The Conservation Success Index: Synthesizing and Communicating Salmonid Condition and Management Needs

Abstract

Abstract Increasing our ability to synthesize and compare fisheries assessment data among species and across geographic boundaries should facilitate a better understanding of the broad-scale condition of fish resources and necessary management strategies. We describe the Conservation Success Index (CSI), a new tool to analyze the status of native salmonids and facilitate protection, restoration, reintroduction, and monitoring efforts. The CSI provides a framework to evaluate indicators of population integrity, habitat integrity, and future security within native salmonids across all subwatersheds within their historic range. To date, the CSI has been completed for seven native trout and char species with summary status maps, data sheets, spatial analyses of management needs, and analysis of climate change and energy development impacts available at http://tucsi.spatialdynamics.com. Additional species are added annually. Case studies using Bonneville cutthroat trout and brook trout illustrate how the CSI p...