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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. |
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Wyoming Great Divide Project
The Wyoming
Great Divide Conservation Area Design
Mission: To protect and restore
biodiversity and ecological integrity throughout the Great Divide
Region of northeast Utah, southeast Idaho, southwest Wyoming
and northwest Colorado.
Goals:
1.) Protect enough habitat, in a connected configuration,
to ensure viable populations of native plants and animals
2.) Plan for land management at regional scales, and over
a period of centuries, so as to provide ecosystem resilience,
and to ensure that species and ecosystems may continue to evolve.
3.) Allow for human use that is managed in deference to
ecosystem needs.
4.) Ensure strong support for the wildland network among
land management agencies, the local public, and other stakeholders,
to ensure that the Great Divide Conservation Plan is the basic
framework that guides future land management decisions.
The key objectives that apply to the above project goals:
...for Goal 1:
- Maintenance
of focal species populations and special element species and
communities via the protection of core reserves and important
landscape corridors
- Representation
of all major vegetation types in the region within the conservation
network
...for Goal 2:
- Core wildland
zones that are large enough to accommodate natural disturbance
regimes and a full complex of interacting species and communities
- An audience
(local public) that is educated on the importance of long term
conservation measures and initiatives
...for Goal 3:
- Specific management
recommendations that will guide: forest plan revisions, oil and
gas development proposals, habitat conservation plans, state
wildlife agency management plans, and various development proposals
in the region
- Carefully
defined management criteria for cores and corridors, that are
developed in conjunction with private land owners and public
land managers
...for Goal 4:
- The development
and implementation of a larger campaign for the Great Divide
Region, of which the WND and conservation plan is a tool
- Presentation
of our products, especially our initial ones, to our conservation
partners.
CERI's role
has been to develop a map of core habitat and least cost paths
between them in conjunction with Round River and American Wildlands.
The first such map was based upon habitat suitability for grizzly
bears. Three versions were run.
1. A conservative version based upon stringent habitat
requirements for grizzlies. This is the most objective version
based upon the qualities of good grizzly habitat in other areas
and reflects areas that could be used only by very sensitive
species such as grizzly and wolverine.
 
Click here for full image
2. A broader definition
of habitat: this version reflects cores and corridors for a broader
group of forest-using wildlife such as elk, mountain lions, and
black bears, which are sensitive to human disturbance, but will
tolerate more than grizzlies and wolverine.
Click here for full image
3. A very broad definition
of habitat (more human disturbance): this version identifies
a much larger number of core habitats, and many more potential
corridors, and reflects areas that could be used by human-adapted
species such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, and in many cases
elk and mountain lions.
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Craighead
Environmental Research Institute