Conservation Area Design
Conservation Biology & Genetics
Conservation GIS
Conservation Education
About Us
Links
Join Us
The
mission of
the Institute is to increase humankind's understanding, appreciation,
and protection of our natural environment; particularly wildlife
populations and wild landscapes. Our goal is to enable human
beings to live in harmony with other species. |
|
Transboundary Conservation
Area Design
CERI is involved with 5 interrelated
Conservation Area Designs on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia
and Southeast  Alaska.
These began as separate projects but have converged into 3 complementary
CADs. Initially, Round River Conservation Studies developed a
CAD for (1) the Central Coast of British
Columbia: CERI was involved in review of the CAD and conducted
site visits in conjunction with Round River and the Raincoast Conservation Society. Recently,
Round River completed a (2) CAD for the North
Coast of British Columbia along with a refinement of the
Central Coast CAD. CERI has been involved in review, model inputs,
and site visits. The methodology used for the Central and North
Coasts will be applied, and refined, for the (3) Transboundary
Watershed CAD which will complete a Conservation Area Design
for the coast [areas outlined in red, magenta, and yellow] based
upon grizzly bear habitat, salmon, and old growth forest as the
primary data layers. At the same time, The Nature Conservancy
and Nature Conservancy Canada are conducting (4) the Ecoregional
Plan for the Coastal Forests and
Mountains Ecoregion which is outlined in blue on the map.
This Plan will incorporate three approaches: representational
analysis, focal species analysis, and special elements analysis,
and should be complementary to the Round River CAD. Comparison
and contrast of the two approaches will teach us about the relative
strengths and weaknesses of each approach, especially in relation
to designing conservation areas on this vast scale with limited
data resources. On a finer scale, Round River is completing a
(5) Conservation Area Design for the Taku
River drainage. This is a more detailed CAD incorporating high
resolution wildlife habitat models, traditional ecological knowledge,
and extensive field work. CERI is assisting with model development,
field work, and CAD review. The Taku River CAD will map one of
the key core habitat areas for the Transboundary CAD.
Transboundary
Conservation Area Design for Southeast Alaska and adjacent Canada.
 In
partnership with Round River Conservation Studies and regional
conservationists and scientists, CERI began work in 2000 to complete
a regional Conservation Area Design for the major watersheds
of the greater Transboundary area - from Prince Rupert B.C. to
the Tatshenshini River. This regional design employs the principles
of conservation biology, and is complementary to designs being
developed for other coastal and interior regions. As discussed
in the preceding section, bear and other species populations
are contiguous along the coast in both B.C. and Alaska, and what
began as two separate projects has now been combined into one
overall Coastal conservation design and protection strategy.
The great rivers that cut through the Coastal Mountains begin
deep in the interior of British Columbia, and so the Transboundary
Watershed project includes a larger area than the Coastal Forests
project. The resulting Transboundary conservation design is identifying
core areas that are critical to protect the resident grizzly
and black bear populations, ecological viability of the region,
connective areas necessary to link the core areas, and buffer
areas surrounding the core and connective areas.
CERI is assisting in conservation strategies involving local
partners for each major watershed within the regional design
for the Transboundary area. Conservation strategies are based
upon the unique biological characteristics of each watershed,
and plans for each watershed are being combined into a final
overall conservation areas design. A strategy for the Taku
River region is nearing completion, and work on the Stikine
River drainage has begun. During 2002 strategies for the Whiting
And Unuk Rivers will begin. Recommendations within the strategy
identify significant ecological sensitivities and appropriate
economic activities within each level of the conservation design
(i.e. core, corridor, buffer areas). A major goal of the conservation
strategy is to provide ecological information, as appropriate,
to conservation and land management organizations.
CERI has been involved in initial study design, input into planning
processes, and field work in the Taku River watershed in British
Columbia.
|
Craighead
Environmental Research Institute