WDFW unveils Washington Habitat Connectivity Action Plan, highlights priority highway crossings and funding needs

The Habitat Committee of the Fish and Wildlife Commission on April 16 heard a detailed briefing on the Washington Habitat Connectivity Action Plan (WCAP), a non-regulatory, science-driven effort led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and co-led with the Washington State Department of Transportation to map and prioritize places for conservation and wildlife crossings.

"Habitat connectivity is the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes wildlife movement," said Julia Michalek, section manager for the Priority Habitats and Species section at WDFW, who led the presentation. Michalek described WCAP’s three parts: maps of connectivity condition, priorities for action, and strategies for coordinated implementation.

Michalek said WDFW reviewed about 50 existing focal-species models, carried forward 22 with expert review and created four ecosystem connectivity models (lowland, montane/forest, east-side forest, and shrubstep/grasslands) using Google Earth Engine to reflect up-to-date land-cover conditions. Those layers, combined with values such as beaver-habitat potential and local landscape permeability, were synthesized into a cumulative connectivity-value…