The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation Planning, managing, monitoring, and learning from projects at all scales Jennie Duberstein Coordinator, Sonoran Joint Venture Jennie_Duberstein@fws.gov www.sonoranjv.org

This Presentation What is adaptive management? Brief summary of the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation Photo: Dave Krueper

What is Adaptive Management? Are our actions working? Are we doing the right things? Are we doing them well? Where do we need to make changes?

What is Adaptive Management? The integration of project or program planning, management, and monitoring to provide a framework for: Testing assumptions Learning Adapting

Adaptive Management Combines Action and Research Pure Practitioner Adaptive Manager Pure Researcher Results Knowledge

The Basic Project Management Cycle Plan Adapt Do Monitor & Evaluate

Many Versions of Adaptive Management in Practice 1. Definir Equipo inicial Alcance y visión Objetos de conservación Contexto y actores claves 5. Compartir Lecciones Productos formales Retroalimentación y evaluación Cultura de aprendizaje WWF Ciclo de Proyectos/ Programas de Conservación 2. Diseñar Plan de acción: objetivos, metas, y actividades Plan de monitoreo Plan operativo 4. Analizar/Adaptar Datos recolectados Resultados y supuestos Funciones operativas Planes de trabajo y presupuestos 3. Implementar Planes de trabajo y presupuestos Recaudación de fondos Capacitación Alianzas

The Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP)

Why Use the Open Standards? A project following the Open Standards will have a better likelihood of achieving conservation results and will be able to demonstrate those results.

We Need Standard Terms to Describe Conservation Project Teams employ Actions affect Indirect Threats Opportunities drive Direct Threats affect Biodiversity Targets Cows? Cattle? Livestock? Grazing? Ranching?

Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation Developed by leading orgs & agencies Draws on many fields Open source & common language Used around the world State Wildlife Agencies National Park Systems Donor Funding Programs Academic Training

What is Our Approach to Adaptive Management? www.conservationmeasures.org

Brief Summary of the Open Standards 1. Summarize what you want to conserve 2. Understand current & desired condition 3. Identify and rank threats 4. Develop a general model of socioeconomic-ecological system 5. Identify strategies based on the general model 6. Define theories of change to show how strategies will work 7. Implement the strategies, checking as you go 8. Adjust

Brief Summary of the Open Standards 1. Summarize what you want to conserve

1. Summarize what you want to conserve

1. Summarize what you want to conserve Kittiwakes Murres Cormorants Northern fur seal Stellar sea lion Harbor seal Pacific salmon Pollock Spectacled eider Walrus Polar bear Sea otter Kelp forests 1. Seabirds Orca Gray whale Beluga whale Rockfish 2. Pinnipeds Crab Coral & sponge gardens Juvenile fish & 3. Pelagic Fish shellfish Herring 4. Sea-Ice Pribilof rock sandpiper Ecosystem Pribilof shrew Pribilof arctic fox 5. Sea otter Aleutian whitlow grass Black-footed brown lemming Passerines 6. Whales 7. Bottom Dwelling Fish & Crabs 8. Coastal Lagoons 9. Maritime Island Tundra

Project Scope Conservation Targets for the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Strategy Photo: Robert Burton/FWS

Project Scope Conservation Targets for the Mexican Highlands in the Sonoran Joint Venture

Brief Summary of the Open Standards 1. Summarize what you want to conserve 2. Understand current & desired condition

2. Understand Current & Desired State of What You Want to Conserve What do you want to conserve? How is it doing?

2. Understand Current & Desired State of What You Want to Conserve POOR FAIR GOOD VERY GOOD Current Status 5-yr Interim Objective 10-yr Interim Objective Long-term Desired Status Historical* Level

Brief Summary of the Open Standards 1. Summarize what you want to conserve 2. Understand current & desired condition 3. Identify and rank threats

3. Identify and Rank Threats Operation of Dams Unsustainable harvest Unsustainable Logging Exotic/Invasive Species Incompatible Livestock Grazing Residential Development Photo: Adrian Jones, IAN Image Library

The Open Standards Help You Focus Your Project Rate threats so you know where to take action (scope, severity, irreversibility)

Brief Summary of the Open Standards 1. Summarize what you want to conserve 2. Understand current & desired state of conservation 3. Identify and rank threats 4. Develop a general model of socioeconomic-ecological system

4. Develop a General Model of Socioeconomic-Ecological System

4. Develop a General Model of Socioeconomic-Ecological System Traditions & consumer preferences Demand for caviar Harvesting for caviar Vision Scope: White River watershed Need to generate income High price for caviar Pollution from domestic sewage Sturgeon Inadequate zoning regulations Global warming Flooding White River & tributaries Limited gov t capacity for land use planning Rapid urbanization Need for electricity Dams Riparian forest Gov t policies favorable to urban dev. Population growth Demand for second homes Clearing for new home construction Forest corridors Failure of rural economy Cheap land Indirect Threat or Opportunity Direct Threat KEY Stress Target

5. Identify Strategies Based on the General Model

5. Identify Strategies Based on the General Model Traditions & consumer preferences Demand for caviar Harvesting for caviar Vision Scope: White River watershed Create market incentives for best practices Need to generate income High price for caviar Pollution from domestic sewage Sturgeon Inadequate zoning regulations Global warming Flooding White River & tributaries Limited gov t capacity for land use planning Rapid urbanization Need for electricity Dams Riparian forest Gov t policies favorable to urban dev. Population growth Demand for second homes Clearing for new home construction Forest corridors Failure of rural economy Cheap land Indirect Threat or Opportunity KEY Direct Threat Stress Target

5. Identify Strategies Based on the General Model

6. Theories of Change to Show How Strategies Will Work Human Wellbeing Necessary Material Strategy? Vision: Conservation of Biodiversity in Site X Health Security Good Social Relations Freedom & Choice

6. Theories of Change to Show How Strategies Will Work

The Open Standards Help You Be Very Clear and Specific Lay out and test assumptions Share biological information Partners access data Partners use data to inform mgmt Mgmt strategies improved Reduced disturbance of nesting birds Healthy populations of wetland birds?

The Open Standards Help You Be Very Clear and Specific Define indicators and methods Objective: By 2013 and annually thereafter, at least 75% of partners are accessing biological information & data disseminated by JV. Indicator: % of partners accessing biological information & data disseminated by JV. Objective: By 2017, disturbance of Snowy Plover nests has decreased by at least 50%, as compared to 2012 disturbance rates. Indicator: # of incidences of disturbance plover nests. Share biological information Partners access data Partners use data to inform mgmt Mgmt strategies improved Reduced disturbance of nesting birds Healthy populations of wetland birds? Goal: By 2030, at least 50 pairs of nesting Snowy Plovers are successfully reproducing across identified sites, leaving at least 2 eggs per clutch every year. Indicator: # of pairs nesting Snowy Plovers Avg. # eggs per clutch

The Open Standards Help You Learn from Your Project Analyze project monitoring data & apply findings to improve current & future projects X X X Adapted from WWF Southwest Amazon Ecoregion

The Open Standards Help You Improve Other Conservation Efforts Share a common framework for cross-site learning Site A: Site B:

Jennie_Duberstein@fws.gov