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Playa Lakes Joint V enture

Integrating Human Dimensions into Biological Planning for Bird Conservation in the Western Great Plains Anne Bartuszevige, Miruh Hamend , Mike Carter, Barth Crouch. Playa Lakes Joint Venture A regional partnership dedicated to conserving bird habitat throughout the western Great Plains

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Playa Lakes Joint V enture

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  1. Integrating Human Dimensions into Biological Planning for Bird Conservation in the Western Great PlainsAnne Bartuszevige, MiruhHamend, Mike Carter, Barth Crouch

  2. Playa Lakes Joint Venture A regional partnership dedicated to conserving bird habitat throughout the western Great Plains Boundaries encompass most of the short- and mixed-grass prairie bird conservation regions Playas are the most numerous wetland type in the region and critical to supporting wildlife Playa Lakes Joint Venture

  3. Playas 80,000 Playas Ephemeral Wetlands Aquifer Recharge Birds Love Them

  4. PLJV Demographics • PLJV 2010 population: 8,765,146 • PLJV Core: 2,950,640 • PLJV InnerCore: 1,924,229

  5. Playa Lakes Joint Venture Region 5% of the Population 20% of the Population 75% of the Population 1% of the Land 29% of the Land 70% of the Land

  6. Human Dimensions QuestionWhat motivates landowners to enroll, or not, in a playa conservation program?

  7. We Can Speculate… or Ask Possible motivators • Economic considerations • Peer acceptance of their actions • Ease of making agreements with the government • Loss of control over the land • Not understanding results of intended conservation action • Addition of more unforeseen work

  8. Landowner Focus Groups • DJ Case & Associates conducted 13 focus groups across the Playa Lakes & Rainwater Basin JVs • Talked with farmers and ranchers who have playas on their property • Held in areas with large playa clusters as identified by PLJV's Playa Decision Support System • Funded by Great Plains LandscapeConservationCooperative

  9. What We HeardPrimary Reasons to Conserve Playas Economics — higher return Conservation — “I like wildlife and farming is risky, so why fight it?”

  10. What We HeardSecondary Reasons to Conserve Playas Hunting — for themselves or leasing rights Rest the land— make it more productive

  11. What We HeardPrimary Reasons NOT to Conserve Playas • Economics – powerful incentives to farm/ranch them • Distrust government – programs/requirements can change quickly

  12. What We HeardSecondary Reasons NOT to Conserve Playas • Hassle – not worth the effort • Location & size of playa matters • Makes no sense to “waste” the forage and water in playas

  13. What We HeardEnrolling Land in Conservation Programs Is price per acre competitive? Length of contract What control do you give up? Who administers contract?

  14. What We HeardKey Beliefs About Playas & the Aquifer Amount of recharge is not significant Need more information!How much recharge? How long does it take? Info must be from a credible source Conservation efforts are “too little, too late”

  15. What We HeardIf Convinced Playas Provided Benefits Would you take action to conserve them? • A large majority would conserve playas to help the aquifer • Fewer would conserve playas for wildlife benefits only, but most would consider it

  16. Impediments to Playa Conservation • Lack of understandingof playa functions/benefits • Need for more information on connection between playas and aquifer (amount, time to recharge, relative significance) • Skepticism about whether playa conservation would have any significant impact on depletion of the aquifer • Lack of knowledge about conservation programs available • Lack of sufficient lead time for signing up for conservation programs • Farmers/ranchers seek higher economic incentives • Tradition – most operators have been farming/grazing for generations

  17. Recommendations • Target conservation programs, communications and outreach • Work in small, prioritized focal areas • Use local terminology • Promote aquifer recharge message, then wildlife benefits • Landowner Advisory Groups • Work with conservation groups to make programs more accessible and desirable • Adjust existing programs • Create new/supplemental programs • Maximize and promote economic incentives • Minimize sense of “government entanglement”

  18. Biological Planning Landscape Design integrates societal values, sets biological goals, and uses sound science based in landscape ecology to provide a variety of scenario plans that describe where conservation can best be achieved and how it relates to measurable goals • Pattern, Process and Design • Acknowledges role of humans • Goal-based

  19. Drivers Farming Tillage Likelihood Model Development • Inputs • Past Tillage • Soils, Topography, Climate • Output • Likelihood of tillage in the future

  20. Drivers Drivers - Farming Future Landscape Pattern / Process Tillage Likelihood Model 2014 Playas yield 19% of Goal Farmed Playaslose 4% of Goal 2019 Playas yield 15% of Goal

  21. A plan to execute A Landscape Conservation Design

  22. Integration with Biological Planning • Areas of high wetland density • Areas with high rates of Aquifer depletion • Opportunities to form focal areas • Landowner participation • Benefit to wetland birds and Aquifer

  23. Questions?

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