I L L I N 0 I S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. Illinois Natural History Survey Development and Expansion of the Natural Resource Data and Information Systems in Support of the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (Project: T-02-P-001-Final) Project Completion Report 2006 Jeff Walk, Chris Phillips, Leon Hinz, Tari Tweddale, Diane Szafoni, Liane Cordle, Ann Holtrop, Leslie Bol, Pat Brown, Ed Heske, David Thomas, and John Epifanio Submitted to Illinois Department of Natural Resources One Natural Resources Way Springfield, Illinois 62702 Illinois Natural History Survey 1816 South Oak Street Champaign, Illinois 61820 November 2006 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY S U RVEYI Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 06/05 Development and Expansion of the Natural Resource Data and Information Systems in Support of the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan Final Project Completion Report 2006 Project: T-02-P-001 1 February 2003 to 30 September 2006 Jeff Walk, Chris Phillips, Leon Hinz, Tari Tweddale, Diane Szafoni, Liane Cordle, Ann Holtrop, Leslie Bol, Pat Brown, Ed Heske, David Thomas, and John Epifanio Illinois Natural History Survey Center for Aquatic Ecology and Conservation 607 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820 November 2006 Dr. John pi nik, Dr. David Thomas, Project Coordinator Chief Illinois Natural History Survey Illinois Natural History Survey ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 06/05 Project Report Contents Project I - Identification and ILLINOIS Selection of Conservation Elements NATURAL HISTORY Project 2 - Distribution and Abundance of Conservation SURVEY Elements INHS Tech. Report 06105 Project 3 - Identification of Detrimental Factors Project 4 - Development of Conservation Opportunity Areas and Landscapes Development & Project 5 - Involvement of Conservation Partners, Agencies & Expansion of the the Public in Developing, Natural Resource Implementing, & Evaluating the Plan Data & Information Systems in Support of the Illinois Comprehensive Project 6 - Implementation, Wildlife Evaluation and Review Strategy Conservation Plan (Project: T-02-P-001-Final) Project 7 - Report Development Appended Materials Development and Expansion of the Natural Resource Data and Information Systems in Support of the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (Project: T - 02 - P - 001 - Final) The Illinois landscape has changed dramatically since the time of European settlement with natural lands being manipulated and developed. Illinois has lost over 90% of its original wetlands, 99.9% of its original prairie, and currently has 424 state and 24 federally listed threatened and endangered species within it's boundaries. The mission of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Office of Resource Conservation, is to protect, conserve and manage these natural resources. Protection, conservation and management is on-going, but implementation has been traditionally multi-focused. The purpose of this proposal is to develop a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan for Illinois. Illinois has been involved with several large-scale landscape management efforts (e.g., Conservation 2000 Ecosystem Program (Interagency Pilot Watershed Program), the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and the Illinois Rivers Restoration Effort) as well as more geographically focused efforts to document and describe our resources (e.g., Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Resource Rich Areas, Important Bird Areas). With the diversity of conservation goals and programs being implemented by the Office of Resource Conservation, it has become increasingly more difficult for field staff to distinguish IDNR priorities, efficiently direct funding and manpower to address priorities, and effectively evaluate the success of their efforts. The creation of a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan will establish a single plan for the IDNR to use in the selection of projects and distribution of services. Such a plan will foster better communication throughout the Department, especially within the Office of Resource Conservation, which is responsible for working with the native flora and fauna of Illinois. The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan will address all species of wildlife, with a special focus on species with the greatest conservation need. It will include management and stewardship activities that will promote the preservation of wildlife species throughout all Department activities. To complete the development of the Illinois comprehensive plan, the IDNR initially approached the challenge from two directions. This proposal encompasses activities directly related to producing the plan and all aspects of data development, information systems, and other activities that support the development of the plan. Without this critical compilation of information, development of information management tools, GIS analysis, and transfer of programmatic knowledge (e.g. terrestrial GAP), the plan will be a weaker and less complete product. Elements of this proposal build upon the previous proposal T-03-P-001 and continue the development of these support mechanisms for the conservation plan through the following primary activities: Development of an Illinois Wildlife Habitat Conservation Plan State of Illinois Project Completion Report Project No.: T-02-P-001 1. Continued updating of Biotics 4: This is the information system containing all locational data and descriptive information on state and federally listed threatened and endangered species, natural areas, nature preserves and other high quality features. This data set will be a fundamental base layer of information supporting the development of the state wildlife plan. 2. Critical GIS data development: Four important data sources (Green Infrastructure, Natural Divisions, terrestrial GAP, and state Owned, Managed, and Leased Properties [OMLP]) will be either further developed, completed, or transferred to support the development of the state wildlife plan. 3. Continuation of the stream classification project: The state recognizes that the aquatic components and data infrastructure of the state wildlife plan is not as well supported or developed as the terrestrial side. Thus, these jobs will further develop the stream classification work and position the resulting information as a sound base layer and planning tool for the aquatic component of the state wildlife plan. 4. Analysis of technological requirements for plan/strategy implementation and evaluation: OBJECTIVES: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will create a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan for the identification, protection, and management of wildlife habitat throughoul Illinois as required by Congress. The objectives of this plan/strategy are to fulfill the required elements of such a plan/strategy: 1. information on the distribution and abundance of species of wildlife (any species of wild, free-ranging fauna including fish, and also fauna in captive breeding programs the object of which is to reintroduce individuals of a depleted indigenous species in a previously occupied range), including low and declining populations as the State fish and wildlife agency deems appropriate, that are indicative of the diversity and health of the State's wildlife; 2. descriptions of locations and relative condition of key habitats and community types essential to conservation of species identified in (1); 3. descriptions of problems which may adversely affect species identified in (1) or their habitats, and priority research and survey efforts needed to identify factors which may assist in restoration and improved conservation of these species and habitats; 4. descriptions of conservation actions proposed to conserve the identified species and habitats and priorities for implementing such actions; Development of an Illinois Wildlife Habitat Conservation Plan State of Illinois Project Completion Report Project No.: T-02-P-001 5. proposed plans for monitoring species identified in (1) and their habitats, for monitoring the effectiveness of the conservation actions proposed in (4), and for adapting these conservation actions to respond appropriately to new information or changing conditions; 6. descriptions of procedures to review the State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan at intervals not to exceed ten years; 7. plans for coordinating the development, implementation, review, and revision of the State comprehensive wildlife conservation plan with Federal, State, and local agencies and Indian tribes that manage significant land and water areas within the State or administer programs that significantly affect the conservation of identified species and habitats; and, 8. provide broad public participation with the development and implementation of the plan. Development of an Illinois Wildlife Habitat Conservation Plan State of Illinois Project Completion Report Project No.: T-02-P-001 Project Report Contents Project 1 - Identification and Selection of Conservation Elements Job 1 Identification and Selection of Conservation Elements Status: Job completed. INHS Project Leads: Jeff Walk, Liane Cordle, David Thomas, John Epifanio Electronic File Name: T-2-P1 Job 1.doc (Word format) Project 2 - Distribution and Abundance of Conservation Elements Job 2.1 Distribution and abundance of priority wildlife species Job 2.2 Distribution of Priority