Conservation challenges for wildlife ultimately affect landscapes and people.  The unique case of WCS's work with the Hoopa Tribe to conserve Pacific fisher (Martes pennanti) is a perfect example of how our organization assists Native American communities to develop field-science-based solutions to direct natural resource management and wildlife conservation decision-making.

Since 2004, WCS and the Hoopa Valley Tribe have worked on a collaborative study of the ecology of the Pacific fisher, which is a culturally-important species for the Hupa people and a candidate for federal and California state endangered species status. In conjunction with the study, WCS trains Tribal community members to become future leaders in natural resources management and wildlife conservation.

The ongoing research is uncovering the habits of fisher, a weasel about the size of a house cat, in the 141 square mile (364 km²) mixed conifer and hardwood forest of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation.  The research is currently focused on learning about the trees fishers use to raise their young, developing innovative methods of monitoring the status of fisher populations, and identifying sources of mortality. WCS has engaged stakeholders, including agencies, private landowners, managers, and conservation organizations, that are committed to working with the Hoopa Valley Tribe at a regional scale toward long-term fisher conservation.

The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation is the largest land-based reservation in California and the well-established, federally-recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe is one of the most progressive self-governance tribes in the nation. However, a lack of ecological information and indigenous individuals with wildlife and natural resource training represent an important challenge to future natural resource management and conservation activities on the Hoopa Reservation and many other Native American lands.

The Hoopa Tribe is employing information collected on fisher den sites to develop guidelines for the protection, retention, and development of this key habitat element.  It is also critical to know the habitats fishers are using for foraging, dispersal, and other active behaviors. Information on sources of fisher mortality will indicate whether or not timber management places fisher at increased risk of mortality and what changes might be made to reduce mortality risk.

Goals

• Build a base of natural resource information on Hoopa tribal lands while simultaneously providing wildlife and natural resource training for community members. Training opportunities consist of the field-based use of research equipment, making field observations, measuring and observing fishers, identifying tracks and sign, and an introduction to key ecological concepts.
• Provide detailed recommendations for the Tribe’s forest management plan to further enhance wildlife habitat protection guidelines for fisher on the Reservation.
• Inform restoration and conservation efforts for fishers throughout their range in California, Oregon, and Washington based on information from work in Hoopa.

Activities

The Hoopa Tribe's economy is almost entirely based on income generated from timber harvested on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. The Pacific fisher depends on forests with old growth characteristics so it is critical to determine fisher habitat components that can be maintained or enhanced while implementing the Tribe’s forest management plan. Read More >>

Accomplishments

• WCS's study has added key recommendations to the Hoopa Tribe’s forest management plan for fisher habitat protection during timber management activities.
• WCS has established a high school internship program for Tribal youth to explore natural resources careers and contribute to current natural resources management and wildlife conservation on the Reservation.