This article introduces Extension professionals to the U.S. Geological Survey\u27s Gap Analysis Program (GAP). GAP seeks to inform the natural resource policy process by providing land cover, stewardship, and species distribution data to decision makers. GAP data may be used to make land use decisions at different geographic levels. GAP aims to address biodiversity conservation in a proactive manner, paying unique attention to the protection of common species and their habitats. Extension professionals may also find GAP data helpful in education and outreach programs designed to inform the public of the role individuals can play in biodiversity maintenance

Gerlach, John D, II

Jolley, G Jason

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

The Journal of Extension Volume 46 Number 4 Article 27 8-1-2008 The Gap Analysis Program: A Proactive Approach to Biodiversity Conservation John D. Gerlach II North Carolina State University, jgerlac2@hotmail.com G Jason Jolley University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, jason_jolley@unc.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Gerlach, J. D., & Jolley, G. (2008). The Gap Analysis Program: A Proactive Approach to Biodiversity Conservation. The Journal of Extension, 46(4), Article 27. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol46/iss4/27 This Tools of the Trade is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. 	 JOEHOME JOURNAL GUIDELINES ABOUT	JOE CONTACT NATIONAL	JOB	BANKCurrent	Issues Back	IssuesAugust	2008	//	Volume	46	//	Number	4	//	Tools	of	the	Trade	//	4TOT4The	Gap	Analysis	Program:	A	Proactive	Approach	to	BiodiversityConservationAbstractThis	article	introduces	Extension	professionals	to	the	U.S.	Geological	Survey's	Gap	AnalysisProgram	(GAP).	GAP	seeks	to	inform	the	natural	resource	policy	process	by	providing	land	cover,stewardship,	and	species	distribution	data	to	decision	makers.	GAP	data	may	be	used	to	makeland	use	decisions	at	different	geographic	levels.	GAP	aims	to	address	biodiversity	conservationin	a	proactive	manner,	paying	unique	attention	to	the	protection	of	common	species	and	theirhabitats.	Extension	professionals	may	also	find	GAP	data	helpful	in	education	and	outreachprograms	designed	to	inform	the	public	of	the	role	individuals	can	play	in	biodiversitymaintenance.	IntroductionThis	article	introduces	Cooperative	Extension	Service	agents	and	other	natural	resourceprofessionals	to	the	Gap	Analysis	Program	(GAP)	of	the	U.S.	Geological	Survey.	GAP	is	a	"scientificmeans	for	assessing	to	what	extent	native	animal	and	plant	species	are	being	protected"	(GAP,2007).	The	goal	of	GAP	is	to	"keep	common	species	common	by	identifying	those	species	and	plantcommunities	that	are	not	adequately	represented	on	existing	conservation	lands"	(GAP,	2007).Common	species	are	"those	not	currently	listed	as	threatened	or	endangered	under	the	guidelinesof	the	1973	Endangered	Species	Act"	(GAP,	2007).	This	article	provides	a	brief	overview	of	GAPanalysis,	discusses	some	current	applications	of	GAP,	and	suggests	the	relevance	of	this	tool	toExtension	professionals.Overview	of	GAPThe	mission	of	GAP	is	to	"provide	regional	assessments	of	the	conservation	status	of	nativevertebrate	species	and	natural	land	cover	types	and	to	facilitate	the	application	of	this	informationto	land	management	activities"	(GAP,	2007).	This	mission	is	accomplished	through	a	five-stepprocess	(GAP,	2007).1.	 Map	the	land	cover	of	the	United	States.2.	 Map	predicted	distributions	of	vertebrate	species.3.	 Document	the	representation	of	vertebrate	species	and	land	cover	types	in	areas	managedJohn	D.	Gerlach,	IISchool	of	Public	and	International	AffairsNorth	Carolina	State	UniversityRaleigh,	North	Carolinajgerlac2@hotmail.comG.	Jason	JolleyResearch	DirectorCarolina	Center	for	Competitive	Economies	(C3E)University	of	North	Carolina	at	Chapel	HillChapel	Hill,	North	CarolinaJason_Jolley@unc.edufor	the	long-term	maintenance	of	biodiversity.4.	 Provide	this	information	to	the	public	and	those	entities	charged	with	land	use	research,policy,	planning,	and	management.5.	 Build	institutional	cooperation	in	the	application	of	this	information	to	state	and	regionalmanagement	activities.Maps	are	generated	detailing	an	area's	land	cover,	stewardship,	species	distribution,	andprotected	areas.	"These	maps	are	then	combined	to	identify	conservation	'gaps,'	or	areas	in	whichconservation	efforts	are	necessary,	but	missing"	(GAP,	2007).	These	assessments	can	be	done	atthe	local,	state,	regional,	or	national	level	(GAP,	2007).GAP	Applications"GAP	data	have	proven	useful	in	a	variety	of	conservation,	management,	planning,	and	land	usecapacities"	(GAP,	2007).	Applications	of	GAP	include	"site	specific	management,	reserve	design,planning	conservation	corridors,	local	scale	conservation	planning,	threat	assessment,	landacquisition,	and	evaluating	land	use	change"	(GAP,	2007).	"GAP	data	have	also	aided	in	themonitoring	of	wildlife-borne	diseases,	monitoring	habitat	quality	and	carrying	capacity,	andeducation	and	outreach	programs"	(GAP,	2007).	"GAP	applications	have	been	studied	since	theprogram's	creation	in	the	early	1980s,	with	continuous	progress	being	made	in	the	quest	to	makeGAP	more	applicable	to	a	broad	array	of	policy	and	management	issues"	(GAP,	2007).Portions	of	a	particular	GAP	project	may	be	used	to	affect	natural	resource	decisions	without	usingthe	results	of	the	project	as	a	whole.	For	example,	the	fragmentation	and	loss	of	farmland	inMichigan	to	non-farm	uses	recently	called	for	the	implementation	of	an	effective	statewide	farmpreservation	program	designed	to	initiate	land	use	policy	reform	(GAP,	2007).	GAP	land	cover	datawere	used	to	identify	"high	priority	areas	of	agricultural	and	rural	development	which	warrantunique	preservation	measures"	(GAP,	2007).	In	this	case,	GAP	data	played	a	crucial	scientificsupport	role	in	the	allocation	of	Michigan	farmland	preservation	funds.GAP	has	also	made	tremendous	contributions	to	natural	resource	education	and	outreachprograms	across	the	United	States.	The	natural	resource	policy	and	biodiversity	planningprocesses	are	becoming	increasingly	dependent	upon	the	input	of	an	informed	local	citizenry.Therefore,	GAP	has	made	it	a	program	goal	to	"educate	local	jurisdictions	and	the	public	regardinglocal	species	in	hopes	of	increasing	knowledge	of	species	populations	within	a	particular	area"(GAP,	2007).In	Pierce	County,	Washington,	GAP	data	and	NatureMapping	were	used	during	a	24-hour	speciesverification	survey.	The	aptly	named	"bioblitz"	was	overseen	by	the	Pierce	County	BiodiversityAlliance.	The	bioblitz	called	on	citizens	to	receive	training	on	data	collection	protocols	(GAP,	2007).Shortly	thereafter,	citizens	and	natural	resource	professionals	collected	species	data	on	lands	uponwhich	34	landowners	allowed	the	group	access	(GAP,	2007).	In	addition	to	the	collection	ofinvaluable	species	verification	data,	the	community	was	educated	in	the	ways	of	GAP	andNatureMapping	and	allowed	to	play	a	vital	role	in	the	locally	based	biodiversity	conservationprocess	(GAP,	2007).GAP	and	the	Cooperative	Extension	ServiceSpecies	conservation	is	most	often	targeted	toward	threatened	and	endangered	species.	GAP	is	aunique	tool	that	allows	Extension	and	other	natural	resource	professionals	to	track	changes	andgaps	in	the	protection	of	common	species.	By	tracking	common	species,	natural	resourceprofessionals	can	be	proactive	in	minimizing	the	potential	negative	impacts	of	future	activities	onthese	species,	thereby	achieving	GAP's	mission	of	"keeping	common	species	common."	Access	toGAP	data	provides	environmental	decision	makers	with	additional	information	for	making	better-informed	natural	resource	decisions.	The	presence	of	contributing	organizations	in	44	statesprovides	access	to	Extension	agents	across	the	United	States	(GAP,	2007).GAP's	versatility	allows	application	at	various	geographic	levels.	This	provides	county-levelExtension	agents	the	opportunity	to	build	localized	datasets	for	contribution	to	the	overall	GAPprogram	and	for	use	in	local	conservation	and	natural	resource	decision-making.	GAP	also	providesExtension	agents	with	better	information	regarding	biodiversity	maintenance	in	currentlydesignated	conservation	areas	and	identifies	areas	in	need	of	future	conservation	considerations.This	prevents	ad	hoc	land	conservation	and	provides	scientific	justification	for	land	conservationdecisions	where	limited	resources	exist.ConclusionGAP	data	constitute	a	tool	worthy	of	further	exploration	by	Extension	professionals.	The	goals	ofGAP	lend	to	scientifically	affecting	policy	and	conservation	changes	in	high-priority	areas.	Inaddition	to	a	wide	array	of	professional	applications,	GAP	has	proven	to	be	a	very	useful	tool	ineducating	the	public	about	surrounding	species,	the	need	for	effective	conservation	practices,	andthe	role	each	citizen	can	play	in	the	biodiversity	conservation	process.	A	full	description	of	the	GAPis	available	online	at	<http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov/>.	This	Web	site	includes	more	detailedinformation	on	GAP	and	its	applications.	GAP	data	may	also	be	accessed	via	the	program's	Webportal,	which	is	part	of	the	main	GAP	Web	site,	or	by	calling	the	national	GAP	offices	in	Reston,	VAat	(703)	648-4079.ReferencesGap	Analysis	Program	(GAP)	(2007).	Retrieved	August	4,	2007	from:	http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov/Copyright	©	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Articles	appearing	in	the	Journal	become	the	property	of	theJournal.	 Single	 copies	 of	 articles	may	 be	 reproduced	 in	 electronic	 or	 print	 form	 for	 use	 in	 educational	 or	 trainingactivities.	Inclusion	of	articles	in	other	publications,	electronic	sources,	or	systematic	large-scale	distribution	may	bedone	only	with	prior	electronic	or	written	permission	of	the	Journal	Editorial	Office,	joe-ed@joe.org.If	you	have	difficulties	viewing	or	printing	this	page,	please	contact	JOE	Technical	Support©	Copyright	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Copyright	Policy

The Gap Analysis Program: A Proactive Approach to Biodiversity Conservation

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The Gap Analysis Program: A Proactive Approach to Biodiversity Conservation

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