ESRI Conservation
Program: GIS Stories
from the field
Minnesota Ecosystems Recovery
Project
Comprehensive Nature Reserve System Design and Establishment:
The
Minnesota Ecosystems Recovery Project's (MERP) mission is the design and
establishment of a comprehensive nature reserve system of core areas, buffer
zones, and corridors. The reserve's primary purpose is the protection and
recovery of habitat for Minnesota's native plant and animal species and
to ensure the long-term ecological integrity of its biological systems.
Establishment of the reserve would protect plants and animals from damaging
human activities and reduce the possibility of genetic deterioration due
to isolation from other individuals and populations.
(Full
size Reserve Design map 199K). MERP was formed in August 1992, incorporated
in 1993 and received 501c3 non-profit status in 1994. MERP started out
challenging environmentally damaging activities, such as timber sales,
on the state's two (2) National Forests. By the end of the first year we
realized that the problems facing our environment were much broader than
logging and overlapped lands of different ownerships. In February, 1994,
we shifted our focus to the development of a comprehensive biodiversity
conservation strategy, including the nature reserve system. The first step
was to map Minnesota's remaining roadless lands and create a draft nature
reserve design based primarily on those results. Since that time we have
received funding and contributions from ESRI, Patagonia, Inc., Foundation
for Ecology and Development, Peradam Foundation, and Rowekamp Associates
to establish a PC-based GIS with PC ARC/INFO and ArcView, and provide training
for key personnel.
MERP has also developed advanced core area identification and mapping
guidelines, including a site ranking scheme, that has been reviewed by
noted scientists such as Reed Noss and James Strittholt. The next draft
of our nature reserve design will be completed by the end of 1997 and will
be based on several different theme layers. ...The criteria used to measure
and evaluate progress fall into three main categories: design, publication
and implementation. The design criteria is the actual mapping part of the
project. With it we will identify and map out core reserve areas, buffer
zones and corridors based on different data themes. Publication involves
peer review and actual publication of the results of our work in scientific
and popular journals. The peer review process may change the results of
our analyses, in effect strengthening its credibility. Therefore, there
may be several revisions of the design before the final product is deemed
acceptable for publication.
The final criteria will be implementing our plan. This will entail the
protection of core reserve areas, establishment of buffer zones with limited,
sustainable human activities, and corridors that will allow migration of
plant and animal species between core areas. There are several strategies
that may be used to ensure implementation, several of which are on-going.
After all three criteria are met, then we will consider the project fully
completed. The timeline for full reserve design and peer review is 1-2
years for the Laurentian Mixed Forest, 2-3 years for the years for the
Eastern Deciduous Forest, and 3-5 years for the Prairie-Parkland Province.
However, a second iteration of the Biosphere Recovery Strategy will be
completed by the end of 1997. Establishment of our nature reserve design
will be a much longer process. Though we will pursue opportunities as they
arise to implement portions of each region's reserve design, the process
will take several decades, if not longer, to fully establish.
.
Text and graphics: Minnesota Ecosystems Recovery Project
and The Wildlands Project
January 2, 1997 , ( Michael Biltonen,
Exec. Dir., MERP, P.O. Box 293, Red Wing, MN 55066. email: merp@redwing.net
)
Web layout & design: ESRI Conservation Program,
January 2, 1996
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