Decision-support for regional reserve design and siting of renewable energy and infrastructure

Jerre Stallcup, Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) Senior Scientist and Tim Sheehan, Ecological Modeler,  presented a software framework developed by CBI which uses a logic model to rank sections of land according to ecological value, biological potential, and level of disturbance.  Using visualizations of spatial datasets in Data Basin, Jerre demonstrated how the results can inform reserve design, conservation goal setting, and siting of renewable energy.  Implemented for the Southern Sierra/Western Mojave, the approach and decision-support tool have widespread applicability, including:

• Informing regional conservation goals
• Setting priorities for regional reserve design and off-set mitigation
• Informing resource management needs
• Identifying priority information gaps
• Prioritizing conservation of unprotected lands
• Providing a process for transparent risk assessments by developers and permit agencies
• Identifying potential conflicts with development