Project 2

Since mid-October we have focused on aspects of ecology and population biology that have implications for the design and management of nature reserves. Your first assignment in this course was to apply the principles of population genetics and population ecology to the conservation of a particular endangered species. Your second assignment is to apply similar principles to the design of a system of nature reserves.

You have been invited to give a 10-minute presentation to the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Open Space. The Task Force has asked you to describe some of the biological issues that they should consider in preparing the report. They have provided you with a draft copy of their strategy and plan to serve as a basis for your comments. The draft identifies the following goals for an open space strategy (The details that follow are a fair representation of the draft strategy currently being considered by the Governor's Open Space Task Force.):

1. The goal is for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to own and manage 10% of the state's surface, or about 320,500 acres.
2. The DEP owns and manages 6.6% (210,000 acres) of the state's surface. Municipal and non-profit open space totals another 3.3%. This leaves 90% of the state, nearly 2.9 million acres, in private (including corporate and institutional) ownership.
3. The mission is to find and acquire the best 110,000 acres available among the 2.9 million acres currently in private ownership. This would mean acquiring approximately 3.8% of currently held private land in the state.
4. The target acreage for acquisition in various land categories is:
• Usable forest land (for wildlife and timber production): 50,000 acres
• The best scenic and historic properties: 10,000 acres
• Links (greenways, trails, abandoned railbeds): 20,000 acres
• Access to water (boat launches, fishing access, beaches): 10,000 acres
• The best natural areas: 10,000 acres
• Special consideration, medium to large parcels (> 500 acres): 10,000 acres

Your task is to write up a 4-5 page statement from which you will make your remarks. Focus your remarks on the extent to which the draft plan will help to conserve biological diversity in the state of Connecticut and how identify strategies that will strengthen its conservation impact (keeping within the overall goal of 110,000 acres of additional state land).

To help you further in preparing your statement, you'll find copies of the actual draft report from the subcommittee on strategy and plan (dated 20 October 1997) and a few papers that you may or may not find useful. Feel free to discuss this project among yourselves, to bounce ideas off one another, or to ask for additional direction in class. I'll be looking for two things in evaluating your projects: (1) a clear statement of priorities for protection and (2) justification for those priorities. I'll be especially interested in the extent to which you are able to bring appropriate biological principles to bear on design of a conservation reserve system subject to externally imposed constraints.

Useful links:

• GAP Analysis Program
• Map and Geographic Information Center (University of Connecticut)
• Geographical Information from the U.S. Geological Survey
• Charles B. Graves Herbarium, Connecticut College
• The Nature Conservancy: Connecticut Chapter
• Connecticut Natural Heritage Program
• Connecticut Tiger Beetles
• Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge