Site – A location where the species in question is found or was historically present. Tahoe yellow cress sites are listed in Pavlik et al 2002. Site types described in that document are as follows:

• Core sites – Sites that support relatively large, invariant and persistent populations and are of highest conservation value because they consistently provide favorable conditions for the species. These sites play an important role in maintaining the species.
• High-priority sites – Sites with smaller, fluctuating and intermittent populations that are less favorable than core sites due to natural and anthropogenic factors, but have proven to be suitable habitat sites.
• Medium-priority sites – Sites with very small, highly variable populations with significant gaps, but that still provide habitat under some conditions.
• Low-priority sites – Sites with small, ephemeral populations that are commonly characterized by extirpation. These sites are important for maintaining the metapopulation dynamic but will not support thriving populations under present conditions.

Protected – Special status species sites are protected when measures are implemented to ensure that no activity causes the loss of any component of the habitat critical to the survival of a special status species.. Actions that protect special status species include: installing appropriate fencing, implementing visitor education and control, acquiring land or easements, imposing and enforcing regulatory restrictions, minimizing disturbance.

Re-established (from U.S. EPA) – Special status species sites are re-established when a site that historically supported a species but had been degraded or otherwise made unfit as habitat is restored such that it can again host the species.

Special status species – (Note: This PM is currently focused on Tahoe yellow cress, but can be used to track sites protected or re-established for any special status species. The definition provided here is written to include possible species to be tracked in the future.) A special status species is any species of plant or animal that is:

• Listed as threatened, endangered, sensitive or petitioned at the federal, state or regional level
• Included in the USFS Biological Species Lists
• Included in TRPA’s threshold species list
• Included in the EIP update document’s list of “other priority species”

Species may be listed because of low population or distribution, declining adbundance or other factors that lead them to require special consideration for protection and to maintain biodiversity.

Projects implemented to protect or re-establish special status species sites are reported once the project is complete, and progress should be recorded in the EIP Database for each calendar year before the end of December of that year.