Integrating Oceans into the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network lccnetwork.org
Legacy of Success The conservation community has successfully responded to major conservation challenges in the past: Overfishing Environmental Contaminants Depletion of Wetlands
Our Challenges Sea Level Rise Genetic isolation Invasive species Water scarcity Energy development Others… All compounded by a rapidly changing climate Temperature Change, ° C 1958-2008
Vision: Landscapes & Seascapes Capable of Sustaining Natural and Cultural Resources for Current and Future Generations 4
Involvement in the LCCs 270+ Agencies and Organizations All 50 state natural resource agencies States serve as Chairs (or Vice Chairs) on ~2/3 LCC Steering Committees All major federal resource management and conservation agencies FWS, BLM, BOR, NPS, USGS, BIA, BOEM USFS, NRCS, FSA, NOAA, EPA, USACE, DOE, DOD, TVA Tribes: 20+ individual and consolidated groups NGOs, Partnerships (JVs, FHPs), Academic: 40+ CSCs, RISAs, Climate Hubs
LCC Network 22 Individual LCCs -Steering Committee -Staff -Technical Committees LCC Network LCC Council -Coordination & Strategic Guidance Operations -Federal; State; Tribal; NGO; LCCs; -LCC Coordinators Team Major Partnerships; International -Science Team -Executive Committees -Work Groups -Staff
Identified the LCC Network as a forum “t o define, design, and deliver sustainable landscapes at a regional scale ” including the development of “landscape/seascape scale plans capable of sustaining fish, wildlife, and plants”
Strategic Goals A network of landscapes and seascapes adaptable to global change Facilitated alignment of partnership needs and resources Conservation of natural and cultural resources guided by collaborative application of science, experience, and cultural and traditional ecological knowledge Advance the knowledge of, support for, and engagement in landscape-scale conservation
LCC Network Strategic Plan Strategic Goals
LCC Network Science Plan Themes Climate Adaptation Socioeconomic and Cultural Values Conservation Planning Science Comms and Conservation Design Delivery Data Management, Monitoring Integration, and Sharing
LCC Coastal and Marine Examples
South Atlantic LCC Basics • Over 89 million acres (terrestrial, freshwater, marine) • 92% private land • 120% increase in urban area by 2050
Steering Committee NC Wildlife Resources US Fish & Wildlife Service Commission US Forest Service DOD SC Dept. of Natura VA Dept. of Resources Game & Inland The Nature Fisheries Conservancy USGS South Atlantic FL Fish & Fishery Wildlife CC Management Council National NOAA Park Service GA Dept. of NC Dept. of Cultural Natural EPA Resources Resources
South Atlantic LCC Mission : Create a shared blueprint for landscape conservation actions that sustain natural and cultural resources
Integrating existing plans TNC ecoregional plan • Atlantic Coast JV • PARCAs (herps) • NBCI (bobwhite quail) • EPA priority • watersheds VA Natural Lands plan • NC BWHA • FL CLIP • GA Priority Waters • AL SHUs •
Draft South Atlantic Blueprint 1.0 – http://salcc.databasin.org
Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy
Gulf of Mexico Upstream Issues • Nutrient overloading in watershed • Diminished water quality and habitats • Hypoxia in Gulf of Mexico • Long term efforts underway by Gulf Hypoxia team
22 LCCs -- 7 span the Mississippi Basin 1. Plains & Prairie Potholes LCC Rick Nelson 2. Upper Midwest & Great Lakes LCC John Rogner, Brad Potter 3. Eastern Tallgrass Prairie & Big Rivers LCC - Glen Salmon, Gwen White 4. Great Plains LCC – Nicole Athearn, James Broska 5. Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks LCC – Greg Wathen, Todd Jones-Farrand, John Tirpak 6. Appalachian LCC – Cal DuBrock, Jean Brennan 7. Gulf Coast Prairie LCC – Bill Bartush, Cynthia Edwards
What if we had a Mutually Reinforcing Plan of Action? Where is the highest value for aligning specific conservation actions of multiple programs? Map high priority agricultural conservation core areas and corridors in subwatersheds at the intersection of: - Species and habitat distribution - Nutrient export - Social capacity for implementation - Connectivity for climate adaptation
Gulf Hypoxia Goals • Identify key scientific uncertainties associated with design & management of a sustainable ecosystem/floodplain landscape • Identify priority watersheds by mapping the most cost-effective and receptive places for implementing practices with multiple benefits for agricultural productivity, water quality and wildlife conservation 22
Gulf of Mexico LCCs: Vulnerability Assessment Partners • NOAA, Gulf LCCs and Climate Science Centers, GoM Alliance, States Issue • How to protect & restore coastal habitats in the face of sea level rise and climate change?
Network Example: Gulf Vulnerability Assessment Goal: Enhance conservation and restoration planning by better understanding climate change, sea level rise and land use change Builds on existing Gulf of Mexico conservation initiatives
Ongoing case study The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative restoring the connectivity between the Great Lakes and their tributaries
Challenge identification Upper Midwest & Great Lakes LCC steering committee Issue – barrier removal vs. retention Challenge facing nearly all conservation organizations around the Great Lakes basin
Science Where are the barriers? 270,000+ potential barriers around the Great Lakes basin Barrier attributes – are they passable? Assign passability ratings – 3 categories Removing which barriers provides the most benefit? Optimization model
(Preliminary results) Basin-wide County-by-county 5x Credit: Tom Neeson, Michael Ferris, Jesse O’Hanley, Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley, Patrick Doran, Matt Diebel, & Peter McIntyre
Technology Great Lakes Information Management & Delivery system A place for the community to share and transfer information and knowledge and identify and track conservation actions toward the attainment of established conservation objectives. Credit: Scott Sowa, TNC & Paul Seelbach, USGS
Sea Level Rise Modeling for the Pacific Coast Outcome: Site-specific sea-level rise models for tidal marshes Provides high-quality local data, downscaled models, and projected storm effects for National Wildlife Refuge and NOAA National Estuarine Reserve managers
Sea Level Rise Modeling for the Pacific Coast Provide important baseline information and show decadal tidal marsh changes until 2110 Case Study 8 on-site workshops conducted with partners Priority resources and impacts identified Results to be incorporated into local and coast-wide planning and adaptation strategies
Western Alaska: Changes in Coastal Storms and their Impacts Partners • Western Alaska LCC, CSC, NOAA, Notre Dame Issues • Diminished sea ice buffer • Increased vulnerability • More frequent inundation “[This project] is a stellar example of how one project can catalyze others and multiply the LCC’s ability to assist this vulnerable region.” – Amy Holman, NOAA
Western Alaska LCC projects lead to advances beyond conservation Provide Emergency • Inventory projects; Forecasting refine understanding; fill data gaps Predict Habitat change • Improve ocean storm model & inundation maps • Forecast real-time threats to communities • Catalyze other related projects Graphic from Aimee Fish
Marine Protected Areas
Summary LCCs are creating forums to bring partners together to set shared conservation priorities across landscapes and seascapes and help fill science gaps critical to coastal and marine ecosystems
How to get involved/stay informed Sign up for LCC Network e-newsletter at lccnetwork.org Connect with LCC Coordinators and Science Coordinators in LCCs overlapping your MPA Participate in LCC Steering Committees to develop shared goals and priorities Talk to Brady Phillips, NOAA LCC Coordinator and to NOAA’s LCC Council representative Michael Weiss/Buck Sutter
Questions? lccnetwork.org Elsa_Haubold@fws.gov Photo from 703/358-1953
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