WBCI Grassland Implementation Plan

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WBCI Grassland Implementation Plan
Part One Introduction/Rationale
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Grassland Strategic Plan

1. Sets measurable population goals for focal
   species.
2. Relates those goals to habitat goals and an
   effective landscape design.
3. Focuses work into focal landscapes that will
   produce productive populations of grassland focal
   species.
4. Builds an outcome-based evaluation plan that will
   allow us to determine what impacts we are having
   at multiple scales and generates an adaptive
   response to changing conditions.

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Plan Purpose

• This plan Does
• Strategically guide grassland bird conservation
  delivery efforts for the next 15 years
  (2011-2026) by providing spatially explicit,
  measurable population and habitat goals.
• Step-down the grassland bird population and
  habitat goals into Wisconsin.
• Generate an evaluation plan that allow for
  adaptive management throughout the life of this
  plan.
• It Does Not
• Replace existing plans (WBCI All-bird Plan, PIF
  plan, JV Plan, Sample and Mossman) but rather
  compliments them.
• Focus on habitat BMPs however it will highlight
  key strategies based on opportunities within each
  Focal Landscape.

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Plan Scope

• Scale
• Statewide with an emphasis on BCR 23 and/or
  grasslands in open, agricultural landscapes.
• Habitat(s)
• This plan focuses primarily on native and
  non-native grassland types within BCR 23. It
  does not focus on grassy wetland types and/or
  barrens types.
• This plan does not cover savannas and/or
  shrublands however, some landscape teams did set
  savanna/shrub goals within their BCAs.
• Birds
• Utilizes JV focal species for planning (Eastern
  Meadowlark, Upland Sandpiper, Greater
  Prairie-Chicken, Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslows
  Sparrow)
• Assumes that these birds will cover a broader
  range of species (Bobolink, etc.)
• This plan probably doesnt fully address the
  needs of barrens/sedge meadow birds (LeContes
  Sparrow, Nelsons Sparrow, Yellow Rail, Am.
  Bittern, Lark Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Grouse, etc.)
• This plan isnt meant to replace the WM
  Pheasant Plan or address the grassland nesting
  cover needs of waterfowl.

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Why are we concerned?

• As a breeding guild, grassland and grass-shrub
  species are declining faster than any other
  breeding guild in the U.S.

USGS BBS Data from 1966-2007 (Mean Trend of all
species within the guild)
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40 years of Change The Losers

• Western Meadowlark -9.8/year
• Henslows Sparrow -9.0/year
• Grasshopper Sparrow -7.9/year
• Dickcissel -6.5/year
• Vesper Sparrow -4.6/year
• Upland Sandpiper -4.3/year
• Eastern Meadowlark -3.1/year
• Field Sparrow -3.0/year
• Savannah Sparrow -2.5/year
• Brown Thrasher -2.2/year
• Bobolink -2.0/year
• Eastern Kingbird -2.0/year
• Clay-colored Sparrow -1.4/year
• Red-winged Blackbird -0.9/year

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Highest Priority for WI

• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• State Threatened
• Genetic decline
• Small populations
• Requires large grassland landscapes

• Henslows Sparrow
• State Threatened USFWS Priority
• Small population (80,000)
• WI has 5-10 of global pop.
• Idle grasslands (tall-grass prairie)

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Grassland/Agricultural Land Use in Wisconsin,
1830-2000
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How much potential habitat do we have in WI?

• Private Land (approx. 3.5 million low idle
  grass )
• Cropland (includes hay/alfalfa rotationally
  cultivated pastures)
• 10 million acres or 4.05 million ha (2007)
• includes 1.9 million acres of non-cultivated
  cropland (hay, etc.) (07) (50?? hay)
• 430,000 acres of alfalfa (USDA 2010)
• 240,000 acres of wheat (USDA 2010)
• Pastureland (all types)
• 3.16 million acres or 1.28 million ha total with
  assumed 70 or 2.2 million acres in active
  pasture.
• CRP
• (2007) 541,000 acres or 219,105 ha (30 on prime
  ag)
• (2011) 400,000 acres and dropping
• Assume 10 or more are trees
• Public Land (150-200,000 acres of upland grass
  Similar amount of lowland grass high idle grass
  )
• 120,000 acres of perm. grass on public land in
  blocks of gt100 acres (Sample and Mossman 1997)
  120,000 acres of small blocks
• WISFIRS DNR lands (2011) 111,364 acres of upland
  grass on DNR lands. 77,000 acres of lowland
  grass

Public 10 - Private 90
Data obtained from NRCS NRI program (2007),
USDA and FSA website
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What have we been doing about the problem?

• The State of WI owns/manages 111,000 acres of
  upland grass.
• Turkey Stamp 0.5 - 1 million annually
• Pheasant Stamp 500K annually
• WM Partners
• USFWS Private Lands
• WPAs federal refuges
• CRP Max 700,000 acres Min 400,000?
• Pheasants Forever 41,000 acres

Why isnt our collective work resulting in
population gains?
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Importance of Landscape Context

1. Not all sites or patches of habitat are created
   equally!
2. Densities of target species and nesting success
   are influenced by the landscape context in which
   the site/patch is located.

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Meadowlark Realtors, Inc.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!
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The Upshot......

• Research has shown us that we need to scale up
  our grassland efforts.
• Conservation delivery efforts should focus on
  rallying grassland teams around the BCA concept.
• Where can we build/maintain them? How many?
• If we are successful, what portion of our JV goal
  will we be achieving?
• Will it work?

We need a plan for this!!!!
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Role of smaller grasslands

• WBCI partners cant meet JV goal by working
  solely in BCAs and focal landscapes.
• Important to remember that the BCA concept is
  untested and is based on assumptions centered
  around GPCH as well as extensive research from WI
  and the Upper Midwest on issues of scale. A
  smaller BCA may be valuable.
• Small grasslands inside focal landscapes but
  outside of BCAs may be very valuable. Focus on
  private lands here and save acquisition for
  BCA cores.
• WBCI partners working outside of focal landscapes
  for grassland birds should work to increase patch
  size where possible. Patch size is likely more
  important when not in a grassy landscape (e.g.
  Bong).
• Agencies and/or WBCI partners should be wary of
  sinking large investments into grassland bird
  efforts away from focal landscapes.
• Evaluation efforts in WI and across the Midwest
  Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership will help
  to evaluate these assumptions.

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Part II. Objectives
Joint Venture
Wisconsin
Focal Landscape
GBCA 2
GBCA 1
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Statewide Goal

• JV Plan adopts the PIF goal of doubling our
  Eastern Meadowlark population. This means
  creating habitat for an additional 140,000 EAME.
  This is in addition to protecting the existing
  population (140,000).
• JV used a density estimate of 0.8 EAME/ha to
  generate a habitat goal of 191, 418 ha of new
  habitat or 473,005 acres.
• WBCI Strategy build/maintain habitat in high
  density EAME areas even while losing total
  grassland acres across the state.
• Its assumed that the EAME goal will pull in
  the objectives for Henslows Sparrow and other
  priority birds
• Monitoring Tool Federal BBS.

• Statewide Goal/Objective Stable 15 year EAME
  population (7.0 EAME/route - 1)
• Previous 15 years (94-09) -4.3/year!!

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Part II. Objectives
Joint Venture
Wisconsin
Focal Landscape
GBCA 2
GBCA 1
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Where should we work in WI?

• Considerations
• Areas that have high of grass within a larger
  landscape.
• Areas that historically were grassland and are
  now still very open with moderate amounts of
  grassland or public lands that could be managed
  for grass.
• Where we are already working......public land,
  applicable Farm Bill programs, etc.
• Where there is positive momentum on the right
  scale?

Goal Productive Landscapes! High bird
densities more nest attempts more chicks
fledged
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Priority Landscapes

• Tier 1 (multiple BCAs)
• Southwest Grasslands (4 BCA)
• Western Prairie (2 BCA)
• Central WI Grasslands (2.5 BCA)
• Tier 2 (1 BCA)
• Scuppernong (1 BCA)
• Calumet County (1.5 BCA)
• White River Marsh (1 BCA public)
• Glacial HRA (1 BCA)
• Others Smaller BCAs
• Badger Ammo?
• Ashland Grasslands
• Smaller IBAs...
• Plan will add these iteratively based on partner
  group recommendations/commitment and results of
  regional research.

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Focal Landscape Goals

• Landscape Goal
• Population Goal for EAME (indicator of broad
  change)
• Sub-goals for key focal species
• Number of BCAs (habitat goal)
• Monitoring will occur along roadside across the
  FL to assess goals and habitat change.

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Southwest Grasslands

• Focal Species
• EAME, HESP, UPSA, GRSP
• RHWO, BRTH, BEVI, FISP
• Population Targets
• Stable population (15yrs) of EAME
• Increasing pops. HESP/GRSP
• Increasing occupancy UPSA
• Habitat Goals
• 4 BCAs (Perry/Primrose, Garrison Creek,
  Barreltown, Military Ridge)
• Key Strategies
• Acquisition of core grasslands
• Expand upon grass-based agricultural opps.
• Implement Farm Bill programs on private lands.
• Develop greater levels of outreach/landowner
  contact through partners.

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SWGSCA BCA Goals
BCA Size (ac) Grass Grass Goal Deficit
Garrison Creek 12,977 42.5 45 427 ac 173 ha
Military Ridge 20,747 31.3 40 1808 ac 732 ha
Primrose 10,500 30.5 40 1000 ac 404 ha
Barreltown 10,966 42 45 318 ac 129 ha

• SWGSCA is primarily a protection/maintenance
  landscape
• Goal would increase grasslands by 1438 ha and
  result in an
• additional 791 EAME or .56 of JV goal!

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Additional BCA Goals

• Each BCA is mapped by habitat type (pasture, hay,
  idle grasses, etc.). While EAME respond to total
  grass, other focal species respond to habitat
  type.
• Some BCAs will radically change their HESP and
  GRSP populations through habitat improvement
  (prairie restoration or increases in idle
  grassland)
• Example Densities of GRSP on prairie remnants
  are 3x that of pastures. In the Military Ridge
  BCA we currently have as many GRSP on remnants
  (160 ha) as pasture (600 ha). 15 year goal for
  this BCA is to add 365 ha of prairie which will
  almost double the GRSP population in this BCA!
• SWGSCA and WPHRA teams also set goals for birds
  using savanna/shrublands as those were management
  issues within the BCAs.
• Many BCAs either dont currently have bird
  density info for different habitats or that
  information is lacking for certain focal species
  (shrub/savanna). Initial evaluation efforts will
  need to generate these estimates to help
  revise/create goals for this plan.

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Central Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area

• Focal Species
• EAME, HESP, UPSA, GRSP, GPCH, BOBO?
• Population Targets
• Stable population (15yrs) of EAME
• Increasing GPCH population (see GPCH plan)
• Increasing pops. HESP/GRSP
• Increasing occupancy UPSA
• Habitat Goals
• 2.5 BCAs (Buena Vista, Paul Olson, Leola (small))
• Key Strategies
• Acquisition of core grasslands in Paul Olson
• Expand upon grass-based agricultural
  opportunities (GRP).
• Strategic increase in agriculture to facilitate
  GPCH dispersal.
• Build upon GPCH outreach efforts.

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CWGCA BCA Goals
BCA Size (ac) Grass Grass Goal Deficit
Buena Vista 37153 49 50 300 ac 121.5 ha
Leola 7926 45 50? 396 ac 160.5 ha
Paul Olson 27459 44.4 50 1528 ac 619 ha

• CWGCA is primarily a protection/maintenance
  landscape AND the cores
• are largely intact except for Paul Olson.
• Goal would increase grasslands by 900 ha and
  result in an
• additional 500 EAME or .35 of JV goal!
• Ultimately this area will be measured by success
  of GPCH efforts and
• increased levels of connectivity between these
  BCAs.
• The GPCH plan calls for additional grassland
  acreages but not within a
• BCA design. These goals can be assessed at
  the CWGCA level.

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Western Prairie HRA

• Focal Species
• EAME, HESP, UPSA, GRSP, RNPH, BWTE/MALL
• RHWO, BRTH, BEVI, FISP
• Population Targets
• Stable population (15yrs) of EAME
• Increasing pops. HESP/GRSP
• Increasing occupancy UPSA
• Habitat Goals
• 2 BCAs (Star Prairie, Erin Prairie)
• Potential for more?
• Key Strategies
• Acquisition of core grasslands
• Expand upon grass-based agricultural opps.
• Implement Farm Bill programs on private lands.

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WPHRA BCA Goals
BCA Size (ac) Grass Grass Goal Deficit
Star Prairie 29,578 25.6 40 4256 ac 1724 ha
Erin Prairie 14,398 16.6 40 3367 ac 1363 ha

• WPHRA is a restoration landscape. Erin Prairie
  384 acres/year over 15 years
• Erin Prairie 284 acres/year over 15 years.
• At 4,000/acres (low) that would require 2.7
  million/year over 15 years to buy
• enough land to meet BCA goals.
• Success within these BCAs will be largely driven
  by effective landowner outreach
• and subsequent participation in CRP/SAFE.

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Part III. Evaluation and Adaptation

• Statewide
• Change in focal species populations (index)
  Federal BBS
• Landscape
• Change in focal species populations (index)
  Road-based BBS routes with habitat monitoring
• BCA
• Habitat based focal species monitoring. Change
  in abundances/densities over time changes in
  habitat.

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Evaluating our Assumptions

• Focal Landscape Scale
• At what (and config) of grassland (and other
  landscape variables) do we see higher densities
  of target species?
• What role does program development play in terms
  of habitat and bird abundance? (over time?)
• BCA Scale
• At what (and config) of grassland (and other
  landscape variables) do we see higher densities
  of target species? How big does a BCA need to
  be?
• What role does program development play in terms
  of habitat and bird abundance? (over time?)
• Assumption Configuration of grasslands within
  matrix will make no difference.
• Assumption The size of the core is not important
  for (EAME, HESP, GRSP, UPSA) but may be important
  for socio-economic reasons.
• HRA-BCA Scale Interaction
• What role does habitat across the HRA matrix have
  on BCA bird populations?

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Evaluation Plan and Timeline

• Spring Summer 2011
• WBCI Grass Science Team drafts monitoring plan
  and funding proposals to USFWS.
• Western Prairie team pilots BCA monitoring plan
  using volunteers and USFWS interns.
• Fall 2011
• DNR staff finishes mapping Tier II BCAs and
  updates Tier I BCAs
• Data from SAFE monitoring and WPHRA pilot
  analyzed and experiences of monitors used to
  tweek protocols.
• UW/USGS hires post-doc (pending funding) to
  finish evaluation plan development and begins
  working on sampling frameworks.
• Spring Summer 2012
• Sampling undertaken in all three Tier I
  Landscapes and in each BCA.

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Grassland Plan Next Steps

• Endorsement/Approval from key WBCI partners.
• Outreach to WBCI partnership and key
  agencies/regional partners, etc.
• website, handouts, webinar, talks, meetings with
  stakeholder groups.
• Move forward on evaluation plan
• Schedule annual check-ins and meetings as
  needed with Tier 1 and Tier 2 landscapes to
  ensure plan implementation and address
  challenges/concerns.