Support for the East Bay Stewardship Collaborative’s Ecological Health Assessment
To inform the development of the Ecological Health Assessment, SFEI collaborated with local agencies to identify, evaluate, and organize relevant datasets that reflect stream and riparian condition across the East Bay. Drawing from both public sources and agency-held data, the project focused on selecting metrics that are scientifically defensible, practical for ongoing use, and responsive to local management needs. SFEI facilitated technical coordination through workshops and sub-group meetings, and developed a worksheet summarizing stressors, trends, and condition thresholds. This effort helped clarify current data gaps and established a framework for consistent, long-term tracking of ecological health.
What is an Ecological Health Assessment?
An Ecological Health Assessment (EHA) is a science-based, landscape-scale evaluation that provides a clear picture of how natural resources are doing across a region. Often described as a report card for ecosystem health, an EHA uses indicator species and habitat types, such as golden eagles in grasslands or red-legged frogs in wetlands, to represent broader ecological conditions. For each indicator, measurable metrics and thresholds are developed to assess current health as good, fair, or poor, and to determine whether conditions are improving, stable, or declining. By compiling and analyzing existing data, EHAs support more effective land management, permitting, public communication, and funding competitiveness. This approach has been adopted by leading conservation initiatives across the country and is rooted in methodologies developed by the National Park Service.
