BALANCING FUELS REDUCTION AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: MONITORING OF FISHER AND NSO RESPONSE TO FUELS MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORESTS”

Project ID: F24AC02140

Federal Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2024

Initial Funding: $40,000

Total Funding: $40,000

Principal Investigator: Matthews, Sean

Agreement Technical Representative: Hall, Lisa

Abstract: THE CONSERVATION OF FOREST-DEPENDENT WILDLIFE PERSISTING IN SMALL, REMNANT POPULATIONS UNDER CHANGING WILDFIRE AND CLIMATE PATTERNS WILL REQUIRE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF FUELS-REDUCTION TREATMENTS AND POST-WILDFIRE RESTORATION TO INCREASE BOTH FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESILIENCY AND CONNECTIVITY. THE CONSERVATION OF FISHERS (PEKANIA PENNANTI), CO-OCCURRING CARNIVORES (E.G., RINGTAILS BASSARISCUS ASTUTUS ), AND THE FEDERALLY THREATENED NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL EPITOMIZES CHALLENGES IN CONSIDERING VARIOUS PRE- AND POST-WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES. CONCERNS HAVE ARISEN OVER THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF FUELS AND POST-FIRE MANAGEMENT RESULTING IN REDUCTIONS IN FOREST COMPLEXITY AS A RISK TO THE PERSISTENCE OF THESE SPECIES. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO EVALUATE FISHER AND OWL RESPONSES TO FUELS-REDUCTION TREATMENTS IMPLEMENTED ON MANAGED CONIFER FORESTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WE WILL ALSO EVALUATE CHANGES IN FISHER DENSITY FOLLOWING THE 2022 MCKINNEY FIRE AND POST-FIRE MANAGEMENT. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT REDUCTIONS IN FOREST CANOPY AND SHRUB COVER ASSOCIATED WITH FUELS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WILL LEAD TO LOCALIZED DECREASES IN FISHER AND NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL SPACE-USE BUT PREDICT THE MAGNITUDE AND DURATION OF THESE DECREASES WILL NOT BE AS GREAT AS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SEVERE WILDFIRE.