This Conservation Site data layer contains spatial and other information of over 750 sites of conservation, scientific, and ecological interest distributed across all of Idaho’s landscapes. Sites represent a variety of ecosystems and typically have intact ecological processes, exemplary native plant communities, unique geologic processes, or important habitat for species (e.g., Important Bird Areas). Conservation site boundaries often include most of the land area necessary to maintain the ecological processes of interest. For most areas, site boundaries also include a variable width buffer, but do not necessarily include an entire watershed. In some situations site boundaries nearly match those of a special management area, such as IDFG Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Research Natural Area (RNA), or USFWS National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Corresponding descriptions for each site polygon in this shapefile describe the site, its location, size, design considerations, biological or other natural significance, ecological processes and functions, ecological condition and integrity, conservation or protection status, stewardship concerns, and known occurrences of communities and rare species.

Approximately 475 of the sites in the Conservation Site shapefile contain significant wetland or riparian habitat. The majority of these sites were identified between 1996 and 2007, when IDFG completed wetland inventories across approximately two-thirds of Idaho’s river basins (wetland conservation strategies reports). These projects involved field surveys of wetland and riparian areas to document their condition, function, and biodiversity value. Field surveys were supplemented with interpretation of aerial imagery and National Wetland Inventory maps. Wetland sites were mapped relatively broadly, but typically finer than a HUC 12 scale (i.e., they include adjacent upland buffers). Wetland sites were typically classified according to habitat diversity, biodiversity significance, condition, and landscape context or viability into these conservation priority categories:

• Class I—highest priority; relatively undisturbed; often support unique or rare wetland types that are very sensitive to disturbance; often supports high concentrations of globally and state rare plant or animal species, and high diversity of common plant associations in excellent ecological condition; provide a high level of diverse wetland functions (i.e., hydrologic processes, water quality, etc. are intact); impacts should be avoided as these sites may be impossible to replace within a human lifetime; alteration may result in significant degradation that is not easily mitigated or restored; conservation efforts should focus on full protection including maintenance of hydrologic regimes.

• Class II—second highest priority; differentiated from Class I sites based on condition or biological significance; often support globally or state rare plant or animal species and/or contains rare or unique wetland types; human influences are apparent (i.e., portions of wetland are in excellent condition, however drier, accessible sites are impacted); moderate to high diversity of common plant associations in good to excellent ecological condition; wetland functions are intact; impacts and hydrologic modification should be avoided; mitigation and restoration may be possible, but may involve significant investments to be successful; improved stewardship may be necessary to alleviate low level impacts (e.g., improper livestock grazing).

• Reference—support common plant associations in good ecological condition, contain rare or unique wetland types in fair condition, and/or support state rare plant or animal species; human impacts are present, but functions are mostly intact; these wetlands may be the best remaining examples in areas of relatively high human influence and are therefore sometimes useful for monitoring the progress of restoration or enhancement of similar wetland types; they may also serve as donor sites for plant material used in restoration or enhancement; improved stewardship is often needed to maintain or improve function and condition.

• Habitat—provide moderate to outstanding wetland functions, such as food chain support, maintenance of important (and scarce) plant and wildlife habitat, or water quality support; provide numerous ecological services, although ecological condition is often impaired due to human activities; restoration, enhancement, and/or management may be necessary to improve or maintain wetland functions and condition; may have high potential for designation as, or expansion of, existing wildlife refuges or publically managed areas.

• Restoration Opportunity—After 2005, the Restoration Opportunity classification was added; currently support, or has the high likelihood of supporting, at least several important or rare (at local watershed scale) wetland functions and values, such as habitat for common and/or rare species, unique wetland types, or other locally important functions (e.g., water quality), but where human disturbance has notably decreased all functions and ecological condition; however, functions and condition are restorable with moderate levels of investment and coordination and a mix of public and private ownership (with willing landowners); often in areas with completed watershed or water quality management or improvement plans.