Wisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan (2005-2015) IMPLEMENTATION: Priority Conservation Actions & Conservation Opportunity Areas Prepared by: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with Assistance from Conservation Partners, June 30th, 2008 06/19/2008 page 2 of 93 Wisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan (2005-2015) IMPLEMENTATION: Priority Conservation Actions & Conservation Opportunity Areas Acknowledgments Wisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan is a roadmap of conservation actions needed to ensure our wildlife and natural communities will be with us in the future. The original plan provides an immense volume of data useful to help guide conservation decisions. All of the individuals acknowledged for their work compiling the plan have a continuous appreciation from the state of Wisconsin for their commitment to SGCN. Implementing the conservation actions is a priority for the state of Wisconsin. To put forward a strategy for implementation, there was a need to develop a process for priority decision-making, narrowing the list of actions to a more manageable number, and identifying opportunity areas to best apply conservation actions. A subset of the Department’s ecologists and conservation scientists were assigned the task of developing the implementation strategy. Their dedicated commitment and tireless efforts for wildlife species and natural community conservation led this document. Principle Process Coordinators Tara Bergeson – Wildlife Action Plan Implementation Coordinator Dawn Hinebaugh – Data Coordinator Terrell Hyde – Assistant Zoologist (Prioritization Process Implementation Coordinator) Lead Scientist Randy Hoffman – State Natural Areas Ecologist Science Team Regional Ecologists Conservation Scientists Armund Bartz – West Central Region Ecologist Loren Ayers – Research Scientist Catherine Bleser – South Central Region Ecologist Drew Feldkirchner – Conservation Biologist Owen Boyle – Southeast Region Ecologist Christina Isenring – Assistant Ecologist Joseph Henry – Northeast Region Ecologist Rich Staffen – Assistant Zoologist Ryan Magana – Northern Region Ecologist James Woodford – Conservation Biologist Terrestrial Opportunity Areas Working Group Michele Allness – Environment Analysis and Review Specialist Jerry Bartelt – Wildlife and Forestry Research Section Chief Eric Epstein – Natural Heritage inventory Ecologist Vern Everson – Forest Resource Analyst Colleen Matula – Forest Ecologist Eunice Padley – Forest Ecologist Andy Paulios – WBCI Coordinator Jeff Schimpff - Environment Analysis and Review Specialist Andrew Stoltman – Science Data Services Specialist Aquatic Opportunity Areas Working Group Michele Allness – Environment Analysis and Review Specialist Jeff Bode – Wetlands Section Chief Paul Cunningham – Fisheries Ecologist Bob Dubois – Research Scientist Paul Garrison - Research Scientist Joanna Griffin – Fisheries Data Coordinator Cherie Hagen – Wetlands Team Leader Bob Hay – Herpetologist Lisie Kitchel – Freshwater Mussel Specialist John Lyons – Fish Research Scientist Bill Smith – Natural Heritage Inventory Zoologist The Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan Prioritization and Mapping Process was funded in part by The Conservation Fund, in partnership with The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. 06/19/2008 page 3 of 93 Wisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan (2005-2015) IMPLEMENTATION: Priority Conservation Actions & Conservation Opportunity Areas TABLE of CONTENTS Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................2 Wildlife Action Plan Background: ..................................................................................................8 Wildlife Action Plan Implementation Goals: ................................................................................................................8 Implementation: Priority Setting Process and Criteria ................................................................10 Wisconsin, the setting (adapted from the Wisconsin Land Legacy Report):...............................12 Wisconsin’s Ecological Conservation Role .................................................................................12 Significant Ecological Features for Wisconsin ............................................................................13 Globally Important Resources in Wisconsin .............................................................................................................13 Great Lakes and their Shorelines..........................................................................................................................13 Northern Highland Kettle Lakes and Pine Forest..................................................................................................13 Pine-Oak Barrens. ................................................................................................................................................14 Bur Oak Openings. ...............................................................................................................................................14 Niagara Escarpment. ............................................................................................................................................14 Continentally Important Resources in Wisconsin......................................................................................................14 Driftless Area Features. ........................................................................................................................................14 Large Blocks – Old Deciduous-Coniferous Forest (climate change resistant forest systems) ..............................15 Boreal Transition Forest........................................................................................................................................15 Kettle Moraine Features........................................................................................................................................15 Large River Corridors............................................................................................................................................16 Upper Midwest Regionally Important Resources in Wisconsin.................................................................................16 Glacial Lake Wisconsin.........................................................................................................................................16 Large Blocks of Predominately Older Northern Forest..........................................................................................16 Large Sedge Meadows, Fens and Prairies. ..........................................................................................................16 Caves and Abandoned mines...............................................................................................................................17 Medium-sized Rivers and Streams. ......................................................................................................................17 State Important Resources in Wisconsin..................................................................................................................17 Extensive Grassland Communities. ......................................................................................................................17 Working Northern Forest Communities.................................................................................................................17 Floodplain Forest Communities. ...........................................................................................................................17 High Quality Wetland Communities. .....................................................................................................................18 Diverse Aquatic Communities...............................................................................................................................18 Bedrock Communities...........................................................................................................................................18 Priority Conservation Actions Tied to Conservation Opportunity Areas......................................18 Global .......................................................................................................................................................................18 Great Lakes and their Shorelines..........................................................................................................................18 Northern Highland Kettle Lakes and Pine Forest..................................................................................................18 Pine-Oak Barrens .................................................................................................................................................19 Bur Oak Openings ................................................................................................................................................19 Niagara Escarpment. ............................................................................................................................................19 Continental ...............................................................................................................................................................20 Driftless Area Features .........................................................................................................................................20