Habitat fragmentation analysis requires the direct input from resource and regulatory agency partners to properly frame the assessment process, beginning with the establishment of the landscape scale of the study area through to the establishment of appropriate mitigation strategies. Agency partners often can provide data sources and expertise to guide the fragmentation impact analysis process. Their “buy-in” to the evaluation process is essential so that critical decision points and project schedules can be maintained while also meeting the overall project purpose and need. Examples of typical agency partners include State wildlife resource agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Wildlife and Roads Decision Guide developed under NCHRP 25-27 provides relevant guidelines that assist in determining the agency partners.
Scoping Meetings
The objectives of a scoping meeting with the agency partners include:
The identification of target species habitat, minimum patch sizes, species life history details and other noteworthy habitat qualities for targeted species is predicated on resource agency coordination. The habitat networks and study area limits will likely need some refining to accommodate the home range and/or dispersal distance of particular target species. Critical information gleaned from resource agency coordination during this step is key to forming the framework and assumptions for future analysis of fragmentation, including impacts analysis and mitigation decision-making. This process begins with the project scoping meeting and ideally would be completed before the alternatives analysis so as to inform the decisions made during the alternatives development.
go to Step 4: Set Goals and Objectives with Agency Partners for Habitat Fragmentation Reduction