Habitat Connectivity Symposium

EPIC attended the Habitat Connectivity Symposium in Ashland, Oregon, in late May. The conference was hosted and organized by the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, the Selberg Institute, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, and Defenders of Wildlife.

Wildlife Overpass on I-5

One exciting aspect of the event was getting to see where the first I-5 freeway wildlife overpass will be constructed. This will be the first wildlife crossing on the I-5, which stretches from Canada to Mexico. Here is a photo from afar of where the overpass will be constructed:

Ashland, Oregon: view from afar, where there will be a wildlife overpass constructed across the I-5 for the benefit of wildlife

The overpass will be constructed within the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument and will improve habitat connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. The Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition has been working in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation to make this project a reality. Wildlife activity nearby and within the crossing will be monitored before, during, and after the construction of the overpass.

The crossing will be 200 feet wide and 800 feet long, accommodating safe passage for a broad range of species including deer, cougars, bobcats, black bears, and many others that call the Monument home. Construction for this project will begin in the early part of 2028

Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS) by CDFW

We also learned about a mapping tool offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) under the Conservation Analysis Unit (CAU) that develops and maintains spatial data and models of wildlife movement, corridors, and habitat connectivity across California. These maps and models are used by scientists and decision-makers to inform how to best conserve habitat connectivity, or the ability of species and ecological processes to move through the landscape. Data like this is key for the state to work with as we advance the 30x30 initiative to conserve 30% of land and coastal waters by 2030. Some areas, such as areas of conservation emphasis (ACEs), are incredibly important to protect for wildlife connectivity and passage between habitats.

Screenshot of mapping tool with the “Terrestrial Connectivity Area of Conservation Emphasis (ACE)” layer projected

Screenshot of mapping tool pictured above, but zoomed into the North Coast

In the Terrestrial Connectivity layer that is being projected onto the map of the north coast above, you can see the irreplaceable and essential corridors represented by dark green hexagons. Overall, there is a huge data gap in the North Coast for this map.

Screenshot of mapping tool referenced above, but zoomed into the San Francisco Bay Area 

By comparing the screenshot of the San Francisco Bay Area to that of our North Coast region, you can see that there is a lot more data for irreplaceable and essential wildlife corridors in the Bay Area. Each hexagon contains attributes identified across multiple studies, and is then assigned to one of five ACE connectivity classes and accompanying ranks, indicating the relative importance of each area to providing opportunities for the movement and dispersal of organisms critical to maintaining healthy populations and species survival. To learn more about the studies behind the map, you can read more on the CDFW website.

Klamath River Restoration

Another exciting element of the event was getting to see re-seeded areas of the Klamath River post-dam removal. Please enjoy the following photos of wildflowers flourishing along the Klamath, at old dam removal sites.

Pollinators enjoying Dogbane along Jenny Creek (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Yellow Lupine, Lupinus microcarpus var. Densiflorus