8th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium

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The 8th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, Congress for Wildlife and Livelihoods on Private and Communal Lands: Livestock, Tourism, and Spirit, was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado to encourage actions toward issues and opportunities involving private lands, their owners/operators, and cooperating public and private agencies, organizations, and businesses. These digital collections include plenary presentations, topical presentations on the nine symposium themes, Jed's Corner (attendee interviews with puppet Jedediah Johnston), a Blue Valley Ranch field trip video, the congress summary, and the final program and abstracts.

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Open Access
Biodiversity conservation on private and communal lands
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Sueltenfuss, Jeremy, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
How are we doing in conserving Colorado's Biodiversity? How much of it is left? Are there landscapes in Colorado where we still have the basic fabric intact to conserve entire systems? Are there hotspots where actions are more urgent than others? Are there species and places that we've successfully conserved through our actions? What role might private lands play in the big picture for conserving Colorado's biodiversity, now and in the future? What strategies are most likely to be effective given what remains? These are some of the many big questions that The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) have worked to answer collaboratively. Our efforts, which culminated in the publication of the State of Colorado's Biodiversity, began as a way to support TNC's Measures of Success Program, but we soon realized that answering these questions would benefit leaders, managers, decision makers, as well as the general public and the private landowners in whose hands so much of our sustainable future rests. With an emphasis on private lands, we will share the results of this work, examine how it is being implemented broadly to support conservation statewide, and how it is serving as a model for other such efforts.
Open Access
Critical ecosystem profile for the tropical Andes - engaging civil society to conserve a biodiversity hotspot
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Comer, Patrick, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The Tropical Andes is among the top of the list of worldwide hotspots for endemic species. This region also supports exceptional cultural diversity and large populations of indigenous peoples. Home to some of the earliest recorded human civilizations, the Andes are also where numerous crops, including potatoes, beans, quinoa, amaranth, tobacco, and coca were first domesticated. Indigenous populations today play important roles in economic activities, politics, and land use and stewardship, and therefore can be important allies in biodiversity conservation. This biodiversity hotspot is identified as one of the most severely threatened areas in the tropics. The numerous threats to the tropical Andes' biodiversity have been compounded in recent years by the manifold impacts of climate change. A Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) aims to ensure that civil society is engaged in efforts to conserve biodiversity in the hotspots, and to this end, CEPF provides civil society with an agile and flexible funding mechanism complementing funding currently available to government agencies. In 2013, CEPF began exploring an investment program in the Tropical Andes Hotspot, extending from Venezuela to northern Argentina. NatureServe led a team to delineate Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) areas in most critical need of protection to limit species extinction. Regional threats analyses and workshops were conducted, documenting strategies for civil society to pursue around each KBA. CEPF promotes working alliances among community-based organizations (CBOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government, academic institutions and the private sector, combining unique capacities and eliminating duplicative efforts for a comprehensive approach to conservation.
Open Access
Evaluating wetland condition in urban Denver
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Smith, Gabrielle, speaker; Kuhn, Bernadette, speaker; Smith, Pam, speaker; Sueltenfuss, Jeremy, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Denver's urban wetlands are poorly mapped, understudied as critical wildlife habitat, and perpetually subject to frequent anthropogenic disturbance. As Denver County continues to lead the state in population growth, current information on the location and status of these wetlands is needed for city planners, land managers, and the public to prioritize conservation and restoration efforts. Our team conducted field-based wetland assessments at 27 sites within Denver County, as well 4 several locations in Denver's Mountain Parks. We used NatureServe's Environmental Integrity Assessment framework, a multi-metric index based on four major scoring categories: landscape context, biotic condition, hydrologic condition, and physiochemical condition. In addition, we used 2010 color infrared imagery to create an updated National Wetland Inventory GIS layer of wetlands in Denver County. NWI maps have not been updated for the County since 1985. We used our results to create a list of prioritized wetlands for conservation and restoration. Despite the poor ecological condition of most sites, our team identified urban wetlands with high plant diversity, rare plant species, and even a rare amphibian occurrence. Our results suggest that although the majority of these wetlands are highly disturbed, they provide critical refuges for wildlife and plant diversity in an otherwise developed landscape.
Open Access
Linking sustainable forest management with habitat conservation for the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Han, Xuemei, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The critically endangered wild cat, Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), has experienced a serious shrinking of its range and a significant population decline during the past century in Northeastern China and Russian Far East. This study demonstrates a multi-disciplinary approach to conserve the Amur tiger habitat through sustainable forest management. The forests habitat was evaluated from a dynamic perspective. By applying multiple metrological silvicultural methods, innovative habitat mapping based on the remote sensed data, and the computer model, Landscape Management System, a design of sustainable forest management plan was suggested to keep a diversified stand structures is critical to conserve Amur tigers in Northeast China.
Open Access
Private lands for public access: the Sutter Buttes of California
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Anderson, Walt, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The Sutter Buttes, the only mountain range in California's Central Valley, rise from an intensely cultivated, highly altered landscape. Fences divide the land by property ownership, keeping livestock in and trespassers out. It was inevitable in urbanizing California that the general public would want to get beyond fences to hike, explore, and take photographs. Pressure for a state park mounted, creating a polarized division between private landowners and access-demanding public. Out of conflict arose innovation: a program of public access and interpretation was developed on one ranch property; later the author expanded the concept to about 40 properties in the range. Landowners were compensated for public access, allowing traditional uses (cattle and sheep ranching) to co-exist with hikes and workshops covering geology, natural and cultural history, and environmental education. At the same time, sensitive areas (e.g., eagle eyries, bat colonies) could be protected. From a private enterprise company (Sutter Buttes Naturalists) evolved the Middle Mountain Foundation, now the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust. Landowners and "outsiders" together are active in land management, conservation, and education issues, demonstrating that local communities can achieve desired goals without the need for government involvement. The evolving model met its founder's goals of achieving a "positive spirit of constructive collaboration"; new issues are dealt with as they arise. Non-destructive public use has led to economic development, conservation of natural resources, and changes in attitudes and cultural perceptions. Thousands are exposed to the model and landscape at an Oakland Museum exhibit.
Open Access
Protecting the Florida panther and panther habitat on private lands: conflicts and management
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Pienaar, Elizabeth F., speaker; Kreye, Melissa M., speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Although it is protected by the Endangered Species Act, both management and recovery of the Florida panther is contingent on habitat conservation on private lands as well as landowner support for panther conservation efforts. Conflict over cattle depredation by the Florida panther and mitigation for incidental take of the panther has contributed to the formation of the Florida Panther Recovery Implementation Team by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This Team consists of representatives of the USFWS, the National Park Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), environmental NGOs and private landowners, with a mandate to facilitate the recovery of the Florida panther, in part by addressing the human dimensions of panther recovery. One of the key challenges that agencies face is how to engage stakeholders (in particular landowners) in panther management, which is particularly difficult when there is a history of distrust between agencies and stakeholders. To assist in these efforts, I conducted interviews and focus group meetings with a variety of stakeholders to assess their opinions about human-panther conflict, options for managing the Florida panther on private lands, habitat conservation incentives, and the role of agencies in mitigating human-panther conflicts. I will present a synthesis of these discussions and I will highlight the key areas of contention and conflict between various stakeholder groups that must be addressed in order to attain panther recovery.
Open Access
Rare plant conservation initiative: saving Colorado's wildflowers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Panjabi, Susan Spackman, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative (RPCI) is a diverse partnership of public agencies, private organizations and academic institutions. The overall goal of the RPCI is to conserve Colorado's most imperiled native plants (122 plant species at significant risk of extinction) and their habitats through collaborative partnerships for the preservation of our natural heritage and the benefit of future generations. This partnership has produced a strategy for Colorado's imperiled plants and their habitats that represents a collective vision for plant conservation in Colorado, emphasizing a proactive approach to ensure the long-term stewardship and viability of Colorado's rarest plants. The strategy identifies six objectives for the next ten years: 1) secure on-the-ground, site-specific habitat protection, 2) minimize the impacts of specific land uses, 3) improve scientific understanding through inventory, research and monitoring, 4) develop and implement a state program and polices, 5) facilitate stewardship through education and outreach, and 6) adopt measures for off-site conservation. The implementation of this strategy is supporting a systematic and meaningful advance in plant conservation in Colorado, with the aim of avoiding the need for federal listings. The efforts of RPCI, including Conservation Action Planning workshops, legislative initiatives, research projects, and the development of Best Management Practices, have already led to significant progress for rare plant conservation in Colorado with respect to policy, on-the-ground action, and awareness of rare plants. The strategy has become a model for collaborative plant conservation, and this approach is now being implemented and expanded to other states and internationally.
Open Access
Supporting landscape-scale planning with decision support toolkits
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Crist, Patrick, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Conservation decisions often come down to actions by individual private landowners, whether it be acquisition of easements, land or development rights; outreach and education, assistance with restoration, etc. To target the locations that will offer the most conservation benefit, it is useful to put decisions into a larger landscape context. A broader context can help identify areas that can conserve the most valuable areas with least conflicts and perhaps lower cost; in other words, a larger context provides more options. However, there is often a disconnect between conservation plans developed at broad scales of landscapes or ecoregions and implementation that must happen at the site scale. This disconnect can happen for many reasons, one being that broad-scale plans are often developed using coarser data or planning units that may not be informative to site-level decision making. This presentation will illustrate with real-world examples the application of decision support toolkits that are able to support both landscape-scale assessment and prioritization, and site-level decision making. This is accomplished through the use of a framework planning tool, NatureServe Vista that, unlike many conservation tools, retains data in its source resolution. Vista can facilitate cumulative effects assessment and landscape prioritization; then be used to explore, assess, and plan actions for individual sites. In this presentation we will illustrate the multi-scale application for both coastal and inland areas.
Open Access
The biodiversity indicators dashboard: monitoring biodiversity trend and conservation performance
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Han, Xuemei, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Recognizing the imperiled status of biodiversity and its benefit to human well-being, the world's governments committed in 2010 to take effective and urgent action to halt biodiversity loss through the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 'Aichi Targets'. These targets, and many other conservation programs, require monitoring to assess progress toward specific goals. However, comprehensive and easily understood information on biodiversity trends at appropriate spatial scales is often not available to the policy makers, managers, and scientists who require it. We surveyed conservation stakeholders in three geographically diverse regions of critical biodiversity concern (the Tropical Andes, the African Great Lakes, and the Greater Mekong) and found high demand for biodiversity indicator information but uneven availability. To begin to address this need, we envision a biodiversity 'dashboard', a visualization of biodiversity indicators designed to enable tracking of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear, user-friendly format. We structured around the Pressure-State-Response-Benefit framework, selecting four indicators to measure pressure on biodiversity (deforestation rate), state of species (Red List Index), conservation response (protection of key biodiversity areas), and benefits to human populations (freshwater provision). Disaggregating global data, we present dashboard maps and graphics for the three regions surveyed and their component countries. These visualizations provide charts showing regional and national trends and lay the foundation for a web-enabled, interactive biodiversity indicators dashboard. This should be able to help track progress toward the Aichi Targets, support national monitoring and reporting, and inform outcome-based policy-making for the protection of natural resources.
Open Access
Wetland condition assessment on Colorado private lands
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Lemly, Joanna, speaker; Anderson, David, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Wetlands are recognized as vital ecosystems to protect at all levels because of their importance in many ecological roles, including wildlife habitat. In Colorado they occupy approximately 2% of the state's area, yet provide habitat for over 75% of species in the state. A vast majority of Colorado's land is privately owned, making wetlands on private lands and collaborations with those private landowners an integral part of the protection and management of wetlands. Recognizing this fact, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) awards up to $1.5 million annually for habitat improvement projects in wetlands, much of which occurs on private lands. To assist with their endeavor, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) has partnered with CPW to assess the condition and habitat value of wetlands in Colorado. The information gathered from these projects helps CPW target locations and wetland types most in need of restoration or habitat enhancement. To date, four major river basins have been assessed: the Rio Grande Headwaters, North Platte Watershed, South Platte Watershed, and the Lower Arkansas River Watershed. CNHP also strives to make the information from these studies available and useful for private landowners. Working with private landowners often necessitates a heightened awareness of data sensitivity, as landowners are concerned about who might have access to information about their land. CNHP takes these issues very seriously and takes several steps to protect private data, which has led to greater access to private lands around the state for data collection.

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