Using Western Landscapes - Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes - page 316

approach, now used by various entities, calls for assem-
bling the best available biological and ecological infor-
mation about sites where a development is proposed.
that information is then displayed on maps using Geo-
graphic information Systems. the severity of anticipated
environmental impacts are assessed in a similar man-
ner. After careful analysis, the impacts and conflicts are
identified.
But Development by Design does not stop there.
the next step is to formulate a strategy for avoiding,
minimizing, or mitigating the adverse effects. Actions
are then taken, and the result is monitored to measure
whether the plan was successful. Based on the results,
plans developed in the future can be improved—a
decisionmaking process known as adaptive manage-
ment. the best scientific information is used, and
the analyses are peer reviewed, as required with any
science-driven approach. 19 the process includes will-
ing participants. the first application in Wyoming
was on the Jonah gas field south of Pinedale. to start
with, several corporations contributed some $25 mil-
lion to a fund administered by the Jonah interagency
office, which is overseen by a committee composed of
specialists with the Wyoming Game and Fish Depart-
ment, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming
Department of environmental Quality, and the Bureau
of Land Management. Working in collaboration with
the Wyoming Wildlife and natural Resources trust,
established by the Wyoming State Legislature, the
fund is used for various kinds of mitigation, including
habitat improvement.
According to Development by Design protocol, some
sites will have very high conservation value and the
best strategy is to avoid the impact. When this happens,
developers are asked whether they could find another
place or method for their investment. if that is clearly
not possible, a plan is agreed upon to minimize the on-
site impact and mitigate the adverse effects. Mitigation
involves the use of offsets, that is, the reclamation or res-
toration of nearby habitat agreed to be in relatively poor
condition. ideally, by minimizing adverse on-site effects
and providing for offsets, there is a net gain in habitat for
the sensitive species in the area. Mitigation is most likely
to succeed if it is done near the affected site. 20
the extent to which mitigation is possible is con-
troversial, but it might involve active reclamation of a

previously degraded site, the purchase of conservation
credits from a conservation bank, or the purchase of
conservation easements that prevent habitat loss on
other sites that probably would be the location of future
developments and the associated consequences. the
approach is not perfect; population sizes of some sensi-
tive species will decline. However, the process is cur-
rently viewed as minimizing adverse effects and may
prove to be generally acceptable to diverse stakeholders.
the goal is to stop declines in biological diversity. com-
pensation from a conservation bank is available for
landowners who can assist with the mitigation pro-
cess, as described previously. Also, for landowners who
collaborate with U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists in
developing a conservation plan for sensitive species on
their property, there is the potential for a “safe harbor
agreement.” 21

over the years, land managers have learned how to
restore degraded ecosystems by fostering the growth
of desired plant species, closing some roads, reduc-
ing recreational impacts, applying new approaches
for conserving threatened species, and a variety of
other initiatives. ecosystem services often have been
restored. Success is always more likely when the climate
is favorable and familiar. now, however, the climate is
changing in ways that are affecting land management
practices. Also, through the widespread application of
fertilizers and nitrogen-rich effluents into air and water,
ecosystems are becoming enriched with nutrients. the
environment of the future is likely to be more fertile as
well as warmer and drier.
native plants and animals have evolved tolerances to
the slowly changing climatic conditions of the past tens
of thousands of years. can they evolve rapidly enough
to thrive under the changes expected during the next
century? Will mitigation or restoration be feasible with
combinations of precipitation, temperature, and sea-
sonal variations that have most likely never existed
before? Will exotic species be favored over the natives?
Such topics have been discussed throughout this topic.
Warmer temperatures and longer summers are likely
to extend the inevitable droughts. Fires already have
become more frequent; water for municipalities, agricul-
ture, and industry has become more expensive, and the
reallocation of limited water supplies is controversial.