................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Biodiversity .......................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Land use .............................................................................................................................. 14 2. Ecological Threats ..................................................................................................................... 19 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 21 2.2 Habitat fragmentation ......................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Species loss........................................................................................................................... 27 2.4 Suppressed wildfire cycles..................................................................................................... 31 2.5 Dammed wild rivers and creeks ........................................................................................... 31 2.6 Invasive plants and animals ..................................................................................................31 2.7 Human population growth .................................................................................................. 32 2.8 Lack of evenly distributed protected areas ............................................................................ 32 3. Wildlands Conservation Planning ............................................................................................. 35 3.1 What is a Wildlands Conservation Plan? .............................................................................. 37 3.2 Wildlands planning in the Sierra Nevada ............................................................................. 39 3.3 Elements of a Wildlands Conservation Plan ......................................................................... 40 4. Wildlands Conservation Plan....................................................................................................... 47 4.1 Introduction to planning methodology ................................................................................ 49 4.2 Goals for regional conservation ............................................................................................ 50 4.3 Planning objectives .............................................................................................................. 50 4.4 Assumptions and limitations ................................................................................................ 50 4.5 The precautionary principle ................................................................................................. 51 4.6 Important terminology ........................................................................................................51 4.7 Selection of focal species ...................................................................................................... 51 4.8 Conservation targets ............................................................................................................ 55 4.9 Data sources ........................................................................................................................ 57 4.10 Assessment of Wildland Integrity....................................................................................... 58 4.11 Identification of Wildland Conservation Areas .................................................................. 64 4.12 Identification of Wildland Linkages ................................................................................... 66 4.13 Comparative representation analysis .................................................................................. 66 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 5. Results and Discussion................................................................................................................. 69 5.1 Wildland Conservation Areas .............................................................................................. 71 5.2 Wildland Linkages ............................................................................................................... 81 5.3 Stewardship Zones ............................................................................................................... 81 5.4 Threatened Wildlands.......................................................................................................... 82 6. Guidelines for Site Conservation Planning .................................................................................. 88 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 89 6.2 Background ......................................................................................................................... 89 6.3 The site planning process ..................................................................................................... 91 7. Conservation and Management Guidelines ................................................................................. 97 7.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 99 7.2 Regional guidelines ............................................................................................................ 101 7.3 Guidelines for Cascade and Modoc study area ................................................................... 103 7.4 Guidelines for north Sierra study area ................................................................................ 111 7.5 Guidelines for south Sierra study area ................................................................................ 124 7.6 Guidelines for east Sierra study area ................................................................................... 132 7.7 Guidelines for focal species management ..........................................................................