This report provides scientifically sound maps and guidance—based on spatially explicit, empirical models—that can be used to support forest management recommendations to sustain populations of four imperiled forest carnivores in the inland mountain ranges of California: Pacific marten (Martes caurina), fisher (Martes pennanti), wolverine (Gulo gulo), and Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator). The maps depict the distribution of populations and habitat for each species as well as habitat connectivity areas that are important to maintaining species’ movements and demographic and genetic processes. These maps and scientific information about each species are used to develop spatially explicit conservation and management recommendations, which should be considered in prioritizing conservation actions (e.g., land acquisitions or easements), revising National Forest Management Plans, planning fuels management or other vegetation treatments, developing road improvements, or other actions that may affect these species or their habitats.
The products and recommendations are intended to be complementary to other planning efforts in the region, such as the following:
- Science synthesis, bioregional assessment and Forest Plan revisions, being developed by the USDA Forest Service
- West Coast Fisher Conservation Strategy, being developed by an Interagency Fisher Biology Team
- Sierra Nevada Conservation Strategy, being developed by Sierra Forest Legacy and other conservation organizations
- Framework for Cooperative Conservation and Climate Adaptation in the Southern Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains, prepared by the Southern Sierra Partnership and being implemented by multiple stakeholders
- Plans to potentially reintroduce wolverines to National Parks in the southern Sierra Nevada
The maps in this report are small and intended as illustrations of landscape-scale patterns; however, all maps and datasets included in this report can be viewed at finer resolution on a variety of basemaps or aerial imagery in the Sierra Nevada Carnivore Conservation Group at http://databasin.org.
