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Service Description: We ranked the biodiversity conservation values of the study area into high, moderate, and low classes. Class designation was based on the objectives of the assessment, data availability for the study area, and data quality. We used San Joaquin kit fox as an umbrella or representative species for a suite of San Joaquin Valley threatened, endangered, and sensitive species including giant kangaroo rat and blunt-nosed leopard lizard. Expert review confirmed that by using kit fox habitat suitability, permeability, and recovery data we would capture most of the species of interest in the study area.

We designated high biodiversity conservation value areas based on the presence of 1) wetlands, 2) moderate to high suitable kit fox habitat (developed using a 2012 dataset from the Endangered Species Recovery Program; Cypher and Phillips 2012), 3) high permeability kit fox areas (developed using a 2008 dataset from the Endangered Species Recovery Program; Cypher and Phillips 2008), 4) United States Fish & Wildlife Service kit fox core recovery areas, 5) mitigation lands set aside as part of the development of the Carrizo Plain solar projects, and 6) lands within the Grasslands Ecological Area or within 1 km of the San Joaquin River to represent waterbird conservation and restoration priorities. We dissolved each of the following datasets together to create a single high biodiversity conservation value layer.

We designated moderate biodiversity conservation value areas based on the presence of 1) United State Fish & Wildlife Service kit fox satellite and linkage recovery areas, 2) Audubon Important Bird Areas, 3) The Nature Conservancy’s portfolio conservation areas, 4) serpentine soils, 5) California Rangeland Conservation Coalition “essential” areas for rangeland conservation, and 6) compatible agricultural crops for shorebirds and waterfowl within three kilometers of designated valley floor protected areas or easements. We dissolved each of the following datasets together to create a single moderate biodiversity conservation value layer.

The report that describes the methods, assumptions and processing of data is: Butterfield, H.S., D. Cameron, E. Brand, M. Webb, E. Forsburg, M. Kramer, E. O’Donoghue, and L. Crane. 2013. Western San Joaquin Valley least conflict solar assessment. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, California. 26 pages.

The objective of this assessment is to characterize the land use and conservation constraints and opportunities associated with siting solar energy facilities in the WSJV. This approach identifies areas with high conservation value that are important to avoid when planning energy infrastructure, as well as areas of lower environmental conflict potentially suitable for development. While the approach we take focuses on refining the conservation values in the study area, we also classify the region’s agricultural resources using simple, broadly applicable classes to begin to assess trade-offs or synergies between agricultural production, habitat conservation and energy development.  In our assessment of biodiversity conservation values, we focus on core and high quality habitat for multiple listed species, including kit fox, and emphasize the preservation of connectivity for kit fox and other wide-ranging species.

Map Name: Biodiversity Conservation Value Classes

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Layers: Tables: Description: We ranked the biodiversity conservation values of the study area into high, moderate, and low classes. Class designation was based on the objectives of the assessment, data availability for the study area, and data quality. We used San Joaquin kit fox as an umbrella or representative species for a suite of San Joaquin Valley threatened, endangered, and sensitive species including giant kangaroo rat and blunt-nosed leopard lizard. Expert review confirmed that by using kit fox habitat suitability, permeability, and recovery data we would capture most of the species of interest in the study area.

We designated high biodiversity conservation value areas based on the presence of 1) wetlands, 2) moderate to high suitable kit fox habitat (developed using a 2012 dataset from the Endangered Species Recovery Program; Cypher and Phillips 2012), 3) high permeability kit fox areas (developed using a 2008 dataset from the Endangered Species Recovery Program; Cypher and Phillips 2008), 4) United States Fish & Wildlife Service kit fox core recovery areas, 5) mitigation lands set aside as part of the development of the Carrizo Plain solar projects, and 6) lands within the Grasslands Ecological Area or within 1 km of the San Joaquin River to represent waterbird conservation and restoration priorities. We dissolved each of the following datasets together to create a single high biodiversity conservation value layer.

We designated moderate biodiversity conservation value areas based on the presence of 1) United State Fish & Wildlife Service kit fox satellite and linkage recovery areas, 2) Audubon Important Bird Areas, 3) The Nature Conservancy’s portfolio conservation areas, 4) serpentine soils, 5) California Rangeland Conservation Coalition “essential” areas for rangeland conservation, and 6) compatible agricultural crops for shorebirds and waterfowl within three kilometers of designated valley floor protected areas or easements. We dissolved each of the following datasets together to create a single moderate biodiversity conservation value layer.

The report that describes the methods, assumptions and processing of data is: Butterfield, H.S., D. Cameron, E. Brand, M. Webb, E. Forsburg, M. Kramer, E. O’Donoghue, and L. Crane. 2013. Western San Joaquin Valley least conflict solar assessment. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, California. 26 pages.

The objective of this assessment is to characterize the land use and conservation constraints and opportunities associated with siting solar energy facilities in the WSJV. This approach identifies areas with high conservation value that are important to avoid when planning energy infrastructure, as well as areas of lower environmental conflict potentially suitable for development. While the approach we take focuses on refining the conservation values in the study area, we also classify the region’s agricultural resources using simple, broadly applicable classes to begin to assess trade-offs or synergies between agricultural production, habitat conservation and energy development.  In our assessment of biodiversity conservation values, we focus on core and high quality habitat for multiple listed species, including kit fox, and emphasize the preservation of connectivity for kit fox and other wide-ranging species.

Copyright Text: The Nature Conservancy 2013

Spatial Reference:
102100

Single Fused Map Cache: true

Capabilities: Map,TilesOnly

Tile Info:
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Full Extent:
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Min LOD: 8
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Units: esriMeters

Supported Image Format Types: PNG

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Max Export Tiles Count: 100000

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