By Heather Barnett and Madelyn Glickfeld,
California Resources Agency

Like leaves falling from the trees during fall, the California Continuing Resource Inventory Strategy Program (CCRISP) has sprouted a much fresher name: California Legacy Project. The Project remains a resource conservation strategy, creating tools and information to help guide conservation investment decisions.

Project Development
As part of its resource assessment efforts, the Legacy Project is identifying key conservation criteria for biodiversity, working landscapes, rural recreational lands, and urban open space. Departments and outside experts identified initial criteria in several workshops held last fall.

Spotlight on Conservation Workshops
From April to July this year, the Legacy Project invites stakeholders to eight bioregional “Spotlight on Conservation” workshops. This handful of smaller gatherings replaces the previously scheduled June 2002 conference. The workshop schedule will be posted the on the Legacy Project website as soon as it is available.

Along with facilitating discussions on regional conservation priorities, these eight workshops will help to refine and gain some agreement on assessment criteria. These rotating meetings will provide information on the development of various tools to help prioritize conservation options.

Data Activities
An updated vegetation map has been completed for most of the state. Additionally, initial agreements on standards for consistent, finer–resolution mapping have been reached. The Project held a workshop for wetland scientists and managers on the creation of a statewide wetlands inventory. A draft statewide map of federal and state ownerships and management is nearly completed. Additional Project efforts include cataloging conservation plans by government and non–profit organizations. These are just highlights of the Project’s data activities.

The goal of the California Legacy Project is to provide a web–based information system that allows for easy access to conservation–related data. The Project has developed a partnership with ESRI, computer mapping experts, to create this system and a California Digital Atlas.

Resource Monitoring and Stewardship
As part of the Legacy Project’s Resource Trends Monitoring and Assessment effort, an interagency workgroup has been formed to explore strategies for data sharing that could lead to a more comprehensive assessment of the health and condition of California’s natural resources. The Project will soon begin work with departments and private landowners to develop an array of private land stewardship programs.

Advisory Committees
In September 2001, representatives from a broad range of interests gathered for the first Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting. This group brings an enormous amount of expertise to bear on the successful development of the Legacy Project. The Management Advisory Committee brings together state and federal agencies as well as non–governmental organizations. It emerged during this first Advisory Committee meeting that this will be an important forum for addressing common data needs, improving data sharing, and updating systems.

Stay Tuned
In the fall of 2002, all of these elements will begin to come together to create easy–to–use tools that will assist in identifying conservation priorities.

California Biodiversity News: Volume 9, Number 1
Spring/Summer 2002
For more information on the California Biodiversity Council, please contact:
Erin Klaesius, Communications Coordinator
CA Biodiversity Council
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814

Email: erin_klaesius@fire.ca.gov