2014 CONFERENCE: Presentation Abstracts & Materials
NETWC assumes no responsibility for copyright of any information within the presentations and all responsibility lies with the author.
| A Changing Climate, the Pressure to Move, and the Challenges and Opportunities of Transportation Infrastructure | |
| Monday, September 22 / 10:30am - 11:00am | |
| Noel Dodge, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Climate change is not a new phenomenon on our planet, and species have historically responded by shifting their ranges. However, the creation of extensive transportation infrastructure in the past 100 years coupled with habitat conversion has effectively eliminated the ability for certain species to disperse, rendering current changes in climate particularly difficult for wildlife. While the pressures of climate change are likely felt to a varying degree among species, only a select few species are able to navigate the web of roads, rail lines, and the like. Songbird distributions in the eastern U.S. have undergone dramatic shifts in the past two decades alone. Contrast songbirds with a species like the spotted turtle, whose range underwent a continental expansion following the last ice age, and the story is quite different. Turtles exemplify the types of species least able to disperse across the infrastructure that keeps humans on the move. This presentation will focus on the challenge of improving the permeability of transportation infrastructure to wildlife movement on a regional scale, assessing the cost of modifying what already exists and planning future development with wildlife movement in mind, bearing in mind the costs of not addressing these factors. Ultimately, a coordinated effort based on our knowledge of species tolerance of habitat alteration and applying tools such as GIS effectively will be necessary for an effective approach to improving connectivity of wildlife habitat on a regional scale. Theme: Changing Ecology; Adaptation and Migration Download the presentation |
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| From planning to implementation: creating a roadless reserve in northeast Vermont | |
| Monday, September 22 / 10:30am - 11:00am | |
| Doug Morin, Wildlife Biologist/State Land Planner, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Ecological reserves where natural processes take place with minimal human involvement have long been a key concept in large-scale conservation. More recently, climate refugia where plants and animals may find the habitats and processes they require to persist in a changing climate have become a target for conservation. How do we create reserves or refugia in the northeast? How do we balance ecological and social goals in moving from planning to implementation of such conservation projects? In 1998, 132,000 acres of industrial forest land went up for sale in northeastern Vermont. Through a complex process of conservation design and public participation, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) acquired 22,000 acres of this land and designated 12,500 acres as an ecological reserve. With a long history of forest management and privately leased camp lots, this reserve contained many minor roads, which were planned for closure and revegetation over time. More than a decade later, a small number of roads have been closed, new scientific assessments have helped prioritize future closure priorities and techniques, and the effects of closures on public use remain an issue of keen public interest. This case study illustrates how ecological and social priorities have unfolded over the first decade of progress toward the creation of a roadless reserve in northeastern Vermont. Download the presentation |
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| Responding to the Challenge of Road-Stream Barriers in Maine | |
| Monday, September 22 / 10:30am - 11:00am | |
| Alex Abbott, Gulf of Maine Coastal Program; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Recent studies demonstrate that 40-90% of road culvert crossings over streams in Maine block or impair fish passage and the stream processes that create and maintain habitat. Maine’s restoration community is developing and implementing new and innovative responses to address these challenges, despite dwindling restoration funding for stream restoration, One example is the Maine Stream Habitat Viewer, which for the first time permits easy access to road-stream barrier and habitat information, including the locations of the worst problems and greatest opportunities. Download the presentation |
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| Connecting Habitats Across the Northern Appalachians for Wide Ranging Mammals: Identifying Regionally Critical Road Segments and Restoring/Maintaining Permeability Across Key Roads in Vermont | |
| Monday, September 22 / 11:00am - 12:00pm | |
| Paul Marangelo, Senior Conservation Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, VT Chapter; Jens Hilke, VT Fish & Wildlife Department; James Brady, Vermont Agency of Transportation This panel presentation will draw on the experience of the Staying Connected Initiative (SCI), which has been working to maintain the links between large forested habitats across the Northern Appalachians for wide-raging terrestrial mammals. One of the most important strategies for achieving this objective is to maintain and/or restore the permeability across key road corridors for large wildlife. Keeping forests linked across anthropogenic barriers such as road corridors throughout the northern Appalachians is crucial for maintaining healthy wildlife populations, especially considering the need to accommodate the anticipated adaptive needs in response to climate change. The session will consist of presentations of approaches used by SCI in Vermont to assess the functional connectivity of these critical road segments, work being done to assess the role of existing transportation structures in critical road segments in facilitating cross-road permeability for wildlife, and a discussion of other options/approaches road corridor management (such as BMPs) in these road segments to maintain permeability for large wildlife. Theme: Changing Ecology; Adaptation and Migration Download the presentation |
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| Wildlife Passage and Crash Reduction Efforts in Maine and Massachusetts | |
| Monday, September 22 / 11:00am - 12:00pm | |
| Richard Bostwick, Field Studies Supervisor, Maine Department of Transportation; Stephen DeStefano, Research Biologist, USGS Mass. Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Maine is a predominately rural state with an animal crash problem. This talk will focus on efforts that Maine Department of Transportation has undertaken to reduce animal-vehicle crashes to reduce animal mortality and increase safety along Maine’s highways. The talk will discuss actions taken to address the crash problem. This discussion includes the interim results of a monitoring effort on three different types of wildlife underpasses were installed under a new highway in Caribou, Maine. The structures consisted of traditional drainage structures, a modified drainage structure and a bridge with a high openness ration. The structures were fence with eight foot fence to funnel animals towards the crossings. Wildlife cameras were put in place to monitor the use over several seasons. The structures are used by a variety of furbearing wildlife. Photographic data shows evidence of both use and avoidance of these structures. The recolonization of southern New England by moose (Alces alces) during the past few decades has been an unanticipated success. The population appears to be relatively stable, despite dramatic declines elsewhere in the geographic range. However, this large mammal can come into conflict with humans in one of the most densely populated and developed regions of the country, and one way this conflict manifests itself is through moose-vehicle collisions (MVC). In Massachusetts, about 20-50 reported MVCs, along with an unknown number of unreported moose-vehicle accidents, occur each year. Moose are usually killed outright or are severely injured and need to be dispatched; there have been 3 human fatalities to date. We used GPS collars to study moose movements and interactions of moose and roads. We documented the occurrence and distribution of MVCs, identified hot-spots of frequent collisions, and evaluated road characteristics and landscape features that contribute to MVCs. While habitat and topography can influence where moose cross roads, road class, including traffic volume and particularly speed, is the primary driving factor in MVCs. Increased and more visible signage, roadside fencing, and reducing moose numbers along roads have been proposed to mitigate MVCs, but controlling driver speed through increased enforcement efforts is likely the most effective and achievable method for meaningful reduction of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Download the presentation |
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| The Dynamics of Rivers and Roads for infrastructure, AOP, and Flood Resiliency | |
| Monday, September 22 / 11:00am - 12:00pm | |
| Staci Pomeroy, River Scientist, Vermont DEC; Shayne Jaquith, River Scientist, VT DEC River Program; Rich Kirn, Fisheries Biologist, VT F&W The VT River Management Program and VT Fish & Wildlife Program use a river flume model as part of our education and outreach efforts with our municipal and State road crews to look at river /road interactions, stream crossings, flood recovery and resiliency, and considerations for aquatic organism passage (AOP). At our workshop we will set up real-life examples of conflicts that occur between managing roads and other infrastructure and their interactions with rivers. The flume will be set up to run demonstrations that will show the potential impacts and long-term effects on our rivers from projects such as bank stabilization, culverts and bridges, flood recovery efforts (good and bad), and AOP considerations. After Tropical Storm Irene the legislation charged the River Management Program with developing trainings for state and municipal road crews to help insure that after the next flood event more folks will be better prepared to do flood remediation that reduces impacts to the river and the aquatic organisms while fixing the roads and other infrastructure. With good partnership with our Fish and Wildlife Program, these trainings have been developed and are being well received. Discussion in the workshop will focus on stream processes and how our infrastructure interact with the rivers, their potential impacts on the systems, how to reduce their impacts, and how the trainings are being done to develop a more informed network of folks working on the roads and rivers. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation. |
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| Minimizing Flood Risks and Habitat Impacts Due to Post-Flood Recovery Efforts | |
| Monday, September 22 / 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |
| Roy Schiff, Water Resource Scientist and Engineer, Milone & MacBroom, Inc.; Evan Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, LLC; Shayne Jaquith, Vermont Rivers Program Large floods alter the physical and biological condition of streams. Excessive erosion and sediment deposition impact habitat over large spatial scales in a short period of time. Common practices associated with flood recovery such as bank armoring and reconstruction of infrastructure impact habitat and result in channels that are smooth, homogenous, confined, and isolated from floodplains. The best way to avoid habitat impacts due to flood recovery efforts is to minimize the need for channel management. Floodplain protection and restoration is one approach to minimize the need for channel work where river channels have room to move in the landscape. Sediment can be captured and stored on floodplains during large floods, and if necessary, removed from the floodplain with less impact to instream aquatic habitat. Restoration of channel and floodplain geometry to minimize unnatural down-cutting or sedimentation is beneficial to people and habitat in the long run reducing channel management costs and creating a physical foundation for the processes that create and maintain instream habitat. Improved approaches to flood recovery can attain multiple objectives such as public safety, hazard mitigation, and fish and wildlife protection. In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont struggled to move beyond traditional means of flood recovery to protect transportation infrastructure and avoid exacerbating flood risk and damaging aquatic habitat. In the aftermath of Irene, an approach to flood recovery is emerging that is based on management activities guided by fluvial geomorphology with practices such as floodplain restoration and river corridor protection. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation |
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| Designing a Climate Ready Transportation Reauthorization Bill | |
| Monday, September 22 / 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |
| Kate Dempsey, External Affairs Director, The Nature Conservancy in Maine; Tom Berry, Senator Leahy's Office; David Weinstein, Senator Sander’s Office Congress is preparing to reauthorize MAP-21, the two-year surface transportation law that governs $105 billion in transportation spending and policy for highways, transit and many other programs. MAP-21 expires in September 2014. The reauthorization bill has been important in recent years to support state and federal transportation entities in their efforts to integrate planning better with conservation principles. It provides an important tool in encouraging states to plan for the impacts of climate change and to promote habitat connectivity (aquatic and terrestrial). If the bill has not yet passed, this workshop will give participants an opportunity to learn more about the pending bill and efforts to write language in the bill that could support resiliency in transportation systems (improving environmental performance, infrastructure resiliency, and public safety through strategic road improvements) and promote effective mitigation strategies. If the bill has passed, this session, will give participants time to learn what new is in the bill and assess how we can best use this bill in New England to promote resiliency and connectivity through programs like Regional Advance Mitigation Planning (RAMP), which was included in MAP-21 to address many of the problems endemic to current mitigation planning by approaching mitigation activities on a regional geographic scale and an advance time frame. Transportation reauthorization represents an important opportunity to reduce environmental impacts from transportation facilities, while advancing important policy initiatives such as natural infrastructure resiliency and smart development. Theme: New Directions Download the presentation |
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| Local Roads, Regional Impact: Tracking Mammals Across Roads in Western MA to Connect the Appalachians | |
| Monday, September 22 / 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |
| Laura Marx, Forest Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy-MA; Elia del Molino; Jane Winn Wildlife, both individuals and populations over time, need to be able to move locally and regionally across the Appalachians to find suitable habitat. By supplementing UMass-Amherst’s Critical Linkages model with mammal tracking and roadkill surveys, The Nature Conservancy, Berkshire Environmental Action Team, and the Westfield River Wild and Scenic Advisory Committee have completed a project to understand animal movement patterns through the landscape and to identify where transportation infrastructure may have the biggest impact on connecting forest habitat at pilot locations in Western Massachusetts. This information will inform land protection and transportation improvement priorities. The two corridors studied contribute to regional connectivity between the Central and Northern Appalachians. Panel speakers will discuss the importance of maintaining connectivity across the Appalachians, how low-tech methods such as mammal tracking were combined with high-tech GIS modeling to help understand how different segments of road enable or hinder wildlife movement, and an example of a transportation improvement project designed to improve aquatic connectivity that appears to be benefiting terrestrial wildlife as well. Speakers will also address how the involvement of local landowners and state agencies is critical to the success of land protection and transportation improvement strategies, and is a key part of this project as well as other similar tracking and modeling studies throughout the Northern Appalachians. Theme: Changing Ecology; Adaptation and Migration Download the presentation |
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| Development of a Master Plan to Guide Future Development and/or Replacement of Stream Crossings along State Highways within the Deerfield River Watershed, Massachusetts | |
| Monday, September 22 / 2:00pm - 2:45pm | |
| Katherin McArthur, Environmental Analyst, Massachusetts Department of Transportation MassDOT and UMass Amherst are developing a project focusing on climate change vulnerability in the Deerfield River watershed. The pilot will primarily investigate road / stream crossings, in order to determine whether or not there are cost-effective changes we can make to MassDOT planning and design processes that will improve climate change resilience and connectivity for both human-made and natural networks. A number of GIS layers focusing on vulnerability and connectivity will be produced, along with a decision support matrix ranking each crossing on condition, exposure and sensitivity to climate change, ecological passage, and service disruption potential. Fluvial geomorphic assessments of river and stream channels will be incorporated in the analysis, and multiple streamflow estimation methods will be used for comparative purposes. When possible, these analyses will be performed for both current and future climate conditions. This project builds on work associated with UMass Extension’s River and Stream Continuity Project, and provides an example of cooperation between multiple stakeholders to the benefit of both human and wildlife transportation systems; has a particular focus on the impacts of extreme weather events, which a number of northeastern states have had recent experience with; and will for the first time insert climate change uncertainty, stream continuity issues, and geomorphic condition into the decision-making process for road and stream crossing planning and vulnerability assessments. The presentation will focus on methods and ongoing project work; completion is expected in 2016. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation |
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| Use of Motion-detection Cameras in Assessing Wildlife Movement Associated with Transportation Infrastructure | |
| Monday, September 22 / 2:00pm - 2:45pm | |
| James Brady, Environmental Specialist, Vermont Agency of Transportation Workshop will feature hands-on use and interaction with Reconyx PC900 and Spypoint cameras. Theme: Changing Ecology; Adaptation and Migration Download the presentation |
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| “Highway Wilding” Film Viewing and Discussion | |
| Monday, September 22 / 2:00pm - 2:45pm | |
| Facilitator: Chris Slesar VTRANS Environmental Section This workshop will feature the film “Highway Wildling” a short introductory film on the concepts of road ecology by Filmmaker Leanne Allison. After seeing the film together, Chris Slesar (VTRANS Environmental Section) will lead a discussion about how this sort of media can be used in affecting change and fundraising for road ecology projects. To see the film or learn more about it, visit http://highwaywilding.org/hw_movie.php Download the presentation |
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| Incorporating Climate Change into the Pre-disaster Hazard Mitigation Planning Process | |
| Monday, September 22 / 3:15pm - 3:45pm | |
| Johanna Duffy, Environmental Scientist, Barton & Loguidice, DPC Hazard mitigation is broadly defined as a method for reducing or alleviating property loss, minimizing damage to the environment, and reducing the number and severity of injuries and deaths that occur from hazard events. Such mitigative efforts are accomplished through the community-wide implementation of long- and short-term strategies. These strategies become the focus of single and multiple jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plans, which are also developed to identify risks and assess vulnerabilities of a particular area. As climate change continues to gain momentum as a societal buzz word, analyzing and evaluating potential impacts from natural disaster events becomes increasingly important. The ramifications from more severe and more frequent storm events has become progressively apparent in recent memory, significantly affecting private property, the environment, transportation infrastructure, and people’s lives. Through more focused pre-disaster planning efforts that incorporate and consider the implications of climate change, more effective mitigation strategies may be implemented to minimize potential impacts. An active Hazard Mitigation Plan makes communities eligible for increased infrastructure funding as they prepare for future natural disaster events. This presentation will guide the audience through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s hazard mitigation planning process and will include additional considerations related to climate change and how to integrate climate change into the pre-disaster risk assessment and strategy development components of a Hazard Mitigation Plan. Theme: Adaptive Policy and Planning Download the presentation |
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| Muddy Makeover: A Model for Highway Mitigation? Stream Daylighting as a Potential Restoration/Mitigation Technique for Highway Projects | |
| Monday, September 22 / 3:15pm - 3:45pm | |
| Henry Barbaro, Water Quality Unit Supervisor, MassDOT "Stream Daylighting" is the act of restoring a stream that had been routed through a culvert back to its natural state on the surface of the land. The potential benefits of stream daylighting include: With these potential benefits, Stream Daylighting is a promising technique for mitigating wetlands impacts from highway projects. This form of stream restoration may be highly advantageous when compared with other mitigation approaches, such as wetlands creation. The Muddy River restoration project currently underway in the Boston area includes daylighting two sections (700 feet total) of the River. Muddy River is a series of brooks and ponds that runs through various sections of the Emerald Necklace, a system of parklands that is located in Brookline and Boston, Massachusetts. During the 1940s, segments of the waterway were channeled into culverts. Over the following five decades sediment and debris have accumulated within those culvert passageways, especially during storm events. As a result of this build-up of material, Muddy River has experienced flooding problems since the 1990s, and these events have caused severe damage to residences, businesses, various institutions, and the public transit system. The daylighting of this stream should significantly reduce flooding by providing additional hydraulic capacity and flood storage. Additional benefits include the expansion of wildlife habitat and improvement of downstream water quality. The presentation will look at this project and other examples of daylighting, with the objective of identifying lessons on how this technique may be used to provide environmental enhancements as part of highway improvement projects. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation |
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| Integrating Climate Change into Transportation Planning for Federal Lands | |
| Monday, September 22 / 3:15pm - 3:45pm | |
| Kevin McCoy, Community Planner, US DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center; James Andrew, US DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) are tasked with protecting the Nations most cherished natural and cultural resources, and with providing appropriate access for public visitation and enjoyment. Climate change represents an existential threat to both of these missions, and FLMAs are taking steps to enhance their preparation for, mitigation of, and resilience to projected changes in climate. This presentation will describe past and current efforts of FLMAs and US DOT agencies to incorporate consideration of climate change into their transportation planning and programming, in the Northeastern United States, at various scales: Theme: Adaptive Policy and Planning Download the presentation. |
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| Climate Change, Wildlife & Transportation; Making Sense of Moving Forward | |
| Monday, September 22 / 3:45pm - 4:30pm | |
| Facilitator: Deb Markowitz Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Today, climate change is yet another stressor that affects wildlife and transportation. Transportation officials are being forced to reevaluate and reprioritize transportation infrastructure in a world of increasingly dramatic and unpredictable weather events. Wildlife officials are facing the reality of populations shifting their ranges and changes in ecosystem composition that were previously unimaginable. These are challenging times, and only through interdisciplinary dialogue will we truly become, Climate Ready. This interactive discussion will encourage all participants to wrestle with how these concepts affect their work and to exchange ideas on how to better integrate these ideas. |
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| ARC: Bringing New Solutions for Wildlife and Roads to the Northeast | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 8:00am - 9:00am | |
| Tony Clevenger, Wildlife Biologist, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University; Jeremy Guth, Trustee, Woodcock Foundation New York, ARC Founding Sponsor; Nina-Marie E. Lister, MCIP, RPP, Affiliate ASLA, Associate Professor, School of Urban + Regional Planning, Ryerson University; Robert Rock, ASLA, Senior Associate, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., Landscape Architects; Theodore P. Zoli, III, National Bridge Chief Engineer, HNTB Corporation In 2010, the ARC International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition short-listed five, world-class, interdisciplinary teams to develop concept designs for a wildlife crossing structure at Colorado’s West Vail Pass along I-70. By January, 2011, the ARC jury announced the winning team: HNTB with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. (HNTB+MVVA). This panel will present the ARC story in three stages: Dr. Clevenger will begin with a review of his well-known field research of the wildlife mitigation in Banff National Park with an emphasis on the structural and topographic requirements identified. Through this aspect of his work, Dr. Clevenger recognized the need for a new generation of infrastructure and anticipated the ARC competition. Prof. Lister will then outline the goals of the competition and review the new thinking, methods, materials and solutions it inspired. These innovations and the broad, international attention the competition generated have perpetuated ARC as a partnership dedicated to innovating, educating and advocating for the next generation of wildlife crossings. Representing the competition’s winning team, Robert Rock and Ted Zoli will conclude the panel with a presentation on their creative and pragmatic answer to the challenge of crossing over the I-70 at Vail. Their modular, readily constructible and cost-efficient design promises a proven solution to the challenges our continental road network presents to landscape connectivity, climate resilience and human safety. Theme: New Directions |
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| Implementing Eco-Logical: Putting an Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure into Practice | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 8:00am - 9:00am | |
| Marlys Osterhues, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Project Development and Environmental Review; Judy Gates, Maine Department of Transportation, Environmental Office; Tim Dexter, Massachusetts Department of Transportation; Julianne Schwarzer, US Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Developed by a team of representatives from FHWA and seven other Federal agencies, Eco-Logical articulates a vision for an infrastructure development process that endorses ecosystem-based mitigation through integrating plans and data across agency and disciplinary boundaries. Implementing Eco-Logical is an ongoing effort to implement research products from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) and integrate activities into FHWA's Eco-Logical Program. The goal of Implementing Eco-Logical is to advance the state of practice for all transportation practitioners, and their partners, of bringing the Eco-Logical approach into their daily business practices. This workshop session will provide step by step information on how to use the Eco-Logical approach in any region and emphasize the scalability of the approach. It will feature two recent SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program funding recipients who will speak to their current experiences. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be made aware of the resources and opportunities available through FHWA and AASHTO, including peer exchanges, workshops and practitioners tools. Theme: A Landscape Approach to Green Infrastructure Download the presentation. |
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| Stream Crossings and Climate Resilience in the Northeast: Lessons from the Past, Efforts Underway, and Future Opportunities | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 8:00am - 9:00am | |
| Jessica Levine, TNC Canada, an affiliate of The Nature Conservancy; Alison Bowden, The Nature Conservancy; Sarah Woodhouse Murdock, The Nature Conservancy While road-stream crossings are essential to our transportation networks, poorly designed and undersized crossings have negative impacts on stream ecology, water quality and fish populations. Moreover, damage from flood events can cause significant economic and safety impacts. In contrast, stream crossings that are designed to create a dynamic channel through the structure, similar in characteristics and dimensions to the adjacent natural channel, allow for the unimpeded movement of aquatic organisms, debris, and water, including flood waters. In this session, we will present retrospective case studies from New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts that underscore the numerous benefits of improved stream crossing design in the context of a changing climate. These case studies suggest that the increased initial investment in improved stream crossings yield substantial safety and ecological benefits, while saving communities money over the long term. We will highlight several partnerships in the Northeast among local and state transportation departments, conservation groups, academia, and environmental agencies that are developing tools to identify climate-vulnerable stream crossing sites, building capacity among local stakeholders, and using non-traditional funding sources to improve stream crossings. Finally, we will present state and federal planning and policy opportunities, such as disaster response, to support enhancement of resilient infrastructure and ecosystems, yielding economic and environmental benefits. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation. |
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| I-89 Wildlife Connectivity Study Preliminary Results | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 9:00am - 9:30am | |
| Jed Merrow, Project Manager, McFarland Johnson; Jim Andrews, Consulting Herpetologist The Green Mountains include some of the largest remaining unfragmented forest blocks in the northeastern U.S. I-89, the Winooski River, a railroad line and local roads divide this habitat block west of Waterbury, Vermont. Opportunities for wildlife to cross these fragmenting features are limited, and take the form of road or railroad bridges, stream culverts, and perhaps other structures that were not designed or located with wildlife in mind. There is interest in improving the connectivity of this habitat, but the value of existing habitats and optimal crossing locations have not been studied. The goal of the Wildlife Connectivity Study is to better define: the variety and abundance of large and medium-sized mammals in this region; the current crossing activity, particularly at existing bridges and culverts; and the edge effect zone that may exist along roadways and other fragmenting features. A combination of methods including wildlife cameras, winter tracking, and roadkill surveys are underway to obtain data on species presence, habitat usage, and movement patterns. This will allow us to evaluate usage of existing and potential road crossings and the effects of fragmenting features. The study is not a comprehensive analysis of species density or distribution, but should yield a sufficient understanding of species distribution and movements to inform decision-making regarding crossing structures. Results from the first year of the two-year study will be presented. Theme: A Landscape Approach to Green Infrastructure Download the presentation. |
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| Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey (CHANJ) Project Update | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 9:00am - 9:30am | |
| Gretchen Fowles, NJ Endangered & Nongame Species Program; Brian Zarate, New Jersey Endangered & Nongame Species Program Landscape permeability is critical to the persistence of many wildlife species and New Jersey's fragmented habitats have limited the ability for terrestrial wildlife to move safely across the state. New Jersey has been effective in preserving open space and the collective body of science shows us that road mitigation efforts are effective at reconnecting habitat when designed and placed strategically. For land preservation and road mitigation efforts to have their greatest value in restoring a fragmented landscape, they must be targeted, studied, and refined. Over the last two years we have lead an effort to bring together conservation partners to address New Jersey's fragmented habitat. The Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey (CHANJ) working group is tasked with developing two main products, a statewide ecological corridor map and action-driven guidance document, with Core Team participation in three main categories: Mapping, Guidance Document, and Communications. Along with sharing the steps we are taking to produce resources to guide successful habitat connectivity planning, we will also highlight several concurrent, complimentary projects that inform, validate, or implement our two main products. The final corridor map and guidance documents we are developing are intended to allow land-use, conservation, and transportation planners to operate in a more collaborative way, that reduces conflicts, saves money, increases driver safety, and ultimately improves the prospects for the long-term sustainability of New Jersey’s terrestrial wildlife. Theme: A Landscape Approach to Green Infrastructure Download the presentation. |
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| Highway 7: Mitigating Roadkill Hotspots for Turtles in Eastern Ontario | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 9:00am - 9:30am | |
| Kari Gunson, Road Ecologist / Principal, Eco-Kare International; David Seburn, Seburn Ecological Services; David Lesbarreres, Laurentian University Traffic mortality is widely known to be a significant threat to many species of freshwater turtles. Successful mitigation of roadkill requires knowing where mortality is greatest. Using repeated road surveys we identified roadkill hotspots for turtles along 100 km of two roads in eastern Ontario. A total of 28 road surveys were conducted from 30 May to 14 September, 2012. Surveys were conducted every 3.8 days on average, but more often during the nesting season. A total of 248 turtles were observed alive or dead (173 Painted Turtles, 44 Snapping Turtles, 29 Blandings Turtles and 2 unidentified turtles). The majority of observations (95%) were of turtles dead on the road. Species at Risk made up 29% of the observations. Turtles were significantly more likely to be found when water was present within 100 m on both sides of the road. Kernel density analysis identified 6 roadkill hotspots which accounted for only 4.1% of the total road length, yet captured 46.0% of the turtles. In 2013, drift fencing and cameras were installed at selected hotspots and culverts to attempt to reduce roadkill and determine if turtles would use drainage culverts to cross the highway. Site conditions prevented mitigation and cameras being installed at all hotspots. Results indicate that the drift fencing has significantly reduced roadkill in the areas with fencing, however there appears to be a fence-end effect at 1 hotspot. In addition, there is evidence that Painted and Snapping Turtles will use smaller drainage culverts to cross the highway. Theme: Opportunity Knocks; Low-cost High Benefit Practices Download the presentation. |
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| Mitigation Measures Along the Highway 175 | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 10:00am - 11:00am | |
| Katrina Belanger-Smith, Concordia University; Jochen A.G. Jaeger, Concordia University Montreal, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment The widening of HW 175 between Quebec City and Saguenay from two to four lanes has been one of the largest road expansion projects in Canada. Road mitigation measures for terrestrial wildlife in Quebec have only begun about 10 years ago. The 33 new wildlife passages along HW 175 are among the first designated wildlife passages built in Quebec. Studies about large mammals were conducted in 2004-2011 and published in a special issue in the journal Le Naturaliste Canadien. The Transport Ministry of Quebec started monitoring medium-sized and small mammals in 2009, which is now continued in a 4-year research project, using a two-tiered approach. Tier 1 monitoring is designed to answer the most fundamental management questions regarding wildlife habitat connectivity and the performance of the mitigation measures, addressing three main objectives: (1) to characterize the locations and rates of road mortality and to evaluate the differences between areas with and without mitigation measures; (2) to determine the performance of four types of passages; (3) to assess how well the mitigation measures provide for the permeability of the highway for individuals and for gene flow, with a focus on the American marten. A first product has been a Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan for the Wildlife Passages Along Highway 175 for Medium-Sized and Small Mammals. Tier 2 research will focus on landscape and population-level connectivity and is intended provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the mitigation measures perform. This presentation will set the stage for the two following talks that address the three objectives. Download the presentation. |
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| From Science to Policy to Action: Using Data to Create Policies that Protect Habitat and Resources | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 10:00am - 11:00am | |
| Bryan Davis, Senior Transportation Planner, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission; Jennifer Murray, Jericho Planning and Development Coordinator; Jeff Parsons, Arrowwood Environmental; Jon Kart, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife; Jamey Fidel, Vermont Natural Resources Council Several years ago CCRPC staff decided to deepen the organization's involvement in wildlife and transportation planning, particularly with regards to safety (human and wildlife) at wildlife crossings of roadways. At the same time a citizen science effort was underway in several rural Chittenden County towns, which got both volunteers and local policy makers excited about the potential to affect local policies that would strengthen protection of wildlife habitat. The CCRPC reached out to these communities to create a pilot project in partnership with Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Vermont Natural Resources Council. With funding from an ECOS Grant (through the CCRPC as part of a federal HUD/EPD/DOT grant) the team contracted with Arrowwood Environmental to complete a natural resource inventory in the towns of Richmond, Bolton, Huntington and Jericho that would complement existing citizen science. Through public meetings residents identified other areas of special interest in each community and described the value of their 'sense of place.' Taken together the science and local values will now be used to inform and update local policies that will ultimately protect wildlife habitat and other significant natural communities, inform transportation management and maintenance decisions, and proactively plan for local and regional impacts as a result of climate change. Theme: Adaptive Policy and Planning Download the presentation |
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| Programmatic Approaches to Environmental Permitting and Consultation | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 10:00am - 11:00am | |
| Julianne Schwarzer, US Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center; Janice Engle, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Conservation Integration; Marlys Osterhues, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Project Development and Environmental Review; John Narowski, Vermont Agency of Transportation; Jenna Pirrotta, NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources and Habitat Conservation Divisions The continued and expanded use of programmatic agreements (PAs), where procedures have been standardized and agreed upon, has been very effective in saving time. When prior agreements exist for avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating impacts, projects are reviewed quicker and trust is developed that results in improved relationships between DOTs and regulatory agencies. This Round Table session will highlight the development and use of PAs and related innovative approaches to environmental streamlining. This session will feature panelists from the Federal Highway Administration who are supporting PAs through the Every Day Counts initiative, panelists from FHWA, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Fish and Wildlife who working to develop the first rangewide programmatic consultations and panelists from State Departments of Transportation who can share lessons learned in developing and/or using programmatic approaches. Each panelist will make a very brief presentation (three minutes) to provide the audience with context for each panelists experience. Following these brief presentations, the moderator will ask a series of discussion questions, including questions from the audience and pre-prepared questions, of the panelists and guide a facilitated discussion. The goal of this session will be to provide more information on the benefits and outcomes of PAs and to share information with the audience on available resources to develop and implement PAs. Theme: Regional Collaboration-Shared Visions Download the presentation. |
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| The Development of a Planning-phase Environmental and Vulnerability Screening Tool and Interagency Geospatial Data Collaboration Application in Massachusetts | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 11:00am - 11:30am | |
| Tim Dexter, MassDOT Highway Division The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division (MassDOT) is transitioning to a new Geographic Information System (GIS) for the management of spatial data. Specifically, a GIS-enabled linear referencing system has been developed which allows asset management, project planning, and environmental analyses through a user friendly web-mapping interface. A planning-phase environmental and vulnerability screening tool is under development, which will allow the incorporation of ecological and adaptation design considerations into project scopes-of-work during early planning phases. A new geospatial data sharing application is under development to provide regulatory and resource agencies the capability of reviewing and commenting on MassDOT projects during the planning stage. These technological advancements will streamline project delivery through early interagency coordination, advanced environmental screening and prioritization, and through identifying environmental and adaptation considerations in the earliest planning phases. Theme: Adaptive Policy and Planning Download the presentation. |
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| The Low Hanging Fruit of Integrating Wildlife Connectivity and Climate Change | |
| Tuesday, September 23 / 11:00am - 11:30am | |
| Facilitator: Glenn Gingras, Vermont Agency of Transportation This interactive workshop encourages participants to exchange ideas on cost-effective and innovative approaches to wildlife and transportation. From kestrel boxes and erosion control matting, to policy shifts and pilot programs this discussion is bound to give you ideas for advancing your work. |
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| Integrating Fluvial Geomorphology and Hydrology into Post-Irene Permanent Repairs and Flood Vulnerability Mapping along the Vermont State Highway System | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:00am - 8:45am | |
| Evan Fitzgerald, Principal Watershed Scientist, Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, LLC.; Roy Schiff, Milone & MacBroom, Inc. Damage to the Vermont State Highway System during Tropical Storm Irene flooding illustrated the scale and magnitude of Vermont’s infrastructure vulnerability to fluvial erosion, and the need to incorporate fluvial geomorphic science into roadway infrastructure repair and protection. Over the past 2 years, VTrans geomorphology consultants have worked closely with VTrans Planners, Program Development Division, Districts, and their contractors to incorporate river science and engineering into roadway repair work across Vermont. The objectives of this work were to maximize the compatibility between river and road corridors, promote equilibrium river conditions, and thereby improve the long-term durability of VTrans infrastructure. This work has included the use of field measurements and existing VTDEC geomorphic assessment data to identify target river and floodplain dimensions during roadway stabilization designs. Embankment stabilization designs were created that maximized river stability and aquatic habitat and adequately protect road embankments against the next large flood. VTrans permanent repairs to Irene damage address site-specific areas of instability; however systemic river instability will remain a threat to VTrans infrastructure as rivers and floodplains continue to adjust in response to existing encroachments and future floods. Comprehensive river and roadway corridor assessments will help VTrans plan for on-going instability. LiDAR data facilitates corridor assessments by providing a basis for remote and rapid identification of areas of vertical and lateral instability. We developed methods for LiDAR-based flood vulnerability assessments using slope and relief maps, hydrologic and hydraulic models, and cursory ground-truthing. This work helped identify areas of unstable roadways that may be vulnerable during the next large flood. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation. |
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| Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) Proposed Listing and Consequences for Land Managers and Industry | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:00am - 8:45am | |
| Aaron Svedlow, Wildlife Biologist - Project Manager, Tetra Tech, Inc.; Karl Kosciuch, PhD. Tetra Tech, Inc.; Chris Farmer, PhD. Tetra Tech, Inc. Our presentation will provide an overview of the proposed listing of northern long-eared bats (NLEB) and its management implications. The purpose of the presentation will be to provide attendees with an overview of the current state of understanding about northern long-eared bat populations, habitat use, and USFWS’s recommended assessment and conferencing guidelines. The proposed listing of NLEB has implications for the wind industry, timber industry, and researchers. Tetra Tech biologists are working closely with USFWS Region 5 national wildlife refuge staff to evaluate bat acoustic data for the presence of NLEB. This presentation will allow us to share our understanding of the NLEB assessment process with attendees as well as engage the audience in a discussion about the implications of the listing, and outline the scientific and regulatory processes for evaluating NLEB occurrence and potential impacts. Theme: Adaptive Policy and Planning Download the presentation. |
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| The Three Borders Linkage Project | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:00am - 8:45am | |
| Louise Gratton, Chair, Two Countries, One Forest The Northern Appalachians is one of the most intact temperate broadleaf forests in the world. However, well-established farms, increased second-home development, and new roads threaten to fragment this extraordinary region into a series of disconnected ecological islands. In 2008, Wildlands Network, Two Countries One Forest, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society and other organizations identified a set of landscape linkages that are essential for regional-scale movement of multiple species and to maintain ecological processes between large blocks of habitat. A network of partners was convened to share information and mobilize action in those linkages. Few concerted efforts have been made, however, to plan for preservation and restoration of connectivity across international, provincial and state borders. Straddling Maine, Quebec and New Brunswick, the Three-Borders Linkage was identified as one of these critical linkage areas where real and potential tears in the regions connective tissue. Pursuing a collaborative planning process for connectivity in this linkage brings together stakeholders from all three political jurisdictions. Demonstrating that this landscape-scale, multiple-use approach can work across this transboundary landscape could serve as a model for ecologically comparable areas of the US and Canada. Theme: Regional Collaboration-Shared Visions Download the presentation. |
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| Benefits of Stream Simulation Designed Road-Stream Crossings: Flood resiliency, Aquatic Organism Passage and Economics | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:45am - 9:30am | |
| Brian Austin, Civil Engineer, USDA Forest Service; Daniel McKinley, USDA Forest Service, Green Mountain National Forest With increasing miles of fragmented stream habitat due to undersized or failed road-stream crossings, restoring connectivity by eliminating physical barriers to aquatic species has become a priority for Eastern Region National Forests. Recent watershed-wide stream crossing assessments show as few as 24% of crossings allow passage for all species and size classes. Stream simulation design is a geomorphic and ecologically-based approach to designing road-stream crossings that mimics natural channel structure, sediment characteristics, water velocity, depths, and resting areas for aquatic organisms. Effectiveness monitoring has demonstrated brook trout movement through stream simulation design structures soon after construction. Although aquatic organism passage has been the primary design priority of stream simulation design, our work on the Green Mountain National Forest has demonstrated additional benefits of flood resiliency and economic savings. During Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, two completed stream simulation design projects in the Green Mountain National Forest received high flows during the sustained heavy rains. Unlike many traditional hydraulically designed crossings on state and town highways, these structures received no damage and traffic was able to be maintained immediately following the storm. Although stream simulation culvert installation costs are 10-30% higher than traditional hydraulic designs, cost savings from reduced maintenance, lack of failure from flooding and increased structure lifespan are substantial. Partnerships were formed with Towns, Federal Agencies and non-profit organizations to overcome shortfalls in FEMA funding following TS Irene to replace damaged stream crossings with stream simulation designed crossings. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation. |
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| State Agency Collaboration on Culvert Replacements in New Hampshire | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:45am - 9:30am | |
| Lori Sommer, Wetland Mitigation Coordinator, NH Department of Environmental Services; Kevin Nyhan, NH Department of Transportation New Hampshire's climate is changing, and will continue to change in the future. Many predicted aspects of this changing climate - higher temperatures, more intense rainfall events, more frequent and/or prolonged stream flow changes will impact the state's waterways and wetland areas. Addressing the needs of ecosystems and wildlife in the context of human and climate change stressors requires preparation and coordination between partners. This collaboration is increasingly being explored by state agencies, watershed associations and land conservation organizations to address opportunities that exist to become more resilient and prepared for these events as well as exploring funding mechanisms to support the changes. The Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund program has been developed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) as a mitigation option for applicants to provide funds in-lieu of other forms of mitigation. Through an innovative approach with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), NHDES and NHDOT have developed a process that utilizes an inventory of deficient culverts or crossings on the state transportation system that fragment stream reaches to be funded through in-lieu fee funds, or to be replaced/rehabilitated as mitigation for other stream impacts. The presenters will elaborate on the inventory program, analysis being performed to prioritize the replacement of crossings with the most potential to exacerbate the effects of climate change, and a funding arrangement that addresses rehabilitation of existing infrastructure as mitigation for other DOT projects. The culvert mitigation program is a new and promising model of collaboration and utilization of limited funds for measurable environmental gains. Theme: Regional Collaboration-Shared Visions Download the presentation. |
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| State Transportation and Fish & Wildlife Agency Partnerships: Models in Interagency Coordination, Project Development and Implementation or How we Manage to all Get Along | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 8:45am - 9:30am | |
| Richard Bostwick, Field Studies Supverisor, Maine Department of Transportation; Gina Campoli; John Austin; John Perry; Tim Dexter; David Paulson Environmental and policy staff at some state transportation agencies in the Northeast have developed good working relationships with their counterparts in the state fish and wildlife/natural resource agencies. These relationships, however, do not appear to be universal in the Northeast and elsewhere, where transportation and natural resource agencies limited funding and may have conflicting priorities. For agencies in states like Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine, while different agencies with different mandates, managers and staff have collaborated successfully and overcoming obstacles by focusing on common goals and what the public desires – safe roadways, infrastructure that is resilient to climate change, clean water, and fish and wildlife protection. While these relationships are far from perfect, experiences, mutual education, and lessons learned have helped foster good working relationships that has allowed both transportation and natural resource agencies achieve their goals. The focus of this panel discussion is for the participants to relate their experiences of working together and collecting and sharing information early for on research, planning initiative, projects, and regulatory streamlining. Some examples from the participating states include: MaineDOT has had a long history of collaborating with MDIFW on a variety of efforts. MaineDOT was an early proponent of the Beginning with habitat program, which use planning level data to help planners locate and avoid sensitive areas. MDIFW and MaineDOT have worked collaborative on identifying road segments that have high animal/vehicle crashes and to look at strategies to reduce them, This dove times into a larger multi agency effort to report and review actions by state agencies like targeting animal hunting permit locations, seasonal signing in areas where crashes are more common during parts of the year, and reviewing and producing education materials for tourists and driver education classes. Current effort include a Spatial database screening effort to allow MDIFW regional biologists to easily review our long range Workplan. MDIFW, USFWS and MaineDOT are working collaboratively on reducing bald eagle strikes along highways with a season signage plan coupled with an enhanced highway patrol to move roadkill animals away from the travel ways.
Download the presentation. |
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| Building Momentum: the Multi-Faceted Efforts in Maine to Address Stream Connectivity Including a Status Update on Maine’s Stream-Smart Education Program | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:00am - 10:45am | |
| Jeremy Bell, Aquatic Habitat Restoration Manager, The Nature Conservancy; Barbara Charry, Conservation Biologist and GIS Manager, Maine Audubon Maine’s stream connectivity work on culverts continues to gain momentum through a number of different strategies. The presenters will provide an overview of efforts throughout the state to improve stream crossings for fish and wildlife passage. A wide array of partners have a stake in the issue, which is reflected in the number of programs that exist in the state. These programs will be described along with the current trends in assessment, outreach, training, and fundraising to get projects done. Stream-Smart started in 2012, with Maine Audubon’s leadership and significant contributions of many partners, as a series of professional workshops. The goals of Stream-Smart workshops are to connect fish and wildlife habitat while protecting roads and public safety and prepare for the large and frequent storm events that have been washing out roads around the state and the northeast. To date over 500 contractors, road commissioners, public works employees, engineers, consultants, state officials, foresters, and land trusts have participated. Additional educational needs to restore stream connectivity at road-stream crossings have been identified. The presenters will give an overview of these new Stream-Smart initiatives to develop technical expertise and outreach capacity statewide. Theme: Regional Collaboration-Shared Visions Download the presentation. |
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| The Gathering Storm: Stormwater and Coldwater Fish | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:00am - 10:45am | |
| Dana Ohman, Aquatic Biologist II, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife; Alex Murray, Environmental Analyst, MassDOT- Highway Division; Tim Dexter, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Inhabitants of coldwater streams are sensitive resources that need clear, cold, free flowing, well oxygenated water preferably with an intact forested riparian area. Impairments to these resources can accumulate through the reduction of water quality, removal of in-stream habitat, decreased connection with riparian areas, and barriers that obstruct the free movement of fish throughout the stream network. These combined impairments create a fragmented riverine habitat which can lead to localized extirpation. Increasing demand for infrastructure is ever increasing and places coldwater streams at an even greater risk. When pollutants wash off our roads, driveways, and parking lots following a rain or snowmelt event the overland flow enters our rivers and streams. These pollutants can bring heavy sediment, excess nutrients, road salt, trash, household hazardous wastes, and other pathogens. These pollutants can contain metals and pesticides that can be toxic to the nervous systems of fish while petroleum products and pesticides can suppress the immune system. Pollutants can harm the prey that fish consume and the toxicity of these chemicals absorbed by the prey will cause bioaccumulation in the tissue of fish. Stormwater can create thermal degradation by increasing the temperature of streams thereby altering spawning and migration patterns and even direct mortality. This type of pollution is now widely recognized as one of the largest threats to our aquatic ecosystems. One step to help alleviate some the stressors on coldwater streams is to design best management practices that will lessen the impacts of stormwater runoff to coldwater resources. Theme: Infrastructure & Flood Resilience Download the presentation. |
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| Conserving Large Landscapes ... One Highway at a Time | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:00am - 10:45am | |
| Louise Gratton; Tony Clevenger, Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University For over 30 years, large mammals have safely crossed a major 4-lane highway bisecting Banff National Park at least 150,000 times. By ensuring that key ecological processes are connected, highway mitigation is arguably one of Canadas greatest conservation success stories. The details of this story are borne out of long-term research initiated in 1996. We have quantified the effect of the crossings on predator-prey interactions, gene flow, diel activity patterns, behavioural responses to crossing designs, and the role of humans in shaping where and when wildlife cross the highway. Integrating our efforts with concurrent studies from across the region, a new picture is emerging of critical links between local and regional-scale conservation efforts. Download the presentation. |
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| Connecting the D.O.T.S - Maintaining an Eco-regional Context Through Individual Projects | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:45am - 11:30am | |
| Facilitator: Gina Campoli, Environmental Policy Manager, Vermont Agency of Transportation This interactive workshop encourages participants to exchange ideas on maintaining the eco-regional context of wildlife and transportation-related work, while recognizing that much of the work is one (local) project at a time. Perhaps you're designing a bridge or culvert, or assessing a site for wildlife habitat, it can be difficult to integrate the various scales at play both spatial and temporal. This facilitated discussion will graple with these complex issues. |
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| Fish Friendly, Flood Resilient & Cost Effective, Connecting Roads, Streams and Partners | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:45am - 11:30am | |
| Amy Singler, Associate Director, River Restoration, American Rivers; Associate Director, River Restoration; Carrie Banks, River Continuity Coordinator, Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration With thousands of road crossings obstructing northeast rivers and streams, the impacts to public safety and habitat can be significant. Storms cause major damage to road-stream crossings, leading to public safety hazards and impacts to fisheries habitat. Many of our crossings are undersized impacting fish and wildlife access to upstream habitat. At the same time, these undersized crossings are prone to flood damage during storm events and can become public safety hazards. The goals of fisheries biologists and transportation managers may be different, but all interests benefit when road-stream crossings are improved. The solutions lie in the partnerships between town highway departments, state resource agencies and nonprofit partners working together to achieve a balance with the natural resource and community infrastructure needs. In New England, where partners have worked together to improve state and federal permits for stream crossings, we have also successfully develop standards and guidance documents. In the wake of the damage from Tropical Storm Irene, partners in Massachusetts developed and held 6 trainings in 2013 for road managers and town engineers in order to help implement projects to benefit habitat and public safety. We will highlight the success of partnering with transportation planners, road managers, state and federal regulators, and resource managers to achieve stream habitat improvements at road-stream crossings. Through case studies, we will share:
Download the presentation. |
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| Critical Linkages: Assessing Local and Regional Scale Landscape Connectivity for Transportation Planning in Massachusetts | |
| Wednesday, September 24 / 10:45am - 11:30am | |
| Scott Jackson, Extension Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Kevin McGarigal, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Brad Compton, University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst, working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and MassDOT completed a comprehensive two-phase analysis of areas in Massachusetts where connections must be protected and restored to support wildlife and biodiversity resources. The Critical Linkages project employed a 'coarse-filter' approach in our assessment of connectivity; one that did not involve any particular focal species but instead holistically considered ecological systems. We distinguished two important scales for assessing connectivity. Local connectivity refers to the spatial scale at which the dominant organisms interact directly with the landscape via demographic processes such as dispersal and home range movements. Regional connectivity refers to the spatial scale exceeding that in which organisms directly interact with the landscape. In Phase 1 we used the Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) framework to model various scenarios at the local scale and quantify the differences among them. Using this approach we conducted a comprehensive statewide assessment of restoration potential for 1) dam removals, 2) culvert replacements and 3) wildlife passage structures on roads, railroads and highways. In Phase II we utilized a hybrid of the resistant kernel estimator approach (used at the local scale) and a graph theoretic approach to assess connectivity at a regional scale. The results allowed us to create maps of node importance, link importance and conductance statewide and identify sections of roads and highways where crossings structures would do the most to promote regional connectivity. Via the North Atlantic LCC these techniques now are available for use in other states. Theme: A Landscape Approach to Green Infrastructure Download the presentation. |
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