The overall goal of this project is to develop new science on theeffects of habitat management on the humboldt marten and their main predators andprey habitat management can indirectly affect…

This $470,608 project grant from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8, under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund program (CFDA 15.615), will support efforts to develop new science on the effects of habitat management on the Humboldt marten and its predators and prey in California. Specifically, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will use the funding to: 1) determine baseline distribution and abundance of martens and predators prior to landscape-scale forest restoration treatments across 160,000 acres, 2) assess short-term impacts of habitat restoration on marten movement, habitat use and occupancy, 3) determine pre-treatment abundance of important marten prey species, and 4) evaluate responses of marten and predator distributions after initial restoration phases. Funding will also support related work by the Yurok Tribe and California State Parks and Recreation Department to collaborate on execution of the project goals from 2023-2025.

The overall goal of this project is to develop new science on theeffects of habitat management on the humboldt marten and their main predators andprey habitat management can indirectly affect martens by influencing their key predators and prey, and directly effect martens by increasing the abundance of essential habitat features that support reproduction and survival the specific objectives are to 1 determine the baseline distribution and abundance of martens and theirpredators prior to the implementation of landscape scale forest restorationtreatments across three restoration areas that encompass 160,000 acres andapproximately 130 humboldt marten population monitoring survey units conduct surveys using the humboldt marten population monitoring protocol appendix 2 of the project narrative to facilitate quantifiable assessments of trends in marten and predator populations over time in response to forest restoration 2023 2 determine the short term 1 3 years post treatment effects of habitatrestoration on marten movement, habitat use, and occupancy in a minimumof 4 treatment areas 2023 2025 3 determine the pre treatment abundance of important prey species ofmartens in a representative sample of stand types throughout the GMC and GPC restoration areas 2023 2024 4 determine the short term 5 years, 2019 to 2024 responses of thedistributions and abundances of martens and their predators across the entire GMC area after the first phase of restoration treatments 2024 grant funds will be passed through, in part, to the yurok tribe and CA state parks and receration to collaborate on execution