Animals and Plants

People from everywhere know the state of California as a place of natural riches. The diverse habitats found in the Region harbor an abundance of wildlife, fish and rare plant resources.

Habitat enhancement projects and efforts to recover and conserve threatened, endangered and sensitive species enrich the recreational experiences of visitors to the National Forests and Grasslands.

Botanists on the forests serve a key role in day-to-day activities on the forests. They love the land, the plants and special places. We are hoping the website will begin to provide a glimpse of these activities and share a few of the special stories on the forests. As time permits, we would like to add podcasts to tell these stories. We invite you to join us and come and visit the forests and see the plants and special places on the forests.

For further information, please contact us by email at SM.FS.R5inquiries@usda.gov or by phone at 707-562-9113, and indicate your request be directed to the Regional Botanist.

Much of the Pacific Southwestern Region of the U.S. Forest Service is found within the California Floristic Province, unique for its Mediterranean climate of dry, hot summers and wet or snowy winters with high levels of plant endemism. Many plant species of the California’s are found here and nowhere else in the world. From serpentine outcrops to sagebrush steppes to chaparral to squishy mountain fens, California's native plants are spectacular!

Throughout its history, the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region’s Botany and Rare Plants Program has relied on botanical skills and expertise to provide the public many benefits from the 18 national forests in California. Botany is a key discipline that contributes broadly to ecosystem conservation, protection, and management by providing a sound scientific approach to the conservation of plant biodiversity.

Scope and Complexity

The forest programs range in scope and complexity. A primary focus is on evaluating forest projects, conducting surveys and effects analyses for projects on the forests for threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant species and their habitats. Forest work differs because of the over 500 rare plant species found on the forests and the various authorities (laws, regulations and policies). This results in various analyses, consultations, and coordination needed for activities on the forests. All forests conduct environmental review analyses for their work. For example, the Northern Province forests include Northwest Forest Plan Survey and Manage analysis work as well. The Sierra Cascades and Sierra forests have special authorities which include Northwest Forest Plan, QLG, SNPLMA, SNF, etc. They are working to meet analysis requirements and other obligations. The Southern California forests, in general, have more plant species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) resulting in a higher consultation workload. Lastly, threats to the lands differ throughout. All forests seem to see some effects relating to special uses such as energy, transportation, and water. Others see more or less use relating to proximity to large populations areas resulting in high recreational use for example. Every national forest in California is different and has a unique flavor.

Leadership

The Pacific Southwest Region forest leadership and botany cadre are awesome—all with varying degrees of experience with the agency, on-the-ground knowledge, and varying levels of educational expertise.

We have botanists who started in the 1980s and saw the botany program develop and grow in infancy stages the Forest Service. We have botanists who started work in the 1990s and are expert in the flora, rare plants, and can navigate around the forests very easily. We have botanists who started work in the 2000s and saw the botany program grow and take a more active approach to incorporate the growing fields of invasive species science and restoration biology. We have new botanists who bring a fresh perspective and scientific viewpoint right out of college. And last but not least, we have seasonal staff who bring new energy and dedicate their summer months to come and work for the Forest Service.

Pacific Southwest Region Aquatic Conservation Strategy

The Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS) for Region 5 of the Forest Service covers the 18 national forests within the state of California. Fundamental goals and essential components of the ACS that are common to all National Forests in Region 5 include:

Habitat connectivity within and among watersheds to support ecological integrity, biodiversity and resilience of aquatic resources
Physical integrity of the aquatic system, including shorelines, banks, and bottom configurations, to promote resilient aquatic habitats
Water quality necessary to support healthy riparian, aquatic, and wetland ecosystems
In-stream flows sufficient to create and sustain riparian, aquatic, and wetland habitats and to achieve desirable patterns of sediment, nutrient, and wood distribution
Habitat to support well-distributed populations of native plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate aquatic and riparian-dependent species
Sediment regime, including the timing, volume, rate, and character of sediment input, storage, and transport, that supports identified beneficial uses
Timing, variability, and duration of floodplain inundation and water table elevation in meadows and wetlands to provide groundwater recharge, stream flow, and maintenance of riparian areas
Aquatic species composition and distribution in lentic and lotic habitats that reflect inherent biodiversity and productivity
Species composition and structural diversity of plant communities in riparian areas to provide riparian functions and processes including shade, wood recruitment, and sediment capture.

In order to achieve these goals, the Region 5 Fisheries Program, in partnership with the Hydrology and Watershed Programs, will implement the ACS by focusing on the following core elements:

Development and implementation of species recovery plans, conservation assessments and strategies to conserve and recover TES aquatic species in collaboration with state and federal agencies and other organizations.
Collaboration in the design and management of in-stream flows associated with hydropower, flood control, agricultural and municipal water operations that will maintain or restore aquatic resources (e.g. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing process).
Assessment and restoration of aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings to provide for unobstructed migration and dispersal, and reconnect habitats needed to fulfill the life-history requirements of aquatic species.
Treatment of sediment delivery sources associated with roads, trails, and abandoned mines to reduce or eliminate sediment delivery where fine sediment is limiting the biological productivity of the water body
Meadow restoration to re-establish or improve hydrologic processes and natural biotic communities
Eradication or control of non-native aquatic species where they compromise the biological integrity of a water body and prevention of aquatic invasive species introductions through education, inspection and decontamination
Silvicultural treatments in young riparian stands to accelerate the development of mature forest conditions and promote shade-producing canopy, vegetative diversity, wood recruitment, and a broader complex of habitats for aquatic and riparian species.
Developing and sustaining partnerships to restore and enhance aquatic resources.

Wildlife

The Wildlife Program assists field biologists in attaining the Region’s wildlife priorities to manage wildlife habitat resources from a healthy ecosystem perspective. The Wildlife Program covers terrestrial animal species not considered 'threatened, endangered or sensitive' species (TES). We have a specific TES program for species with this designation.

The Wildlife Program includes various Get Wild! partnerships to assist in 1) administering wildlife management activities to protect and restore native habitats important for conserving biodiversity; 2) managing habitats in a manner that meets public demand for hunting and wildlife viewing and appreciation; and 3) to assure a well-trained work force and effective organizational structure for applying best science and management in meeting the wildlife-related goals of the Agency.

Wildlife Project Spotlights

There are a number of research and management efforts underway to ensure the persistence of the Pacific fisher, an Endangered Species Act Candidate species. This group is working to synthesize key information on the species’ biology, effects of management actions, and relevant policies to create a conservation strategy for fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada. While strong foundational pieces have been developed for the West Coast fisher Distinct Population Segment, there is a critical need to specifically address the conservation and management needs for the unique and isolated population of Pacific Fisher in the Southern Sierra Nevada.

The goal of this effort is to help conserve and sustain the fisher population in the southern Sierra Nevada by developing a Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy for use by agencies, other land managers, researchers, and others. The SSFCSP is designed to meet the needs of agencies with an interest in the Pacific Fisher in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Current Project Status

The Fisher Technical Team (FTT) and its Leader, Wayne Spencer of the Conservation Biology Institute, finalized the Conservation Assessment, a synthesis of the latest science regarding the southern Sierra Nevada fisher and its habitat, in 2015. In 2016 the FTT completed Version 1.0 of the Conservation Strategy. The Strategy authors also developed a document entitled "Implementation of the Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy: Note from the Authors (March 2017)" following widespread habitat change and loss. This document describes some aspects of the Conservation Strategy that should not be applied in the near term, as the team continues to work to improve the Strategy. It also describes aspects of the Strategy that remain relevant and makes suggestions for incorporating these aspects into project design and analysis. In 2020 the Conservation Biology Institute released an “Interim Fisher Conservation Strategy” to better reflect the changing Sierra Nevada landscape and help guide fisher conservation efforts until a full Strategy revision could be completed. In efforts to update and improve the Strategy, the FTT continues to work to address additional research and analytical tasks outlined in the strategy, particularly to develop habitat resiliency metrics and targets and associated conservation measures. In addition, the FTT continues to work to improve habitat suitability models and associated tools.

Documents and Materials

Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy Version 1.0

2020 Updated Interim Strategy

Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Assessment

Project Charter

Key Contacts

For questions:

Craig Thompson, Wildlife Ecologist
craig.thompson@usda.gov; (406) 552-7937

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