Spatial integration of threatened or endangered species and tart cherry orchard locations in Michigan

In 2003, the US Environmental Protection Agency denied tart cherry growers in Oceana County, Michigan, an experimental use permit for a "reduced risk" insecticide because of the presence of the endangered Kamer blue butterfly (KBB: Lycaeides melissa samuelis). However, this decision was not based on orchard-specific KBB data; KBB locations were portrayed at a county scale, instead of a more biologically relevant scale. My objective was to demonstrate a process for integrating private lands commodity production with TES conservation. This was completed by producing federally threatened or endangered species (TES) habitat and tart cherry block (TCB) maps. In addition, I developed a spatial integration method to allow for better identification of potential overlap areas between pesticide drift from TCBs and TES habitat which can be useful for improving policy decisions. TCB spatial coordinates were collected through global positioning system technology, and a pesticide drift layer was created in a geographic information system (GIS). A predictive model was used to create statewide habitat-suitability maps for three TES because Michigan currently lacks statewide TES surveys. All data layers were integrated in a GIS to identify which tart cherry growers had the potential to affect TES. Two example approaches integrating the data were derived. Future work is required to determine the most appropriate habitat-suitability layer to be used in the integration process for each TES.