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The mission of the Institute is to increase humankind's understanding, appreciation, and protection of our natural environment; particularly wildlife populations and wild landscapes.  Our goal is to enable human beings to live in harmony with other species.

 The Interior Cedar-Hemlock Forest of North America

In 2004, in collaboration with the Valhalla Wilderness Society, we completed a broad-scale regional-level modeling approach for the Inland Temperate Rainforest of British Columbia, and identified 47.5 % of the region that we feel should be given a high degree of protection in order to ensure the persistence of our focal terrestrial and aquatic species for several hundred years. The initial results of the CAD process are broad-scale maps and generalized conservation guidelines over large areas.  The subsequent results of the CAD process are fine-scale maps and site-specific conservation plans.  This scale is most effective for a "bottom-up" approach where local residents and groups use the data to guide on-the-ground efforts to secure conservation easements, purchase land, provide input into land management planning processes and otherwise work to ensure that conservation priorities are met.  The results, over a wide landscape, are solutions for pieces of the larger puzzle that are important to people at a local level. Copies of the CAD and related reports can be found at http://www.savespiritbear.org/

In 2005 and 2006 we plan to extend the broad-scale analysis across the border to include the Interior Cedar-Hemlock forests in Washington, Idaho, and Montana.  As soon as that is completed we will develop fine-scale designs of core areas and corridors for key regions of this study area using a higher-resolution habitat suitability modeling approach and least-cost-path methodology. 

Old-growth rainforests are among the most biologically rich and diverse ecosystems in the world.  Coastal temperate rainforests are estimated to comprise only 2% of earth's ecosystems.  In North America, the Inland Rainforest or Interior Cedar-Hemlock Forest is an even rarer type.  Inland Rainforests occur in a small area in southeastern British Columbia and, to a lesser extent, northern Idaho, Washington and Montana. 

Located in North America's wettest inland mountain valleys, these forests are distinguished by a predominance of western red cedar, western hemlock, and many typically coastal species of lichens. Several old cedar trees have been documented to be over 2,000 years old.  Old-growth stands provide critical habitat for several species at risk, including grizzly bears, woodland caribou, and bull trout.  Woodland caribou are now extinct in Montana, endangered in Idaho, and classified as a "species at risk" in southern British Columbia.  Bull trout are classified as threatened in the U.S and "at risk" in British Columbia.

To identify the remaining areas of the Interior Cedar-Hemlock Forest that are priorities for conservation, the Craighead Environmental Research Institute has refined a method that focuses on mapping critical habitat for six focal species: grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx, cougar, and mountain caribou.  Our basic assumption is that if we can maintain healthy populations of these six species we can protect biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.  To do this we develop computer-based habitat suitability models for each of the six terrestrial focal species. Our results identify habitat concentration areas (cores) for each species that are then merged into composites of these areas that could satisfy needs for several species. We then use least-cost-path connectivity methods to identify probable movement corridors between core areas. Next we model priority aquatic habitat for salmon and for threatened fish species. To evaluate our results we compare them with other modeling approaches, conduct rigorous statistical and optimization analyses, and validate them on-the-ground through workshops and field surveys. We will incorporate other existing conservation plan results with our focal species results to develop a comprehensive Conservation Area Design (CAD) encompassing both BC and US regions.

• To implement conservation we disseminate the results and recommendations to local decision-makers, public lands managers, private landowners and land trusts, media outlets, conservation groups, and other interested parties to increase public understanding and to guide appropriate protection and management of critical lands.
  

•  Our strategy as an organization is to continue establishing CERI as a leading source for research related to wildlife and wildlife habitat, with relevance to conservation issues. A key part of our research niche is our ability to communicate our results and work cooperatively with other scientists as well as with conservation activists. Our partnerships have greatly increased our capacity for both research and communication, and have broadened our base of financial and organizational support.

• We have refined our 2-scale modeling method utilizing a broad-scale model and fine-scale models for analyzing habitat quality and connectivity for key wildlife species.  He developed a modeling approach using ESRI ArcGIS Modelbuilder format which makes it more efficient, easier to use and modify, and amenable to sensitivity analysis.  We now have a habitat modeling approach that can be adapted to any landscape in the US and Canada for almost any wildlife species.