Mapping with a Consistent Wildlife Habitat Classification to Improve Transportation and Conservation Planning

A basic tenet to streamline transportation and conservation planning is consistency. An overview is given of the steps necessary to create a consistent methodology for habitat assessment. This process was developed in the Pacific Northwest and combines three components for determining the baseline condition for fish and wildlife habitat. Each component captures a portion of the information necessary to assess wildlife habitats across large areas consistently. The first component is a hierarchical wildlife habitat classification scheme that can be mapped at various scales. The second piece is a relational database that ties multiple species–habitat relationships to the hierarchical classification scheme. Finally, the third component necessary is a consistent mapping methodology that can tie together both relational databases and classification schemes at various hierarchical scales. Each component is described, and a broad outline of how to combine these three components to determine the baseline habitat value for wildlife is offered. Examples are used to illustrate several products from this approach that are useful for transportation and conservation planning. Creating a consistent methodology for wildlife habitat assessment can help streamline transportation and conservation projects by enabling resource managers to determine baseline habitat values, focus the discussion on high-value areas, and improve mitigation efforts based on value rather than acreage.