Appendix 5.6 Definition of “Effective Habitat”

The Forest Service uses two complementary methods to calculate habitat effectiveness (Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests 1997):

1. the density of roads and trails per square mile of habitat is measured (travelway density model)

2. a newer GIS based method measures the density of roads and trails while considering terrain and vegetation features such as the steepness of slopes and the amount and kind of vegetative cover. This method accounts for a far greater range of factors and seems to be preferred by Forest Service personnel.

The three geographic areas within the MEPP Planning Area have the following densities per square mile of habitat using the travelway density model:

• Lump Gulch: 3.3
• Sugarloaf: 3.3
• Thorodin: 1.9

In comparison, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area has a density of 0.9

The % of land in the Planning Area that is considered effective habitat using the GIS method is:

• Lump Gulch: 49%
• Sugarloaf: 41%
• Thorodin: 59%

In comparison, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area has 77% effective habitat.

Boulder County also has an excellent discussion of habitat effectiveness in the background documents for the County Trails Plan (Boulder County 1998b), in the Draft North Foothills Open Space Management Plan (Boulder County 1996) and in the Draft Rogers Memorial Park, Reynolds Ranch and Rogers Property Management Plan (Boulder County 1998a). According to County documents, the Forest Service (when using the travelway density model) considers effective habitat optimized at densities of 2.0 miles of roads and trails per square mile or less. Above 3.0 miles of roads and trails, habitat is not considered effective.

In summary, the term "effective habitat" as used by the Forest Service and Boulder County does not mandate removal of all roads and trails, but instead refers to a specific threshold density of roads and trails.

Effective Habitat Definition Bibliography:

Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. 1997. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Fort Collins, Colorado, Appendix B, pg. 12-16.

Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. 1996. Draft North Foothills Open Space Management Plan, Volume 1, Resource Evaluation, pg. 65-66.

Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. 1998a. Draft Platt Rogers Memorial Park, Reynolds Ranch and Rogers Property Management Plan, pg. 93.

Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. 1998b. Docket BCCP-98-01: Boulder County Comprehensive Trails Map and Plan Amendments. Memorandum from Jeff Moline to the Boulder County Planning Commission, Oct. 9th.