Project Abstract:
This project will develop conservation planning tools that RESTORE Council members can use as they identify and evaluate future land conservation strategies, opportunities, and projects in the Gulf Coast Region. These tools will be developed through an inclusive and collaborative process that evaluates data from previously existing land conservation plans and incorporates local, regional, and Gulf-wide input. The final products will include a new Geographic Information System (GIS) of existing plans and other pertinent information, a Conservation Planning Tool (CPT) that reflects the Council members’ shared goals and priorities, and a Strategic Conservation Assessment (SCA) that identifies land conservation opportunities based upon shared goals and other factors. The project combines the land conservation plans already in existence in the Gulf region into decision support tools—the CPT and SCA—that offer a Gulf-wide perspective on land conservation. These tools and the subsequent modeling and analysis will provide RESTORE Council members with information they can use to ensure that the land conservation decisions they make provide the greatest benefit to current and future ecosystem sustainability and resilience within the states and across the Gulf. This project will take three years to complete. Additional information on this project can be found at http://www.landscope.org/gulfcoast/.