7727

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7727
• Author: Stuber, R. J., G. Gebhart and O. E. Maughan.
• Title: Habitat Suitability Index Models
• USFW Year: 1982.
• USFW - Doc Type: Green Sunfish.
• Copyright Material: NO

The Biological Services Program was established within the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to supply scientific information and methodologies on
key environmental issues that impact fish and wildlife resources and their
supporting ecosystems. The mission ~f the program is as follows:

. To strengthen the Fish and Wildlife Service in its role as
a primary source of information on national fish and wild-
life resources. particularly in respect to environmental
impact assessment.

. To gather. analyze. and present information that will aid
decisionmakers in the identification and resolution of
problems associated with major changes in land and water
use.

. To provide better ecological information and evaluation
for Department of the Interior development programs. such
as those relating to energy development,

Information developed by the Biological Services Program is intended
for use in the planning and decisionmaking process to prevent or minimize
the impact of development on fish and wildlife. Research activities and
technical assistance services are based on an analysis of the issues. a
determination of the decisionmakers involved and their information needs,
and an evaluation of the state of the art to identify information qaps
and to determine priorities. This is a strategy that will ensure that
the products produced and disseminated are timely and useful.

Projects have been initiated in the following areas: coal extraction
and conversion; power plants; geothermal. mineral and oil shale develop-
ment; water resource analysis. including stream alterations and western
water allocation; coastal ecosystems and Outer Continental Shelf develop-
ment; and systems inventory, including National Wetland Inventory.
habitat classification and analysis. and information transfer.

The Biological Services Program consists of the Office of Biological
Services in Washington. D.C.. which is responsible for overall planning and
management; National Teams. which provide the Program's central scientific
and technical expertise and arrange for contracting bio10qica1 services
studies with states. universities. consulting firms. and others; Regional
Staffs. who provide a link to problems at the operating level; and staffs at
certain Fish and Wildlife Service research facilities. who conduct in-house
research studies,

This model is designed to be used by the Division of Ecological Services
in conjunction with the Habitat Evaluation Procedures.

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