Opinion

National Fish Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy: In 1968, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a biosphere conference on the need to establish natural areas for the preservation of species, their habitats, and representative samples of “ecosystems.” It conceived of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 1970. The U.S MAB program was launched in 1974. http://www.state.gov/www/global/oes/mabpamp.html The design of the MAB program was to establish core “protected areas,” surrounded by another buffer area of managed use and then a third transitional “zone of cooperation.” Cities would be high density settlement areas.

In 1987, the U.S. Geological Survey established the Gap Anaylsis Program (GAP) which inventories habitat for all species. It assigned underlying lands with a “stewardship ranking,” identifying whether management is adequately protecting the habitat. (This has been used to later target the areas for acquisition, conservation easements, regulation or other protections.) Around this time, Reed Noss first included the Klamath area in his mapping of the Wildlands Project. "The Klamath Corridors Project" noted large unfragmented habitat areas to be protected, connected by wide corridors to be set aside for migration and genetic biodiversity.

In 1992 the World Conservation Union declared the Klamath-Siskiyou to be an Area of Global Botanical Significance. An unsuccessful effort led by Noss, was made to designate four million hectares of the Klamath as a UN Biosphere Reserve, (about one-third in Oregon and the balance in California.) This was actively opposed by local people.

Eventually, international biodiversity efforts led to the Convention on Biological Diversity presented at the "Earth Summit", in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. This treaty was signed by President Clinton, but the U.S. Senate refused to ratify it in 1994. President Clinton proceeded to implement it administratively anyway. (Foresters may note that the MAB pattern was used for the Pacific Northwest Forest Plan for the northern spotted owl with its Late Successional Reserves, Adaptive management Areas and Matrix Lands.)

In 1992 Reed Noss presented "The Wildlands Project in the publication " Wild Earth.” The article explained that biodiversity could be ensured by setting aside large roadless “core areas” protected for large mammals such as wolves, grizzlies and wolverines. Noss went on to advocate for the identification of rare or endangered “keystone” species or “flagship” charismatic species that require large or specialized areas to survive as a strategy for protection.

In 1995, the Global Biodiversity Assessment was published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) explaining: the principles of biodiversity and ecosystem function; human influences on biodiversity; inventorying, monitoring and measurements of biodiversity. The Global Biodiversity Assessment sets forth a system of “ecosystem management” in conjunction with international GAP programs. In 1995, work began on an ambitious Klamath-Siskiyou Biodiversity Conservation Plan, sponsored by the Siskiyou Regional Education Project of Cave Junction, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund

In January, 1996, the White House executed a Memorandum of Understanding to Foster the Ecosystem Approach that was signed by the 14 federal agencies. Forest Service and Dept. Of Interior policies became centered around ecosystem management. In 1997, “The First Conference on Siskiyou Ecology” was held and a petition was sent from the conference to President Clinton, calling upon him to preserve "for posterity the principal values of biodiversity, ecological stability, and aesthetic enrichment which the Klamath-Siskiyou Province represents."

In 1999, Noss and Strittholt completed A Science-based Conservation Assessment for the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion. In 2001, Noss set forth recommendations for preservation of the Klamath-Siskiyou Forests. A proposed "roadless map" with designated wilderness was developed for the region. Recommendations included: the elimination of grazing; the listing of the fisher and wolverine; reintroduction of wolves and grizzlies; halting of all logging; establishing a system of parks and reserves; protecting roadless areas; and purchasing of private lands for endangered species. This was accompanied in 2002 by a case study of the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion on the "Importance of Roadless Areas in Biodiversity Conservation in Forested Ecosystems."

In 2004, The Nature Conservancy conducted an Assessment of the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion. The California Wilderness Coalition modeled a network of habitat linkages in the Klamath-Siskiyou Region. The 2004 Siskiyou Private Lands Conservation Assessment identified 19 areas of private lands to be targeted for their high conservation values.

In 2009, the CA Dept. of Fish and Game (CDFG) was required under AB 2785 to map essential wildlife corridors and habitat linkages. This resulted in a 2010 Master Plan under the combined CDFG and CalTrans California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project. http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=18366

Recently, the Obama Administration released the 115 page “National Fish Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy” for public comment through March 5. This proposes to anticipate expanded habitat needs of species due to climate change and target theses new areas for protection. Please comment: http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/